NAGPUR: On Tuesday, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly approved an amendment bill aimed at simplifying the subdivision of small land plots in urban areas. The government claims this legislation will benefit approximately three crore residents.
The Maharashtra Land Revenue Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, was passed following a debate in the lower house.
This legislative change is expected to help around 60 lakh families, or about three crore residents, residing on small ‘gunthewari’ plots (unauthorized divisions of agricultural land for residential use) in urban settings.
With this amendment, the processes of buying and selling small plots will be streamlined, allowing landowners to have their names registered independently on the 7/12 land title document.
The requirement for repeated Non-Agricultural (NA) permissions from district collectors has been eliminated in areas with pre-approved development or regional plans. Instead, landowners can finalize the process by paying a one-time premium.
During the discussion, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav raised concerns that the amendment could favor builders over ordinary citizens, a claim that Minister Bawankule countered.
Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar emphasized the need to uphold planning standards, such as ensuring nine-metre roads and proper drainage.
Other MLAs, including Chandradeep Narke, Vikram Pachpute, and Ramesh Bornare, advocated for extending similar provisions to rural areas that face transaction challenges with small land holdings.
In response to the debate, Bawankule asserted that the bill is designed to confer legal ownership rights to families currently inhabiting small land parcels, not to assist builders.
He clarified that existing reservations will remain unchanged and noted that new plot subdivisions will not be permitted after October 15, 2024.
The minister urged district collectors to collaborate with elected representatives to ensure effective enforcement of the bill’s provisions.
