Pune: State revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday said 15 revenue officials, including deputy collectors and tehsildars, were suspended for allegedly misusing Section 155 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code to carry out illegal land mutations and alter ownership records in the Pune division.Speaking in the legislative council, Bawankule said criminal cases would be registered against the guilty officials and some could face dismissal from service. He said the action followed the completion of an inquiry ordered after Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab raised the issue of alleged widespread misuse of Section 155 during the previous legislature session,Section 155 is intended only for correcting clerical or typographical errors in land records. The inquiry found that officials used the provision allegedly to make substantive changes in land ownership, including transferring properties from one person’s name to another without legal basis.In some cases, official files allegedly went missing in an attempt to destroy evidence. Criminal proceedings under the Public Records Act, 2005, would be initiated in connection with the missing files, the minister said.“There has been a major fraud, where properties belonging to one person were transferred in another’s name. We have started the process of restoring these lands to the original owners. No one will be shielded,” Bawankule said.According to the inquiry report, as many as 424 cases were found to be suspicious in the Pune division. Of these, 13 cases were categorised as the most serious, resulting in the suspension of 15 officers and employees found directly responsible. Earlier, Pune district collector had sent these 15 officials on compulsory leave.In another 247 cases, the government recommended departmental inquiries under Rule 8, which provides for major penalties. Offenders in another 164 cases will face inquiries under Rule 10 for comparatively minor irregularities.Bawankule said officials classified under Category A, involving more than 30 violations, would face immediate suspension. Those in Category B would be transferred to non-executive posts outside the Pune division.The minister also announced a statewide audit of all orders passed under Section 155 over the past five years. He directed all district collectors to complete the verification exercise within three months. An “Action Taken Report” would be tabled in the next legislature session.Bawankule said the government would amend the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code to plug loopholes in sections 155, 70(B) and 85. He said revenue officials repeatedly misused these. A bill proposing the amendments would be introduced in the next session of the legislature.He also informed the House that a high-level committee headed by the Pune divisional commissioner had been constituted to investigate allegations of illegal land grabbing and encroachments in Tuljapur. The government would remove illegal encroachments and register criminal cases against those responsible, Bawankule said.
