MUMBAI, Oct. 30 -- The Maharashtra government is set to return over 3,000 acres of land spread across nine villages in Shrirampur tehsil, Ahilyanagar district, to more than 1,000 farmers or their legal heirs, after settling a dispute that lasted over a century. The British administration acquired the land in 1918 but never used it for irrigation, the purpose for which it was acquired. According to revenue department officers, the proposal has been under consideration since 1995. It was put on cold storage once, rejected once, and approved twice-most recently on September 15. The state government's initial approval in 2024 stalled because then-Governor CP Radhakrishnan held the draft ordinance for a year before finally seeking the President's opinion. "This created a new legal tangle as there was no provision for obtaining the President's opinion in such cases," a revenue official said. Meanwhile, as the government delayed its decision, the Bombay High Court's (HC) Aurangabad bench ordered a resolution in three separate rulings over thirty years. Now, more than 45 days after the Maharashtra cabinet approved a change to the 1961 Agricultural Lands Act, Governor Jishnu Dev Varma has yet to give his official approval. Revenue officials explained that once the Governor signs this ordinance, a new legal process will open, allowing original landowners or their families to get their land back for farming. Officials said that a new sub-section -- 3-1B -- would be inserted under Section 28-1AA (3) of the 1961 Act, empowering the government to grant land to the eligible. "The land would be granted under Occupancy Class II (partial ownership), subject to the statutory ceiling limit or the actual area originally taken from the applicant, whichever is lower. An ordinance will be promulgated to amend the law following the governor's approval," the government decision stated. After the land was acquired for irrigation in 1918, it was leased to Belapur Company Limited and incorporated in 1919. After the Maharashtra Agricultural Lands (Ceiling on Holdings) Act came into force in 1961, 6,425.17 acres of the company's 7,377-acre Haregaon Estate in the then Ahmednagar district were declared surplus and transferred to the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation (MSFC), a state-owned company managing surplus agricultural land. The state government's decision is a shot in the arm for farmers who have struggled to reclaim their lost land, following decades of protests, court cases and unfulfilled promises. Sharad Asne, 51, said 40 acres belonging to his great-grandfather Yadu Asne were acquired. His family has preserved land records, including 7/12 extracts, mutation entries tracing ownership across generations and death certificates, to support their claim. "I have 10 acres today, but not every farmer is as fortunate. Many families have lost their land and are struggling to make ends meet. They have waited years for the government to return what they believe rightfully belongs to them," he said. The wait has lasted three generations for Babasaheb Vetal, 52. His great-grandfather Rabaji Sayaji Vetal's 20.38-acre land parcel was acquired under a 30-year agreement; it was not returned after the agreement expired, nor was the family compensated. "I have the agreement. We first filed a petition in 1961 and have been fighting for justice ever since. Today, I own just one acre, making me virtually a landless farmer," he said. While the state awaits the final nod from the Governor, the central question before the state government was whether the original acquisition was legally completed as there were no records available. The cabinet proposal approved last month indicates that a declaration under section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, was issued, but it does not conclusively establish whether all required procedures were followed, including determining compensation, issuing a final award and taking possession of the land. The fight to reclaim the land has involved decades of litigation. The first petition was filed in 1995, followed by fresh petitions in 2015 and 2020. In 2024, the government told the court it was considering amending the Maharashtra Agricultural Lands (Ceiling on Holdings) Act, 1961, to enable restoration of the lands. The HC disposed of the petitions, directing the government to introduce the amendment within two months. Advocate Ajit Kale, who represented the farmers, said the government announced its decision to return the land only after the court pressed it to produce the records. The ball is now in the governor's court, as farmers wait to reclaim their inheritance....