In a significant development, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has sought directions from the state government’s urban development department (UDD) for further action to be taken against enemy properties in Kashimira. Enemy properties are those whose survey numbers are registered in the names of people who migrated to Pakistan decades ago. After they accepted Pakistani citizenship and India declared Pakistan an enemy state around 1965, their properties were declared as enemy properties.
Large parcels of land tagged with more than 30 survey numbers falling in jurisdictions of revenue villages like-Ghodbunder, Mahajanwadi and Kashi are under the scanner for being enemy properties. In December, 2021, the central government authorities had directed the collector of Thane district to ensure that no sale or conveyance deed is registered for such holdings.
The civic administration was also asked to refrain from awarding permissions and tag stop work notices on land tagged as enemy property, following which the town planning wing launched an intensified survey to identify enemy properties in the revenue villages of Kashimira in January-2022. “After verifying the status of permissions awarded on concerned survey numbers, we have recently written to the UDD seeking further directions.
Our letter is supported with the list of 7 properties on which plans had already been passed and permissions granted before the central government orders.” confirmed, assistant director town planning (ADTP)- Hemant Thakur. However, granting nods for upcoming proposals or those in the pipeline for land tagged as enemy properties have been stopped.
Some of the major players in the construction industry have planned huge multi-crore in parts of the enemy land parcels. Matters pertaining to enemy property are dealt with under the Enemy Property Act, 1968, and Enemy Property Rules, 2015. The transfer of enemy properties is banned through the Act.
