NAGPUR: On Tuesday, the Maharashtra government approved a significant reform to regularize thousands of small land transactions that previously violated the state’s fragmentation law. This initiative aims to provide long-awaited legal recognition to holdings that have remained uncertain for decades. The revenue department has introduced a new operating framework allowing these plots to be regularized without incurring any fees, benefiting nearly 60 lakh property owners.
Previously, individuals seeking regularization were required to pay a penalty of 25% of the land’s current market value, which was later reduced to 5%. However, participation remained low. Officials noted that waiving all fees aims to close a longstanding regulatory gap, ensuring millions have secure property rights.
The official gazette, released on November 3, specifies that this decision applies to transactions conducted between November 15, 1965, and October 15, 2024. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule remarked that this initiative addresses a long-standing issue affecting families throughout urban and semi-urban Maharashtra. “This historic decision ensures that citizens will no longer encounter legal hurdles due to outdated technicalities. Approximately three crore people will benefit from it,” he stated.
The new framework will eliminate the long-standing notation “transaction in violation of the fragmentation law” from land records. Authorities are now directed to update the 7/12 extract to indicate lawful ownership. If a mutation entry was previously canceled, it will be reconsidered and approved, placing the buyer’s name in the primary ‘kabjedar’ (occupant) column. Those listed under ‘other rights’ will be transitioned to the main occupancy record.
The government has also opened a pathway for regularizing unregistered transactions. Citizens who have acquired land via notarized documents or stamp papers but did not register the deed will be encouraged by talathis and circle officers to complete the formal registration. Once stamp duty is paid and the deed recorded, their names will also be included in the 7/12 extract.
This reform applies to areas governed by major planning authorities, including MMRDA, PMRDA, and NMRDA, as well as cantonment zones, commercial and residential areas, non-agricultural designated regional plan areas, and peripheral regions next to village settlements.
The state clarified that once a plot is regularized and the buyer’s name is officially recorded, future sales or transfers will face no restrictions. This move significantly alleviates the burdens on middle-class families in expanding towns and peri-urban areas, where small parcels of land often lacked formal recognition despite years of occupancy.
