Varanasi: Who owns 44 properties linked to the erstwhile Jaipur State in the heart of Kashi? Officials in Varanasi are now poring over land records and conducting physical verification to establish their present status, following a request from the Rajasthan govt to vest the properties in the state.Rajasthan govt had recently staked claim to ownership rights over properties belonging to erstwhile Jaipur princely state in Agra, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Mathura, prompting UP govt to reopen revenue and ownership records stretching back more than seven decadesVaranasi DM Satyendra Kumar on Wednesday said that after receiving a letter from the state’s additional land management commissioner, ADM (administration) Pankaj Kumar was assigned the task of preparing a report on their current status, including documentary and physical verification.The ADM said, “The total number of properties mentioned in the list attached with the letter are in the Maan Mandir area along the Ganga riverbank in the old city area. To ascertain their status in the documents of the land revenue department and their current physical status, the SDM (Sadar) and VMC were asked last fortnight to complete the necessary exercises. Such exercises are still in progress. Once they are complete, the final report will be compiled and forwarded to the state government.”Through his letter dated July 16, the chief secretary of the Rajasthan govt had requested the Uttar Pradesh govt to provide a report on the action taken regarding vesting the rights of properties of the former Jaipur State located in Uttar Pradesh in the state of Rajasthan.The letter stated that after Independence, when the Jaipur princely state merged with Rajasthan in 1949, a Covenant (agreement) was signed. Article VI(2)-(C) of the Covenant states that any property owned by the Jaipur State outside Rajasthan — such as in Varanasi, Prayagraj, Agra and Mathura — would legally become the property of the Rajasthan govt. The Rajasthan govt’s letter reminded the UP govt of this provision.Taking note of the letter, the additional land management commissioner of UP sent letters to the district magistrates of Varanasi, Prayagraj, Agra and Mathura to identify those properties and transfer the rights to Rajasthan.Most of the properties are of a religious nature and are located in the close vicinity of Maan Mandir Ghat. Among the properties being examined are some prominent ones, including the Shri Adi Vishweshwarnath Temple near Kashi Vishwanath, Rameshwar, Dungreshwar, Mahalakshmi, Manokameshwar Mahadev Temple near Manikarnika Ghat, Vakratund Ganesh and temples in the Rana Mahal area. Some buildings in the Maan Mandir locality are also being verified.In Agra, Rajasthan’s claim covers around 100 bighas at Jaipur House, two mansions, Sadashiv Man Kameshwar Temple and a strip of road land. The area today bears little resemblance to a princely estate: Jaipur House has developed into a densely populated residential and commercial locality and houses Agra Development Authority (ADA), GST Bhawan and offices of BJP and RSS. In Mathura, its claim covers around 2.16 acres, including six rooms at Jaswantganj Dharamshala.The Rajasthan claim has created a much larger immediate impact in Prayagraj, where authorities identified 1,263 houses and shops spread over 35.25 acres in Katra Sawai Jai Singh.
