PUNE: The city of Pune and Haveli taluka have reported the highest instances of violations concerning long-term government land leases, leading the district administration to send notices to the non-compliant institutions, officials stated on Wednesday.
Types of land lease violations include failure to renew leases, unauthorized use of land, occupation beyond approved limits, illegal constructions, sub-letting for profit, not utilizing land within the required timeframe, and deviations from authorized plans.
A comprehensive survey conducted across the Pune district last year examined all 2,161 government land parcels under lease. Inspections revealed 355 violations, predominantly in Pune city and Haveli taluka, according to officials who spoke to TOI.
Officials noted that the survey intensified following irregularities identified in the Mundhwa and Tathwade cases, which prompted a thorough review of government land records district-wide. Pune collector Jitendra Dudi stated: “In September and October of last year, during standard review meetings, I directed officials to perform a detailed survey. All leased lands were inspected, uncovering 355 violations, and notices were issued accordingly; some parties have already responded.”
Dudi emphasized that action will be taken in strict accordance with government regulations. “Three courses of action are possible: If a violation can be regularized, the responsible party must pay the relevant charges as per the applicable government resolution. If the land is not being used as intended or if the lease period has lapsed, we will initiate proceedings to reclaim the land. Hearings will occur post-notices, followed by necessary actions. These violations have persisted for years, mainly in Pune city and Haveli,” he explained.
The Mundhwa controversy emerged in November 2025, involving alleged record manipulation related to a nearly 40-acre government-owned Mahar Watan land parcel leased to the Botanical Survey of India. In another case, the Maharashtra animal husbandry department filed a police complaint in November against 26 individuals, including the acting joint sub-registrar of Haveli-17, over the unauthorized sale of a 6.32-hectare government land plot in Tathwade, valued at approximately ₹750 crore but allegedly sold for just ₹33 crore through a private transaction without the necessary state approval.
As a result of these cases, the district collector mandated a verification of government land records throughout all talukas, leading to the detection of 355 violations in the initial scrutiny phase.
