Mumbai, June 19: In a major move aimed at protecting government land and preventing unauthorised ownership claims, the Maharashtra government has decided that all government lands allotted on lease across the state will be recorded solely in the name of the “Government of Maharashtra” in official land records.
The decision, taken by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on the instructions of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, is expected to impact numerous institutions, companies, authorities and individuals who have been claiming ownership rights over leasehold government lands.
Three-month verification drive ordered
The Revenue Department has issued a circular directing all district collectors to undertake a special three-month drive to review and update land records. Under the new directives, the “occupant” column in land records for leased government lands will exclusively bear the name of the Government of Maharashtra.
Government authorities noted that large tracts of land have been leased out for periods of 30, 99 or even 999 years. However, in many cases, the names of leaseholders were entered in the occupant column instead of the state government, allegedly due to procedural lapses by officials. As a result, several leaseholders began treating these lands as privately owned properties, leading to disputes and prolonged litigation.
To address the issue, the government has mandated that leaseholders’ names, lease duration and lease conditions will now be recorded only under the “Other Rights” section of land records, while ownership and occupancy will remain with the state government.
Leasehold lands to be reclassified
The Revenue Department has instructed district collectors to immediately launch a verification and correction exercise and complete the updation of records within three months. Additionally, lease agreements granted before the enforcement of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, for 50 years with renewal provisions or on a permanent basis, will be governed by the provisions applicable to “Occupant Class-II” under Section 29(3)(c) of the Code.
Collectors have also been directed to ensure that such leasehold lands are classified as “Occupant Class-II” within 30 days and submit compliance reports to the government.
Special directions for Mumbai
The government has issued separate directions for Mumbai city, where specific land regulations apply. Authorities have been asked to immediately record all restrictions related to the transfer of leasehold government lands in official land records. The move is expected to curb attempts to claim ownership over valuable government properties located in prime urban areas.
Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the initiative is part of the state government's efforts to make revenue administration more transparent, accurate and citizen-centric.
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“Under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, we are creating a uniform and transparent system for recording government leasehold lands. This will ensure greater accuracy in government land records, reduce unnecessary disputes and strengthen revenue management across the state,” Bawankule said.
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