The Maharashtra government has directed divisional commissioner Sheetal Teli-Ugale to submit a detailed report to additional chief secretary (revenue) Vikas Kharge ahead of the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature. The report concerns alleged violations of Section 155 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code (MLRC) and illegal alterations in land records in Pune district.
Teli-Ugale informed TOI that clarifications have been sought from 129 officers and employees in connection with 424 cases flagged during a government inquiry. “We are collecting the responses from these officers and employees and after examining them, a report will be submitted to the government before the session on June 22,” she said. A final decision will rest with the state government based on the report.
The development is part of a wider investigation into alleged manipulation of land records in Pune district over the past five years. The probe stems from thousands of complaints received since 2020 regarding misuse of Section 155 of the MLRC, a provision intended only for correction of clerical or minor errors in land records.
The government constituted a committee under Nashik divisional commissioner Praveen Gedam in September 2025. The committee carried out a preliminary scrutiny of 38,027 complaints and conducted a detailed examination of 2,337 cases where records were available. It found that 424 cases involved illegal orders passed through improper administrative and legal procedures.
The committee’s findings revealed that officials allegedly used Section 155 to make substantive changes to land records, including alterations in ownership rights, land classification, and land area — actions beyond the scope of the provision.
The inquiry also flagged practices such as accepting offline applications, issuing orders without notice to stakeholders, converting occupant class-II land to class-I, changing land area, and deleting names of rightful stakeholders from records.
Based on the findings, the committee indicted 152 revenue officials. The 424 cases were classified into three categories according to the severity of violations. Category A comprised 13 “very serious” cases involving deliberate and illegal changes in ownership rights. Category B involved serious procedural violations, while Category C related to moderate irregularities and procedural lapses.
Following assurances from revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule in the legislative council, the government ordered strict action against errant officials. Fifteen Pune district revenue officials, including three deputy collectors, were sent on compulsory leave in connection with the most serious cases. Officials were also directed to restore and correct affected land records within two months.
In the last session, the revenue minister stated that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced a statewide audit of all orders passed under Section 155 in the past five years. Divisional commissioners across Maharashtra have been told to scrutinise such cases and submit reports to assess the extent of violations.
The government has also decided that all illegal orders identified during the inquiry will be reviewed suo motu by senior officers, and original land records will be restored within six months to safeguard the rights of landholders.
Amendments to plug loopholes in Section 155 and strengthen safeguards in land record administration are expected to be introduced during the upcoming monsoon session, officials added.
Section 155 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code (MLRC), 1966, allows revenue authorities to correct clerical or typographical errors in land records and mutation entries. It is meant for minor corrections and not for altering ownership rights or land titles.
The recent Pune land records probe found that the provision was allegedly misused to make substantive changes such as ownership transfers, land classification changes, and alterations in land area — actions that fall outside its legal scope. The state government has proposed amendments to plug loopholes in the provision and prevent future misuse.
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