The Maharashtra government has taken a significant step towards administrative reform by transferring the authority to regularize land condition violations, known as 'shartbhang' cases, from the revenue minister to district collectors and divisional commissioners. This decision, formalized through a government gazette notification, is designed to reduce delays and ease public access to government services.
New Framework for Penalty Disposal
Under the revised framework, district collectors are now empowered to handle cases involving penalties up to ₹10 lakh, while divisional commissioners can decide on matters with penalties up to ₹20 lakh. Cases exceeding these limits will continue to be processed at the ministerial level in Mumbai.
Relief for Farmers and Property Holders
The move is expected to bring significant relief to thousands of farmers and property holders whose land and housing transactions were stalled due to procedural delays and the need for approvals from the Mantralaya. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule stated that the decision follows instructions from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to make governance more accessible and reduce hardship for ordinary citizens.
Bawankule emphasized that people were forced to travel to Mumbai even for minor technical violations, resulting in unnecessary expenditure of time and money. The objective is to ensure citizens do not have to visit the state capital for petty matters.
Legal Amendments and Operationalization
The state government clarified that until now, there was no specific legal provision under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code for regularizing violations related to lands granted on occupancy rights or leasehold basis. Such cases were processed through government circulars, often leading to legal disputes and prolonged pendency. To address this, amendments were introduced during the last session of the state legislature following recommendations from the law and judiciary department. The latest gazette notification formally operationalizes those changes.
Expected Benefits
Officials believe the reform will speed up decision-making, reduce litigation, and improve administrative efficiency across districts, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas where land transfer and mutation disputes frequently remain unresolved for years. This move aligns with a broader trend across Indian states focusing on decentralization of revenue administration and citizen-centric governance reforms to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks in land management.
