49 lakh landholders in Maharashtra to get ownership after amendments to land fragmentation law

Mumbai, Nov 4 (PTI) Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said around 49 lakh landholders in the state will now get ownership rights once amendments to the land fragmentation law are implemented, thereby effectively regularising land transactions carried out since 1965.

The state government issued a notification for the implementation of the amendments to the Fragmentation and Consolidation Act on Tuesday.

"Nearly 49 lakh landholders - representing around two crore citizens - will now have their names officially recorded on land documents. All such land transactions between November 15, 1965 and October 15, 2024, will be deemed regularised without any payment of fees," Bawankule told reporters.

A detailed procedure for implementing the ordinance will be issued by the revenue department within the next seven days, he said.

"This will particularly benefit plot holders in various layouts whose names were missing from the 7/12 land records. Once implemented, this will eliminate major confusion related to ownership," the Revenue Minister claimed.

The ordinance, promulgated on November 3 and now in force, removes restrictions of the Fragmentation and Consolidation Act on lands permitted for non-agricultural use. It allows regularisation of past transactions that were earlier considered invalid under the law.

Explaining the process, Bawankule said, "Registered sale transactions that have not yet been reflected in the 7/12 records will now be entered as ownership names. Those with unregistered documents can complete registration with the sub-registrar and get their ownership recorded." The decision applies to areas where non-agricultural use is permissible under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act or under metropolitan and regional development authority jurisdictions such as the respective Metropolitan Region Development Authorities of Mumbai, Pune and Navi Mumbai. It also covers special planning authority areas governed by the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR).

"We are simplifying complex laws on the directions of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis so that citizens face no hurdles. The government's aim is to make administrative procedures more people-centric. We are working towards a system where people do not have to visit government offices even for a day," Bawankule said. PTI ND NP