According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), over 500 enemy properties in West Bengal are currently encroached by illegal occupants. The state has a total of 4,376 such properties, with 4,320 left by Pakistani nationals and 56 by Chinese nationals during the 1962 war. A recent survey revealed that 536 enemy properties in the state are encroached upon, and so far, eviction proceedings have been initiated for only 49 of these properties, with two located at 78-A&B Shakespear Sarani and the rest in South Tangra Road, Kolkata.
The MHA clarified that no enemy property in West Bengal has been sold in the past three years, but lease rents totaling ?69.72 lakh have been collected during that period. The District Magistrates (DMs) are responsible for the preservation and maintenance of these properties and act as Estate Officers under the Enemy Property Rules, 2015. They are authorized to take action against illegal occupants, ensuring the proper handling of these assets.
The MHA also shared that the highest number of enemy properties are found in Murshidabad (1,728), followed by Coochbehar (711), Purba Bardhaman (625), Birbhum (427), and Alipurduar (100). Properties left by Chinese nationals are fewer, including 19 in Kolkata and smaller numbers in Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar. The disposal of these properties is conducted via e-auctions after valuation by a committee, with decisions made by the central government based on the valuation.
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