Navi Mumbai: The Parivartan Gaothan Vikas Samajik Sanstha, has urged the Maharashtra government and CIDCO to grant permanent ownership (sale deeds) of land under naturally expanded village settlements in CIDCO areas, instead of regularizing them through lease agreements.
High-Level Meeting Discusses Gaothan Issues
The demand was raised during a high-level meeting held on September 8, 2025, at CIDCO Bhavan, where CIDCO Managing Director Vijay Singhal (IAS), Joint Managing Directors Dayanidhi (IAS) and Ganesh Deshmukh, senior CIDCO officials, Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur, Uran MLA Mahesh Baldi, and representatives of the Parivartan Gaothan Vikas Samajik Sanstha were present.
Lease Policy Faces Villager Resistance
President of the Sanstha, Kiran Patil and the two MLAs argued that issuing leases instead of ownership would create strong resistance among project-affected villagers. They pointed out that the government resolution dated September 23, 2024, mentions the possibility of converting leases into ownership in the future, but lacks clarity on ensuring villagers are not forced into cluster or slum rehabilitation schemes.
Permanent Sale Deeds Proposed
The villagers, therefore, fear that a lease policy would lead to confusion and opposition, especially regarding the ongoing survey of 95 villages under CIDCO. They have demanded that instead of charging lease fees, CIDCO should issue permanent sale deeds (ownership titles) after collecting a 15% regularization charge based on built-up area and eligibility.
Resolution Could Transfer Responsibility to Local Bodies
According to the organization, granting ownership would resolve the decades-old gaothan (village settlement) issue once and for all. CIDCO would then be able to transfer responsibility for these villages to local bodies such as Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Panvel Municipal Corporation, or Uran Municipal Council, enabling CIDCO to focus entirely on city development.
Ownership Titles Could Improve CIDCO Planning
The Sanstha further argued that by replacing lease deeds with sale deeds, CIDCO would shed its long-standing criticism of being incapable of village planning and would remove the burden of gaothan management from its jurisdiction.
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Appeal Made to State Government
Both MLAs, along with Kiran Patil, appealed to CIDCO officials to forward this recommendation to the state government. “Only if the government takes a decision in favor of ownership rights, and CIDCO implements it, will this issue be permanently resolved,” Patil stated.
Copies of the representation have also been sent to the Chief Minister and the Urban Development Minister for urgent action.
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