The Gujarat government has approved the allotment of a 978-square-meter disputed plot in Vadodara to Lok Sabha MP and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan. Necessary orders have been issued to the city's civic body in this regard and final approval is pending to clear the way for the parliamentarian to take possession of the government land adjacent to his house.
This comes months after Pathan and 19 other MPs staged a rebellion against Mamata Banerjee by breaking away from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and aligning with the NCPI.
The process to allot the plot to him near his Vadodara residence remained stalled for 14 years. The final value of the 978-square-meter plot has been estimated at Rs 20.53 crore (Rs 2.10 lakh per square meter).
After determining the minimum base price, or upset value, for the auction, the proposal to allot the plot to Pathan will be presented before the Standing Committee of the local civic body.
Vadodara Municipal Corporation Commissioner Arun Babu said it had received the state government's approval and would now place the proposal before the panel. The entire process will be completed once the committee's approval is obtained.
The amount Pathan will have to pay for the plot, however, has not yet been finalised. The civic body will determine the amount after examining the state government's order.
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE MATTER
In 2012, Pathan wrote to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation, seeking the allotment of a 978-square-metre plot adjacent to his bungalow in Vadodara's Tandalja.
Proposals for the allotment were discussed at meetings held on March 30 and June 8 that year. The municipal corporation later initiated the process to allot the land to him on a 99-year lease without a public auction.
However, in 2014, the state government rejected the proposal to allot the plot without a public auction.
In 2024, citing the rejection of the allotment proposal, the municipal corporation ordered immediate action to remove the alleged encroachment on the land. Pathan challenged the decision in the Gujarat High Court.
On August 21, 2025, the High Court dismissed his petition. Pathan subsequently filed an appeal before a division bench challenging the single judge's order.
During a hearing on June 8, 2026, the High Court questioned how the government land had been occupied when it had not been legally allotted and the requisite payment had not been made. The court also raised questions about the role of municipal officials in the matter.
Pathan's lawyer sought time to present further arguments, citing the state government's policy on land allotments to international cricketers.
A significant development came on August 31, 2026, when Pathan withdrew his appeal before the High Court.
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