Maharashtra govt gives legal status to digitally issued 7/12 land title extracts, mutation records

Mumbai, Dec 4 (PTI) The Maharashtra government has accorded legal validity to digitally issued 7/12 land title extracts and mutation records, revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Thursday.

Citizens can now obtain digitally signed 7/12 and 8-A village records and mutation entries through the state's 'Bhulekh Mahabhumi' portal for Rs 15, the statement quoted him as saying.

These documents will carry a QR code and a 16-digit verification number and will be considered fully valid for all governmental, semi-governmental, banking, loan processing and judicial proceedings, it added.

Bawankule directed divisional commissioners, district collectors, sub-divisional officers and tehsildars to ensure immediate implementation of the decision.

Stating that the aim was to ensure fast, transparent and lawful service delivery to farmers and citizens without requiring physical visits to revenue offices, Bawankule said there were complaints of unnecessary delays and obstruction in issuing extracts at the village level.

The new system seeks to prevent malpractice and inconvenience, he said in the statement.

Under Section 5 of Information Technology Act, 2000, these computer-generated records will be deemed as certified true copies of original documents, eliminating the requirement for manual signatures of talathis or other officials, according to the statement.

"Citizens can view the 7/12 land title document free of cost on the Bhulekh Mahabhumi website, but it will only be valid for reference. For official use, a digitally signed version must be downloaded after paying the Rs 15 fee online," it said. PTI ND BNM