Chief Minister Vijay Rupani instructed officials to review the Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act. (File)
At a high-level meeting on Tuesday, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani instructed officials to review the Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Premises in Disturbed Areas Act, Gujarat. The order has come following a number of demands from the public to amend the law, say top officials.
“The basic aim of the Act is to maintain peace in sensitive areas and to see that demographic profile of the same does not change. But, in many cases, people have taken advantage of loopholes in the Act and purchased properties. At the same time, in many instances, people were unable to buy/sell property despite having a genuine reasons,” said a senior officer.
“The CM has ordered to review the Act to take away loopholes and to make it such that fraudulent transactions do not take place and genuine sellers/purchasers can buy/purchase properties in areas notified as ‘disturbed’ under the Act,” the officer added. The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja and officers of the state revenue and Home departments.
The meeting was called days after some Hindu residents of Paldi area of Ahmedabad sought to hold a protest under the banner of Nagrik Sewa Samiti to “reclaim” a housing society – Varsha Flats – which was built for Hindus 35 years ago under Jan Kalyan Co-operative Housing Society, but was later allegedly “taken over” by Muslims. The residents called off the protest after they were denied the police permission.
“The flats were constructed for Hindus 35 years ago. Slowly, 20 Muslim families started living here. Recently, the society was turned into a seven-storey multi-block society where around 125 families can live. They will be taken over by Muslims,”Apurva Shastri of Nagrik Swea Samiti.