Enemy Property cases see sluggish progress in Tripura, only 5 out of 1700 resolved
Tripura has identified 5,785 plots as enemy property under the Enemy Property Act, 1968;
Office of The District Magistrate & Collector, Tripura.
Agartala, Apr 13: The disposal of petitions concerning the identification and demarcation of "enemy properties" in West Tripura district continues to be slow, as per officials of the district administration.
Out of nearly 1,700 cases, only five have been resolved so far. Hearings have been conducted in about 200 cases, leaving around 1,500 still awaiting resolution.
“All cases are referred directly to the Custodian of Enemy Property (CEP) at the Kolkata branch office. The disposal process and proceedings are monitored by this office, which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs. All District Magistrates, who are the highest revenue authorities at the district level, have been designated as ex-officio custodians of enemy property,” a an official explained, requesting anonymity.
According to data from the Revenue Department of Tripura, a total of 5,785 plots across the state have been identified as enemy property under the Enemy Property Act, 1968.
These plots cover an estimated area of 4,800 acres. However, the ground realities have evolved over the years, and the survey records used for identification are perceived to be outdated. This has added to the challenges in the verification and disposal process.
Enemy property refers to land and assets left behind by individuals who migrated to countries that India considers hostile during the partition or later wars. Many of these properties are still officially registered in the names of those who left the country.
The highest number of such plots is in Sepahijala district, where 2,269 have been identified. West Tripura, which shares an international border with Bangladesh, accounts for 1,569 plots.
Dhalai district has the fewest, with only 601 identified plots. The process of identifying enemy property in Tripura began in 2023. However, sources admit that both the disposal and auctioning of such properties have been progressing slowly.
The Enemy Property Act, 1968, is an Indian law that governs properties abandoned by individuals or entities who migrated to nations classified as "enemies" of India, mainly Pakistan and China.
Under this Act, ownership of such properties is transferred to the Custodian of Enemy Property for India. The law is intended to manage and safeguard these assets in the interest of national security.
