Over 25 properties with individuals in and around city
SHILLONG: The Centre has asked the State Government to take custody of enemy properties currently in the possession of individuals or companies in Meghalaya.
The enemy property is both movable and immovable assets which were in the possession of both Chinese and Pakistani nationals during the period of war with India.
An official source said on Monday that there are over 25 such properties in the possession of many individuals in and around Shillong alone.
The source added that the Union Home Ministry had written to the State Government on several occasions to identify, declare, preserve, manage and control the vested Chinese and Bangladeshi properties.
However, the State Government is yet to reply to the various queries of the Centre.
In 1962 in the wake of Chinese aggression, the Custodian of Enemy Property for India was called upon to take charge of the Chinese assets in India with the objective of vesting movable and immovable properties of the Chinese nationals or companies left in India.
Similarly, in the wake of the Indo-Pak conflict of 1965 and Indo-Pak war of 1971, the Pakistan government had seized properties of Indian nationals/companies living in Pakistan, especially the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). They left their properties there and came to India permanently settling at different places in Indian territory.
According to the Centre, the movable and immovable properties in India belonging to or held by or managed on behalf of all Pakistani and Chinese nationals are enemy properties vested in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India and continue to vest with the Custodian as per the Enemy Property Act.
Last Thursday, the Centre brought an ordinance to amend the 50-year-old Enemy Property Act that was promulgated for the fifth time.
The source added that the respective deputy commissioners have been assigned as Ex-Officio Deputy Custodian of Enemy Property by a central notification.