Vadodara’s municipal standing committee has cleared a proposal to allot a disputed 978-square-metre plot to former India cricketer Yusuf Pathan. The decision, approved amid Congress protests, raises questions about public land allocation and the terms offered to the former sportsman.
A disputed piece of municipal land in Vadodara has moved closer to being allotted to former India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan after the Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s (VMC) Standing Committee approved the proposal on October 23, 2026.
The plot, in the Tandalja area beside Pathan’s residential property, measures 978 square metres and has an estimated market value of ₹20.53 crore. Under the proposed arrangement, 500 square metres would be transferred to Pathan as a gift, while the remaining 478 square metres would be offered at 55% of the assessed valuation — a 45% concession.
The approval followed protests by Congress leaders and workers outside the committee meeting. The proposal was passed unanimously, according to reporting by The Indian Express. It must still go before the VMC General Board for ratification, meaning the committee’s decision is not the final step in the process. <Cite refs={[“turn877361view0″,”turn877361view1”]}/>
Why the land allotment is controversial
The dispute centres on how a valuable parcel of public land can be transferred to an individual on exceptional terms. The Gujarat government has approved the arrangement and specified that it should not be treated as a precedent for similar cases.
The land is identified as Final Plot No. 90 under Town Planning Scheme 22 in Tandalja. Its estimated value of ₹20.53 crore is based on a rate of ₹2.10 lakh per square metre previously approved by the civic body.
The proposed concession has drawn scrutiny because the plot had earlier been considered for public auction. Questions have also been raised about the legal basis for gifting part of the land and whether other sportspersons could seek comparable treatment.
An analysis published by The Indian Express on October 24 examined the Gujarat Urban/Area Development Authorities (Disposal of Land and Other Properties) Regulations, 2002. It reported that the regulations specify disposal through sale, lease and development rights, without expressly listing a gift of public land to an individual as a standard method. The state government’s reliance on discretionary powers and the exceptional nature of the proposal therefore remain important points in the debate. <Cite refs={[“turn877361view1″,”turn877361view0”]}/>
A request dating back to 2012
Pathan first approached the VMC on March 3, 2012, seeking a 99-year lease of the plot without a public auction. The Gujarat government rejected the request in June 2014.
The dispute subsequently escalated over the alleged occupation of the land. In June 2024, the municipal corporation issued Pathan a notice seeking removal of the alleged encroachment. Pathan challenged the rejection of his original request in court, but a Gujarat High Court single-judge bench dismissed his plea in August 2025.
He later appealed against that order. On August 31, 2026, Pathan withdrew the appeal after the state government had approved the proposed transfer and the civic body had received the relevant communication. The withdrawal ended that appeal, but the municipal allotment process continued separately. <Cite refs={[“turn877361view2″,”turn877361view0”]}/>
Earlier in 2026, the VMC had begun preparing for a public auction and approved a valuation for the land. That process was subsequently withdrawn after the General Board raised questions about the alleged encroachment and whether the dispute should be settled before the property was disposed of.
The revived allotment proposal has therefore brought the matter back to the civic administration, but under terms that differ from the earlier auction approach.
Congress and citizen group objections
Congress representatives protested outside the Standing Committee meeting, challenging the decision to transfer the plot on the proposed terms. The party has questioned the BJP-controlled civic administration’s handling of the allotment.
The Vishwamitri Bachao Samiti, a citizens’ group, also opposed the proposal and submitted a memorandum to the municipal commissioner. Its objections included questions about equal treatment, the revival of an application rejected in 2014 and the treatment of alleged encroachment on public land.
The group has also questioned whether replacement land promised to the VMC by the state government’s Revenue Department should be provided before the civic body transfers its own property.
These are objections raised by opponents of the proposal; they should not be confused with a final judicial finding on the legality of the newly approved arrangement. <Cite refs={[“turn877361view0″,”turn877361view1”]}/>
What happens next?
The VMC General Board must consider the proposal for ratification. Until that step is completed, the Standing Committee’s approval should not be described as the final completion of the land transfer.
The outcome will determine whether the proposed arrangement proceeds and on what final terms. The case also leaves broader questions about exceptional allocations of public property, the use of government discretion and the standards applied when public land is transferred to individuals.
For now, the immediate development is a committee-level approval of a long-running land proposal — one that remains under scrutiny because of the plot’s estimated value, its history and the special terms being offered.
Q1. What land deal has been approved for Yusuf Pathan?
The Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee approved a proposal to allot a 978-square-metre plot to Yusuf Pathan. The arrangement proposes gifting 500 square metres and offering the remaining 478 square metres at 55% of the assessed valuation.
Q2. What is the estimated value of the Vadodara plot?
The plot has an estimated market value of approximately ₹20.53 crore, based on a valuation rate of ₹2.10 lakh per square metre.
Q3. Where is the disputed land located?
The plot is in Tandalja, Vadodara, Gujarat, under Town Planning Scheme 22, Final Plot No. 90, adjacent to Pathan’s residential property.
Q4. Why are Congress leaders protesting the allotment?
Congress representatives have opposed the proposed transfer of public land on preferential terms. The decision has also drawn objections from a citizens’ group questioning equal treatment and the handling of the property dispute.
Q5. When did Yusuf Pathan first seek the land?
Pathan applied to the municipal corporation on March 3, 2012, seeking a 99-year lease without a public auction. The Gujarat government rejected the request in 2014.
Q6. Is the land transfer final?
No. The Standing Committee approved the proposal on October 23, 2026, but it still requires consideration and ratification by the VMC General Board.
Q7. Why has the legal basis of the allotment been questioned?
The Gujarat land-disposal regulations identify sale, lease and development rights as methods of disposal. An Indian Express legal explainer reported that the regulations do not expressly provide for gifting public land to an individual, prompting questions about the government’s use of discretionary powers.
