Mumbai, July 16 (PTI) The Maharashtra government on Wednesday constituted a high-level committee to recommend amendments to the Maharashtra Prevention of Fragmentation and Consolidation of Holdings Act with an aim to simplify the regularisation of unauthorised land fragments.
A Government Resolution (GR) to this effect has been issued by the Revenue and Forest Department.
Originally enacted to prevent uneconomical fragmentation of agricultural land and promote viable farming, the 1947 Act has, over the years, posed hurdles in regularising smaller land parcels, prompting widespread public demand for reforms.
During the ongoing monsoon session of the state legislature, a calling attention notice on this issue was raised in the legislative assembly. Responding to it, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had assured the House that a committee would be set up under the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) to develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) within 15 days.
The committee includes senior officials from the Urban Development, Rural Development, Registration, and Town Planning Departments along with legal advisors.
Two expert invitees – Rajendra Kshirsagar, Administrative Member of the Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal, and N R Shende, former Director of Town Planning – will provide guidance.
The panel’s key focus areas include formulating procedures for planned land development in cases where land transfer occurs outside municipal limits; assessing the feasibility of simplifying the regularisation process under Section 8B of the Act; establishing an SOP for regularisation of fragmented land under Section 9(3); defining a process to enter names of purchasers in revenue records for both registered and unregistered transactions.
Recommending legal amendments, if needed, for recognising purchasers in unregistered transactions; proposing a campaign-style drive to regularise land fragmented through registered sale deeds; streamlining post-regularisation registration steps for fragmented plots are some other focus areas.
In a statement, Bawankule said, “The committee has been instructed to submit its report within 15 days. This long-pending issue related to land fragmentation will finally move towards resolution. Citizens will benefit from clearer land records and a reduction in bureaucratic hurdles. We had committed to issuing an ordinance before the end of the session, and this is the first major step in that direction.” Meanwhile, speaking in the assembly on the ‘zudpi jungle’ (shrub forest) land issue, Bawankule said no poor person in Vidarbha will be rendered homeless due to it.
The government will ensure their complete protection and will not leave anyone in the lurch, he told the House.
The minister further said SOPs will be issued within the next week to address public confusion.
“If needed, the government will file a review petition to safeguard the interests of the people of Vidarbha,” Bawankule added.
Responding to a question raised by MLA Nana Patole, Bawankule clarified in the House that the issue involves 92,115 hectares of land. Out of this, 86,409 hectares are deemed unsuitable for afforestation. Encroachment exists on 27,507 hectares, while 26,672 hectares are designated for non-forest use.
Additionally, 3,229 hectares fall under protected areas, which cannot be transferred but can be utilised. As per the Supreme Court directives, a list of encroachments prior to 1996 will be prepared and submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. Information regarding post-1996 encroachments will also be compiled and submitted within a month. A meeting chaired by the chief secretary will be held and a government resolution will be issued.
MLA Rajkumar Badole raised concerns about lands recorded under gram panchayats, municipalities, and local self-government bodies, as well as government buildings, cremation grounds, and playgrounds.
Bawankule stated that the government is preparing a database of all records held by local self-government bodies, including government constructions post-1996.
Areas less than three acres will be declared as protected forests, ensuring that no homes or government structures are affected. For future government constructions, permission from the forest department will be required.
Bawankule said that the Supreme Court has directed the submission of information in the format prescribed by the Union ministry within three months.
A task force comprising Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Superintendents of Police, Assistant Conservators of Forests, and Superintendents of Land Records will work to remove encroachments.
While illegal encroachments will be cleared, the government’s policy is to protect the Scheduled Tribes and backward classes.
According to the information that surfaced in June 2025, a total of 86,409 hectares of ‘zudpi jungle’ land in the districts of Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Wardha, Chandrapur, and Gadchiroli were to be transferred from the revenue department to the forest department.
In reality, many of these lands do not have dense forests. For years, citizens have been residing, farming, or constructing government buildings on these lands. This had put the future of lakhs of families at risk and stalled local development projects.
Addressing this, Bawankule said the land issue in Vidarbha will be resolved soon, providing significant relief to local citizens and development projects. PTI MR NP
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