Gujarat Government Approves Land Allocation Proposal for Yusuf Pathan After 14-Year Dispute

The Gujarat government has given its approval to a proposal to allocate a 978-square-metre plot of government land near former Indian cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP Yusuf Pathan’s residence in the Tandalja area of Vadodara. The land’s estimated value is ₹20.53 crore, calculated at approximately ₹2.10 lakh per square metre. However, the final amount Pathan would have to pay has not yet been determined. Vadodara Municipal Corporation Commissioner Arun Babu said the proposal would now be placed before the corporation’s standing committee. The municipal body will decide the amount after examining the state government’s order, and the allocation process can proceed once the committee grants its approval.

The matter dates back to 2012, when Pathan requested the municipal corporation to allocate the plot adjoining his bungalow. The corporation initially considered granting the land on a 99-year lease without an open auction, but the state government rejected that proposal in 2014. In 2024, the municipal corporation ordered action over the alleged occupation of the land, prompting Pathan to challenge the decision in the Gujarat High Court. The court dismissed his petition on August 21, 2025, after which he filed an appeal before a division bench. During a hearing on June 8, 2026, the court questioned how the government land had been occupied without a lawful allocation and the required payment. Pathan subsequently withdrew his appeal on August 31, 2026. The state government’s latest approval marks a significant development, although the municipal committee’s decision and the final payment remain pending.