Govt sets up 3 high-level committees to dispose of enemy properties

The Centre decided to constitute a high-level committee, comprising Home Minister Amit Shah, top bureaucrats, to recommend the quantum and price or price band for sale of 'enemy shares' worth Rs one lakh crore. The move comes nearly three years after Parliament amended the Enemy Property Act.

New Delhi:The government on Wednesday decided to set up three high-level committees, one of which will be headed by Home Minister Amit Shah, to dispose of over 9,400 enemy properties, which is likely to fetch about Rs 1 lakh crore to the exchequer.

In an order, the Home ministry said the decision has been taken for disposal of immovable enemy properties vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India under the Enemy Property Act.

The enemy properties were those left behind by the people who took citizenship of Pakistan and China.

An Inter-Ministerial Group will be constituted which will be co-chaired by the union home secretary and the secretary of the department of investment and public asset management.

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Representatives of the ministry of home affairs, department of economic affairs, department of expenditure, department of public enterprises, department of legal affairs, ministry of corporate affairs among others will be members of the inter-ministerial group, according to the order.

A Core Group of Secretaries on Asset Monetisation (CGAM) will be constituted under the chairmanship of cabinet secretary and comprising secretary, department of economic affairs; secretary, department of revenue; secretary, department of expenditure; secretary, department of public enterprises; secretary, ministry of corporate affairs; secretary, department of legal affairs; secretary, urban development; union home secretary and secretary, department of investment and public asset management.

The order said that the central government may constitute an alternative mechanism consisting of the following: home minister (Amit Shah), finance minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) and Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.

There are 9,280 properties left behind by Pakistani nationals and 126 properties left behind by Chinese nationals.

In 2018, the then union minister of state for home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir had informed Rajya Sabha that "The estimated value of all enemy properties is approximately Rs 1 lakh crore".

Among the 9,280 properties left behind by Pakistani nationals, the highest 4,991 properties are located in Uttar Pradesh followed by West Bengal which has 2,735 such estates. There are 487 such properties in Delhi.

Among the 126 properties left behind by Chinese nationals, the highest 57 are located in Meghalaya followed by West Bengal with 29. Assam has seven such properties.

According to the new Act, enemy property refers to any property belonging to, held or managed on behalf of an enemy, an enemy subject or an enemy firm.