Karnataka begins valuation of 24 'enemy' properties, including six in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has initiated the long-pending process of assessing the value of 24 ‘enemy’ properties across the state, including six located in Bengaluru. This crucial step, delayed for over a year, is key to initiating the eviction of current occupants and eventually auctioning these immovable assets.

Officials aim to complete the valuation within two weeks.

The six properties in Bengaluru — covering nearly 1.5 lakh square feet — are located in prime areas such as Raj Bhavan Road, Vittal Mallya Road, Victoria Road, Kalasipalya, and Grant Road. These assets were left behind by individuals who migrated to Pakistan or China and took citizenship there, primarily between 1947 and 1962.

Jagadeesha G, Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban district, said two government departments are involved in the valuation. “Since all these properties have buildings constructed on them, we’ve requested the Public Works Department (PWD) to evaluate the buildings. The tahsildar has been tasked with providing the land’s guidance value,” he explained.

Based on these two inputs, the district administration
will prepare a report for submission to the state government, which will then decide the next steps.

In November last year, the Revenue Department appointed the Deputy Commissioner of the district as the ex-officio Deputy Custodian of Enemy Property. Other than Bengaluru, the ‘enemy’ properties are situated in districts such as Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, and Udupi, among others.

The Enemy Property Act, 1968 — enacted following the Indo-China and Indo-Pakistan wars — vests ownership of such properties with the Custodian of Enemy Property for India. There are approximately 9,406 such properties across the country.

In March 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs authorized district magistrates or deputy commissioners to evict occupants and assess property values by tweaking the guidelines. If the value is under Rs 1 crore, the occupant may be offered the chance to purchase the property. If it exceeds Rs 1 crore, the Custodian of Enemy Property for India (CEPI) will conduct an e-auction.

In January 2023, CEPI representatives met with the district administration to accelerate the process of identifying enemy properties in Bengaluru. A senior official noted that many of these properties are currently being used for commercial purposes, including petrol stations and hotels.