Nagpur: With state govt looking to tighten control over govt land and curbing the alleged misuse of leasehold properties, Maharashtra govt has ordered all its land given on lease across the state must henceforth be officially recorded only in the name of the ‘Government of Maharashtra’ (GoM) in land ownership records. The decision, taken by Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on instructions of CM Devendra Fadnavis, is expected to impact a large number of institutions, companies, authorities and individuals currently occupying govt land on long-term lease agreements. According to a circular issued by Revenue Department, district collectors across Maharashtra have been directed to launch a special 3-month verification drive to identify and correct land records where leaseholders have allegedly been shown as ‘occupants’ instead of the state. Officials said govt found several cases in which leaseholders of plots allotted for 30, 99 or even 999 years managed to get their names entered in ‘occupant’ column of land records without formal state approval. Govt believes such entries created confusion over ownership, with several leaseholders treating the land as private property. Under new directions, the occupant column in all such land records will now carry only ‘Government of Maharashtra’. Details of the leaseholder, duration of lease and conditions attached to the allotment will instead be entered separately under ‘other rights’ category. Govt has also issued separate instructions for Mumbai, directing authorities to immediately update restrictions related to transfer of leasehold govt land in property records. The move is expected to tighten scrutiny over prime govt plots in the capital where ownership disputes, redevelopment claims have frequently surfaced. Leaseholds granted before implementation of Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, particularly those involving long-term/renewable leases exceeding 50 years, would now be classified under ‘Occupant Class-II’ category as per Sec 29(3)(k) of the Code. Collectors have been asked to complete such entries within 30 days and submit compliance reports to govt.
