Full Breakdown
Gujarat Government Moves to Allot Disputed Vadodara Plot to Former Cricketer Yusuf Pathan
By Drooid · · How we work
Background & Context
Yusuf Pathan, a former India cricketer and ex-Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP, first sought a 99-year lease of a municipal plot in Vadodara’s Tandalja area in 2012, citing security concerns. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) initially approved the allotment, valuing the 978-square-metre land at Rs 5.6 crore. The Gujarat Urban Development Department rejected the proposal in June 2014, ordering a public auction.
After winning the Baharampur Lok Sabha seat in June 2024, Pathan received an encroachment notice from the VMC, which he challenged in the Gujarat High Court. A single-judge order in August 2025 upheld the state’s rejection, stating that prolonged possession without payment did not create a legal right. Pathan withdrew his appeal in August 2026, ending the case.
In June 2026, Pathan and 19 other TMC MPs left the party and joined the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), with Pathan later appointed vice-president of the NCPI.
Core Allocation Decision
A Gujarat government resolution dated August 13 2026 approved the allotment of the disputed plot to Pathan. The resolution reached the VMC on August 29 2026. Under the plan, 500 sq m will be gifted for residential use, while the remaining 478 sq m will be transferred at 55 % of the valuation set by the Vadodara Urban Development Authority (VUDA) on March 17 2026. The state Revenue Department will provide VMC land equivalent in value to the portion transferred, and the arrangement is expressly stated not to set a precedent.
Data & Statistics
- Plot size: 978 sq m (Final Plot No. 90, Town Planning Scheme 22).
- Government-approved valuation: Rs 2.10 lakh per sq m, giving an estimated market value of roughly Rs 20.5 crore.
- Concessional rate: 55 % of the valuation for 478 sq m (a 45 % discount).
- Citizens’ group Vishwamitri Bachao Samiti estimates potential charges for the 14-year occupation at about Rs 7.5 crore, though this is not an official municipal demand.
Official Statements & Responses
A senior VMC official said any payment or liability arising from the alleged encroachment will be addressed separately, as no specific instruction has yet been received.
Criticism & Opposition
Vishwamitri Bachao Samiti has called for the removal of the alleged encroachment before any allotment, arguing that the civic body should first take physical possession of the land and then conduct a public auction. Their Rs 7.5 crore estimate reflects their own assessment, not an official claim.
Verbatim Quote
“We have to go through the detailed conditions of the government approval. The details will be finalised shortly. The proposal will go through the civic body’s usual approval process (Standing Committee and General Board ratification).” — Arun Mahesh Babu, Vadodara municipal commissioner
What’s Next
The VMC’s standing committee will review the proposal before it proceeds to the general board for final ratification, determining whether the gift and concessional transfer are formally executed.