More than half of all registered cooperative housing societies in Pune do not possess legal ownership of the land beneath their buildings. This critical gap is creating a major roadblock for essential redevelopment projects and undermining the property rights of thousands of residents across the city.
The Scale of the Ownership Crisis
According to data from the state cooperative department, a startling 52% of Pune's 22,955 registered cooperative housing societies have not secured their conveyance or deemed conveyance deeds. This translates to 11,956 societies operating without clear legal title to their land. A conveyance deed is the vital final document that formally transfers land ownership from the original builder or developer to the housing society entity.
Without this deed, societies are severely restricted. They cannot update official land records, exercise full ownership rights, or, most pressingly, initiate any redevelopment plans for their ageing structures. As buildings across Pune grow older, the inability to redevelop poses safety and quality-of-life concerns for countless residents.
Administrative Push and Persistent Hurdles
Recognising the urgency, Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi has recently directed officials to fast-track all pending deemed conveyance cases. He expressed concern over the slow pace and stressed that once the competent authority issues a conveyance order, its final registration must be completed "quickly and uniformly." To streamline the process, the administration has proposed appointing five nodal officers across selected sub-registrar offices to monitor and expedite the work.
The legal framework, under the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act (MOFA), 1963, mandates that developers transfer the land title to a society within four months of its formation. However, Dudi admitted that "the progress is still below expectation," and urged developers to cooperate proactively.
Despite this push, bureaucratic and procedural obstacles remain deeply entrenched. Sanjay Raut, Deputy District Registrar (Cooperative Societies), pointed to incomplete documentation and ongoing property disputes as primary reasons for the massive backlog. He also revealed a paradoxical issue: "Many societies fail to register the conveyance deed even after receiving the deemed conveyance order," which further delays the creation of the crucial property card.
Resident Frustration and Calls for Systemic Reform
For the members of housing societies, the process is often a confusing and expensive maze. Sonal Joshi, a committee member of a society in Kothrud, shared her ordeal: "We have been trying for over a year, but every time we submit papers, we are told something else is missing. Without a lawyer, it is impossible to understand what exactly is required."
Ramesh Patil, a resident of Hadapsar, highlighted the lack of inter-departmental coordination. "The DDR office asks for one set of documents, and the sub-registrar wants another. We've spent thousands on lawyers just to understand the procedure," he said.
Experts argue that administrative pressure alone is insufficient and that systemic reform is necessary. Suhas Patwardhan, President of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Housing Societies Federation, called for an overhaul of the current fragmented system. "We continue to push for a single-window system for registration and stamp duty to eliminate these hurdles," Patwardhan stated, emphasising that "The issue needs urgent attention across the state."
Official statistics underscore the challenge. The Pune city office has received 6,553 applications for deemed conveyance and cleared 6,224 of them. An additional 3,057 societies managed to obtain conveyance directly from developers. Yet, with thousands still in legal limbo, the path to secure ownership for a majority of Pune's housing societies remains steep and fraught with obstacles.
