Govt starts process of disposal of enemy properties

The government has initiated the process of the auction of enemy properties in a transparent way, Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra said in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Those immovable assets which were left behind by people who have taken citizenship of Pakistan and China are known as 'enemy properties'.

"Yes sir," Mishra said while replying to questions on whether the government has initiated the auction of enemy properties and if a transparent process has been undertaken for such an action.

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He also said the government has published a list of enemy properties across the country.

The minister said the management and disposal of enemy properties (both movable and immovable) vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property for Indian (CEPI) is a continuous process.

"This process is governed by the Enemy Property Act, 1968 and its rules and following guidelines issued in this regard, which are available in public domain," he said.

Officials said there are a total of 12,611 establishments called enemy property, roughly estimated to be worth over Rs 1 lakh crore, in the country.

Out of the 12,611 properties vested with the CEPI, a total of 12,485 were related to Pakistani nationals and 126 to Chinese citizens.

The highest number of enemy properties were found in Uttar Pradesh (6,255 properties), followed by 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 Haryana (71 properties).

There are 71 enemy properties in Kerala, 69 in Uttarakhand, 67 in Tamil Nadu, 57 in Meghalaya, 29 in Assam, 24 in Karnataka, 22 in Rajasthan, 10 in Jharkhand, four in Daman and Diu and one each such property in Andhra Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.