VMC Clears 978-Sq-Metre Plot for Yusuf Pathan; 500 Sq Metres as Gift, Rest at 45% Discount

Vadodara: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s (VMC) Standing Committee on Friday approved a proposal to allot a 978-square-metre civic plot in the Tandalja area to former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan, with 500 square metres to be transferred as a gift and the remaining 478 square metres allotted at 55% of the assessed valuation.

The decision was taken amid protests by Congress leaders and workers outside the committee meeting hall, who opposed the allotment and questioned the preferential treatment allegedly extended to Pathan. The resolution was approved unanimously, following the Gujarat government’s approval and a proposal submitted by the municipal commissioner.

The plot, located at Town Planning Scheme 22, Final Plot No. 90, near Pathan’s residence in Tandalja, has an estimated market value of ₹20.53 crore, based on a valuation of ₹2.10 lakh per square metre. Under the approved arrangement, Pathan will receive a 45% concession on the assessed value of the 478-square-metre portion. The state government’s resolution also provides for the Revenue Department to allot the VMC land of equivalent value to compensate for the portion transferred.

The government resolution specifies that the arrangement will be treated as a special case and will not serve as a precedent for similar allotments.

Before the Standing Committee meeting, Congress workers staged a sit-in and raised slogans against the BJP and the proposed land transfer.

Congress city president Ritvij Joshi alleged that the allotment amounted to preferential treatment. He questioned why ordinary citizens were charged rent for using municipal plots while the former cricketer was being offered land at a concession. Opponents of the decision also questioned the government’s rationale for approving the allotment after rejecting an earlier proposal in 2014.

The controversy dates back to 2012, when Pathan sought a 99-year lease of the 978-square-metre plot adjoining his family’s residence, citing security concerns associated with his profile as an international cricketer. The VMC initially approved a proposal to allot the land without a public auction and forwarded it to the state government for approval.

In June 2014, the state government rejected the proposal, citing the need for a public auction or open bidding for valuable municipal land. The VMC subsequently alleged that Pathan had fenced off and occupied the plot despite the rejection.

The issue resurfaced in June 2024, when the civic body issued Pathan a notice seeking the removal of the alleged encroachment. He challenged the action before the Gujarat High Court, arguing, among other things, that a state government policy provided for land allotment to international sportspersons.

In August 2025, the High Court upheld the government’s rejection of the earlier allotment proposal, ruling that prolonged possession without a formal allotment order or payment did not confer a legal right to the land. Pathan subsequently appealed against the order.

During hearings in June 2026, a division bench questioned how the land had been occupied without completion of the allotment formalities or payment. Pathan unconditionally withdrew his appeal on August 31, 2026.

The Gujarat government subsequently approved a fresh allotment proposal in August 2026. The VMC commissioner submitted it to the Standing Committee for consideration in October, leading to Friday’s approval.

The resolution provides for the allotment under the government’s special-case decision. The subsequent processing of the proposal and any further approvals required under the applicable municipal procedures will determine when the transfer is completed. DeshGujarat