The Maharashtra government has announced a major decision that brings relief to millions of property owners across the state. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has issued orders to regularise small land parcels purchased in violation of the Fragmentation Act (Tukdebandi law) completely free of cost.
This move is expected to benefit approximately 60 lakh families and nearly 3 crore citizens who have been facing legal hurdles regarding their land ownership titles.
Key Highlights of the Decision
For years, many land transactions were considered irregular because they involved fragments of land smaller than the standard limit prescribed by the Tukdebandi Act. As a result, the buyers' names could not be recorded as primary holders on the 7/12 extract (Satbara).
The new directive solves this issue with the following provisions:
Free Regularisation: The process to make these land deals legal and regular will now be free of charge.
Eligible Period: The relief applies to land transactions that took place between November 15, 1965, and October 15, 2024.
Official Records: Once regularised, the name of the land owner will officially appear on the 7/12 extract as the main occupant. Previously, many names were either missing or only listed under "other rights."
Applicable Areas
The revenue department has specified that this decision covers land in several key planning and development zones, including:
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) areas.
Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) areas.
Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA) areas.
Residential and Commercial zones.
Cantonment board areas.
Areas marked for non-agricultural use in regional plans.
Land surrounding village boundaries (Gaothan).
What Happens Next?
Once the land is regularised and the buyer's name is added to the government record, the owner will have full rights to the property. This means there will be no restrictions on selling or transferring the land in the future.
Guidance for Notarized Transactions
The government has also addressed cases where deals were made only on notary or stamp paper without formal registration. In such instances, Talathis and revenue officers will guide citizens on the correct procedure. While the regularisation process itself is the focus, citizens with unregistered deeds will need to pay the necessary registration fees to get their names on the 7/12 extract.
This decision clears the confusion surrounding "Gunthewari" and fragmentation violations, ensuring that property owners finally get clear legal titles to their investments.
For legal assistance with property verification and registration, visit Legal Assure.