Vadodara: The Gujarat government has proposed handing over a long-disputed municipal plot in Vadodara to former cricketer and Lok Sabha MP Yusuf Pathan, gifting 500 square metres of the land and offering the rest at a concessional rate.
The proposal was submitted by the Vadodara municipal commissioner and will be placed for final approval before the BJP-ruled civic body's standing committee on October 23, according to the agenda shared on Monday.
Pathan broke away from the Trinamool Congress around four months ago and, as part of a rebel group, merged with the NCPI to join the BJP-led NDA. He has been part of the BJP-led alliance since then.
If the standing committee clears the proposal, the plot will pass into Pathan's hands. The disputed plot has seen legal and administrative claims and counter-claims in the past.
Opposition leaders have questioned the move, asking why a public plot should be given to a sitting MP at a concessional rate. The government has not yet offered a detailed response.
Yusuf Pathan played for India in the 2011 World Cup and later entered politics. He is currently an MP with the BJP-led alliance. With the BJP holding a majority in the civic body's standing committee, the proposal is expected to clear.
Pathan is currently an MP with the BJP-led alliance. With the BJP holding a majority in the civic body's standing committee, the proposal is expected to clear. The Opposition has demanded transparency in the use of public property. The proposal is likely to be discussed in detail at the standing committee meeting.
The fate of the proposal will become clear only after the standing committee meets.