The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), which is governed by the BJP, has sent a formal notice to Yusuf Pathan, a former Indian cricketer recently elected as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MP, accusing him of encroaching on a piece of land claimed by the civic body.
The notice was delivered to Pathan on June 6, and the matter was highlighted during a media briefing on Thursday by VMC’s standing committee chairman, Shital Mistry, following concerns raised by former BJP corporator Vijay Pawar, as reported by PTI.
Pathan, a former all-rounder, emerged victorious in the Lok Sabha elections from the Baharampur constituency, with results declared on June 4.
Earlier in the day, Pawar, speaking to reporters, alleged that despite the state government rejecting VMC’s proposal to sell the plot to Pathan in 2012, the newly elected MP had erected a compound wall on the land, purportedly encroaching upon it.
“I have no personal issue with Yusuf Pathan. The plot in the Tanadalja area under TP 22 is a residential one owned by VMC. In 2012, Pathan had requested this plot from VMC as his house, which was then under construction, was adjacent to it. He offered approximately ₹57,000 per square meter,” Pawar stated.
The proposal was approved by VMC at that time during a general board meeting. However, as Pawar explained, the final authority in such matters, the state government, did not grant its approval.
“Despite the rejection of the proposal, VMC did not erect a fence around the plot. Later, I learned that Pathan had put up a compound wall around the plot. Consequently, I requested the municipal corporation to conduct an inquiry,” Pawar added.
Confirming the sequence of events leading to the state government’s decision against sanctioning the sale of the 978-square-meter plot to Pathan, Mistry stated that Pathan had been formally notified regarding the alleged encroachment.
“We received recent reports of him constructing a compound wall. Therefore, on June 6, we issued a notice to Pathan instructing him to remove all encroachments. We will wait for a few weeks before deciding on further action. This land belongs to VMC, and we intend to reclaim it,” Mistry affirmed.
