Plan to register 3,000 merger properties

The district administration is planning to register around 3,000 merger properties as government land. These properties would be reflagged in registrar of properties records, so as to be prevent their mutation or sale. Earlier in August 2004, the principal secretary had presented a report to the government, stating that these properties should be registered as government land. Presently, many of these properties are in private possession. It is understood that after completion of the ongoing survey, these properties would be verified and the current holders be given a ‘right to stay’ in these properties. The district administration officials said that guidelines to this effect are being formulated. All these properties, would be marked as non-transferable in government records. After an agreement and verification, those residing in these properties would be given official possession. According to an internal communique, properties belonging to the last Nawab of Bhopal, are not being assessed in the ongoing exercise. It is estimated to be about 966.928 hectare. The decision to survey enemy properties was taken at a high-level meeting with chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in December, after which officials were instructed to formulate a separate policy for regularisation of houses built on the land coming under the purview of the merger agreement. A MPHC order of 2002 prevents transfer of these properties. However despite this order, transfer of properties has been recorded in certain cases. Some activists, who have raised the issue of merger properties and its present status, are opposed to government’s move to register these properties as ‘government land’ without prior notice to residents.