Nagpur, July 29 (IANS) Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday announced the abolition of the registration fee levied on instruments of agricultural land partition among relatives.
This is a part of revenue department’s move to launch series of reforms.
Minister Bawankule told that the state government has issued a notification whereby no registration fee will be charged on instruments of partition of agricultural land executed among co-sharers or family members under Section 85 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966.
This decision will make the family land partition process simpler, more transparent, and financially affordable, providing major financial relief to farming families.
Earlier, a fee of Rs 200 was charged on instruments of agricultural land partition (gift deeds) executed among family members, following a decision taken in 2016.
The scrapping of this Rs 200 fee will significantly benefit small and poor farmers, the Minister said.
“The waiver of the Rs 200 registration fee on family agricultural land partitions is part of a broader push by the Maharashtra Revenue Department to streamline land governance, reduce procedural delays, and eliminate financial friction for farming families,” Minister Bawankule added.
Minister Bawankule said that last week he took a stern, pro-farmer step to curb perpetrators who obstruct farmland paths, customary rights-of-way, or water streams in rural areas.
The Revenue Department introduced key amendments to the Mamlatdars’ Courts Act. Under the new rules, hearing notices will now be served directly via email, and providing free police protection to affected farmers has been made mandatory if encroachments are not cleared despite orders from the Tehsildar (Mamlatdar).
A circular to this effect has also been issued.
Land route disputes often dragged on due to excuses like non-receipt or deliberate evasion of notices.
To resolve this, a new Section 14-A has been inserted into the Mamlatdars’ Courts Act, 1906.
Consequently, along with the rules under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, quasi-judicial hearing processes will be expedited by sending notices via email, Minister Bawankule added.
Section 21 (5) has been introduced to address situations where an encroacher fails to comply with a Tehsildar’s order to clear a path or an injunction.
Tehsildars will now explicitly specify in their orders that if the encroacher fails to comply, free police protection must be provided to the affected party upon application under Section 21 (5).
Minister Bawankule said that the Home Department has issued strict instructions to all police stations ensuring that affected farmers are not denied protection due to minor technical oversights, such as the omission of a police protection clause in the Tehsildar’s order.
This ordinance was promulgated through a joint initiative of the Revenue and Home Departments, based on recommendations by a committee led by the Pune Divisional Commissioner Sheetal Teli-Ugale.
Minister Bawankule added that powers to regularise breaches of conditions for residential and agricultural lands (previously requiring approval at the State Secretariat) have been delegated to District Collectors (up to Rs 10 lakh penalty) and Divisional Commissioners (Rs 10 lakh–Rs 20 lakh penalty).
Citizens and farmers no longer need to travel to Mumbai for minor technical land violations or term regularisations.
–IANS
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