The Gujarat government has formally approved a proposal to allot a 978-square-metre plot of land to former Indian cricketer Yusuf Pathan. The land, currently owned by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), is situated in the Tandalja area of the city. Under the terms of the proposal, 500 square metres of the site would be gifted to Pathan for residential purposes, while the remaining 478 square metres would be transferred at a concessional rate. The entire plot holds an estimated market valuation of Rs 20.53 crore, calculated at Rs 2.10 lakh per square metre.
According to the government resolution, the portion not being gifted will be transferred at 55% of the valuation previously determined by the Vadodara Urban Development Authority (VUDA) valuation committee on March 17, 2026. This structure represents a 45% concession on the market rate for that section of the land. Furthermore, the state government has stipulated that this decision should not be used as a precedent for other land allotment cases. To compensate the civic body, the state revenue department is expected to allot land of equivalent value to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation.
While the state government has granted its approval, the allotment process is not yet complete. VMC Municipal Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu confirmed the receipt of the state’s approval but noted that the details remain to be finalized. The proposal must now navigate the necessary internal approval procedures of the civic body, specifically requiring clearance from the VMC Standing Committee and the general board. The land in question is identified as Final Plot 90 under Town Planning Scheme 22.
This development follows a long-standing legal and administrative dispute regarding the property, which first arose in 2012 when Pathan sought a 99-year lease on the land, citing security requirements and convenience for his residence. Although the VMC board initially approved the request without a public auction, the urban development department rejected the proposal in 2014, citing regulations that mandate open bidding for valuable municipal land. The civic body later alleged that Pathan had occupied and fenced off the plot despite the rejection.
The conflict intensified in June 2024, when the VMC issued a notice to Pathan to vacate the property. The former cricketer subsequently challenged the action in the Gujarat High Court, relying on government policies concerning land grants for international athletes. However, the court upheld the rejection of the allotment, noting that possession without formal legal orders did not grant ownership rights. Following court proceedings in 2026 during which the bench questioned his unauthorized possession of public land, Pathan unconditionally withdrew his appeal on August 31, 2026.
Yusuf Pathan, who won the 2024 Lok Sabha election representing the Baharampur constituency in West Bengal as a Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate, has seen a change in his political affiliation since then. On June 14, 2026, following the assembly election results in West Bengal, Pathan and other MPs announced a merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), where he now serves as a national vice-president.
The future of the plot now rests on the decision of the VMC authorities. Should the standing committee and the general board approve the proposal, it would conclude a years-long standoff between the civic body and the former cricketer regarding the usage of the Tandalja land.
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