The BJP-ruled Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has issued a notice to former Indian cricketer and recent Trinamool Congress (TMC) Lok Sabha MP Yusuf Pathan, accusing him of encroaching on a piece of land claimed by the civic body.
Though the notice was served to Pathan on June 6, VMC standing committee chairman Sheetal Mistry drew attention to the matter during a media briefing on Thursday after former BJP councillor Vijay Pawar drew attention to it. PTI informed of.
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Former allrounder Pathan won the Lok Sabha election from the Baharampur constituency, the results of which were declared on June 4.
Earlier in the day, Pawar, while addressing reporters, claimed that despite the state government rejecting the VMC’s proposal to sell the plot to Pathan in 2012, the newly-elected MP had encroached upon the land by allegedly erecting a compound wall.
“I have no complaint against Yusuf Pathan. The plot in Tandalja area under TP 22 is a residential plot owned by the VMC. In 2012, Pathan had demanded this plot from the VMC as his house, which was under construction at the time, was adjacent to that plot. He had offered to pay around Rs 10 lakh. “It costs Rs 57,000 per square metre,” Pawar told reporters.
The VMC had approved the proposal at that time and it was passed in the general board meeting. However, the state government, which is the final authority in such matters, did not approve it, Pawar said.
Pawar said, “Though the proposal was rejected, the VMC did not put up a fence around the plot. Then I came to know that Pathan had encroached upon the plot by building a wall around it. So, I have asked the municipal corporation to investigate.”
Mistry confirmed the series of events that resulted in the state government denying permission to Pathan to sell the 978 sq m plot. He further said that a notice was sent to Pathan about the alleged encroachment.
Mistry said, “Recently we received some complaints about him building a wall on the premises. So, on June 6, we sent a notice to Pathan and asked him to remove all encroachments. We will wait for a few weeks and then decide on further action. This land belongs to VMC and we will ask for it back.”
