Mumbai, June 26 -- The state government has ordered a statewide overhaul of land records for all properties given on lease to protect government land and prevent unauthorised claims of ownership. The decision was taken by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on the instructions of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and was conveyed to officials earlier on Friday. Officials said that, under the revised approach, only the Maharashtra Government will be recorded as the occupant, or kabjedar, in the Record of Rights for government lands leased to individuals, institutions, companies or authorities.
The Revenue Department has issued a formal circular directing all district collectors to launch a special drive and to update records within the next three months. Leaseholders will continue to have their names recorded, but details such as lease duration and conditions will be entered under an other rights column rather than as occupants, the minister said. The move is intended to clarify legal status of leaseholds and to prevent unauthorised changes in land records.
Officials said the revision will apply to all categories of leased government land and will standardise the manner in which occupancy is documented across the state. By separating occupant designation from leasehold details, administrators expect to reduce disputes over ownership claims and to make it easier to enforce lease conditions. The step is also described as a measure to strengthen protection of public property and to improve the accuracy of cadastral records.
District collectors have been given specific instructions and a tight timeline to complete the updates, and officials said compliance will be monitored at the state level. The circular requires collectors to ensure that records accurately reflect the terms of each lease while recording the state as the official occupant. Authorities indicated that the exercise should help reduce ambiguity in the Record of Rights and support clearer governance of public land.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.