After the partition, the number of movable and immovable properties became a bone of contention. While movable assets were easily managed, the fate of immovable properties was left undetermined for many decades. The issue is being discussed from the states to the center, from the legislature to the judiciary, before eventually being settled in favor of the government.
The government starts monetizing movable property
The Indian government has begun the process of monetizing enemy properties, which are immovable assets left behind by people who migrated to Pakistan and China during the partition of India in 1947. There are over 12,000 enemy properties in the country, with an estimated worth of over Rs 1 lakh crore. The properties are under the control of the Custodian of Enemy Property for India (CEPI), an authority created under the Enemy Property Act.
The Home Ministry has issued a notification stating that there have been modifications to the guidelines regarding the disposal of enemy properties. As per the new guidelines, the eviction process of enemy properties must first be initiated by the district magistrate or Deputy Commissioner concerned before the properties are sold.
Also read: What holds China back from waging war on India? The Enemy Property Act. And the fear is real
Custodians are given a priority
Those enemy properties having a valuation of Rs 1 crore and below Rs 100 crore shall be disposed of by the CEPI through e-auction. However, properties below Rs 1 crore in value can be asked to be purchased by the custodian.
So far, none of the 12,611 immovable properties have been monetized. The government has earned Rs 3,400 crore by monetizing movable assets like shares and gold, according to officials. A national survey conducted by the Directorate General of Defense Estates (DGDE)—the first of its kind—will evaluate the current state and worth of enemy properties recognized by the CEPI.
Also read: Government to sell enemy property shares valued at 3000 crores
Number of properties
12,485 of the 12,611 assets acquired by the CEPI were associated with Pakistani nationals, and 126 were related to Chinese nationals.
West Bengal (4,088 properties), Delhi (659), Goa (295), Maharashtra (208), Telangana (158), Gujarat (151), Tripura (105), Bihar (94), Madhya Pradesh (94), Chhattisgarh (78), and Uttar Pradesh (6,255 properties) had the most enemy properties (71).
Kerala has 71 enemy properties, Uttarakhand has 69, Tamil Nadu has 67, Meghalaya has 57, Assam has 29, Karnataka has 24, Rajasthan has 22, Daman and Diu have 10, Jharkhand has four, and Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands each have one.
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