PUNE: Over half of the cooperative housing societies in the city lack legal ownership of the land they occupy, a significant issue that hinders redevelopment and restricts property rights. According to the state cooperative department, 52%—or 11,956 out of 22,955 registered societies—have not received their conveyance or deemed conveyance deeds.
A conveyance deed is the conclusive legal document that transfers land ownership from the developer to the housing society. Without it, these societies cannot update land records, assert complete ownership rights, or start redevelopment projects—an increasingly urgent need for aging buildings in the area.
Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi has recently instructed officials to expedite all pending deemed conveyance cases. He expressed concern over the slow advancement, stressing that once the competent authority issues a conveyance order, the final registration of the deed should be completed “swiftly and uniformly.”
To enhance efficiency, the administration has suggested appointing five nodal officers, each assigned to one of five selected sub-registrar offices in the district, to oversee and accelerate conveyance processes.
Under the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act (MOFA), 1963, developers are legally obliged to transfer the land title within four months following a society’s formation. However, “the progression is still below expectations,” Dudi commented, urging developers to be more cooperative.
Despite legal requirements, various bureaucratic challenges persist. Deputy district registrar (cooperative societies) Sanjay Raut informed TOI that incomplete documentation and property disputes are the principal reasons for the backlog. “Many societies fail to register the conveyance deed even after obtaining the deemed conveyance order, which delays the issuance of the property card,” he stated, adding that the department intends to hold monthly area-specific camps to resolve these issues.
Official statistics highlight the magnitude of the problem. The Pune city office has received 6,553 deemed conveyance applications and has processed 6,224, while an additional 3,057 societies have secured conveyance directly from developers. Yet, thousands remain unresolved.
For society members, the process can feel like navigating a maze of paperwork and legal costs. “We’ve been attempting for over a year, but each time we submit documents, we are told something else is lacking,” remarked Sonal Joshi, a committee member from a Kothrud society. “Without legal assistance, it’s impossible to understand what’s needed.”
Ramesh Patil, a Hadapsar resident, pointed out the lack of coordination among government departments. “The DDR office requests one set of documents, while the sub-registrar demands another. We’ve spent countless rupees on lawyers just to decipher the process,” he said.
Experts contend that systemic reform is essential alongside administrative pressure. Suhas Patwardhan, president of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Housing Societies Federation, underscored the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the current fragmented system.
“We are advocating for a single-window system for registration and stamp duty to eliminate these obstacles,” Patwardhan stated. “This issue requires immediate attention across the state.”
