The Union Home Ministry has initiated a fresh survey focusing on five States to update the identification of movable and immovable assets, known as enemy properties, once held by people who migrated to Pakistan. “The survey work has started in five States — Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Delhi — for identification of new enemy properties,” a Home Ministry official said.
In order to detect more enemy properties in the States by conducting the survey in an organised manner, the Home Ministry has appointed 65 personnel for the task that include 50 surveyors and 15 accountancy and management personnel.
After the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and 1971 many people migrated to that country subsequent to which Indian Government, in accordance with the Defence of India Rules framed under the Defence of India Act, took over the properties and
companies of such persons who had taken Pakistani nationality.
These ‘enemy properties’ were vested by the Central Government in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India.
Apart from thousands crores rupees worth land and buildings, there are several hundreds crores or rupees worth investments and jewelries in several banks kept as frozen across the country. Among the enemy properties under the jurisdiction of custodian of Enemy Property of India in Mumbai are Rs 310 crore worth fixed deposits, treasury bill and Government stock, Rs 177.6 crore worth bank balance and Rs 37.54 lakh gold and silver jewellery, as on December 31, 2015.
The survey was ordered before the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016, which sought to amend the Enemy Property Act, 1968, was referred to a Rajya Sabha House Committee for detailed scrutiny last fortnight.
The proposed amendments include that once an enemy property is vested in the Custodian, it shall continue to be vested in him as enemy property irrespective of whether the enemy, enemy subject or enemy firm has ceased to be an enemy due to reasons such as death etc.
The amendments are aimed at plugging the loopholes in the Act to ensure that the enemy properties that have been vested in the Custodian remain so and they do not revert back to the enemy subject or enemy firm.
The Enemy Property Act was enacted in 1968 by the government of India which provided for the continuous vesting of enemy property in the Custodian. The central government through the Custodian of Enemy Property for India is in possession of enemy properties spread across many states in the country. In addition, there are also movable properties categorised as enemy properties.