E-Paper
Maharashtra considers registration of fragmented plots
After several citizens complained that the government has not resumed the process even after the HC order, issues related to the registration of fragmented land parcels and flats in the state were discussed in a meeting held at Mantralaya in the last week of September
The inspector-general of registration and stamps (IGR), Pune, has submitted a detailed report to the state government about the registration of fragmented plots that was recently allowed following a high court (HC) order.
After several citizens complained that the government has not resumed the process even after the HC order, issues related to the registration of fragmented land parcels and flats in the state were discussed in a meeting held at Mantralaya in the last week of September. The discussion took place around the IGR report, ‘Impacts in the aftermath of implementation of registration of fragmented land’ submitted to the revenue secretary. During the high-level meeting, state revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil directed IGR officials to renew the fragmented land deed registration process. It was suggested that the IGR submit a proposal regarding the immediate commencement of such registration to put an end to the oppressive conditions under the gunthewari system.
IGR Shravan Hardikar said, “The report has been prepared as per the instructions of the government, and submitted for approval.” The report highlights the ramifications of implementing the registration of fragmented land and other legalities that can be followed for fullproof registration work.
In May 2022, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay HC had read down a rule imposing additional conditions on persons seeking registration of sale deeds for lands of a certain size. When the issue came to the fore, it was made mandatory to take the approval of the collector or any competent authority by drawing a layout of the relevant area if the deed of purchase and sale transactions was to be registered by dividing the land into pieces. Following the HC order, persons seeking registration of sale deeds for lands of a certain size will not have to produce a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the competent authority for fragmentation of land.
In August 2021, a probe was initiated into the registration of fragmented land without following RERA laws in the state. Six sub-registrar offices in Pune, when checked, revealed thousands of out-of-order document registration cases, and Pune emerged to be at the helm of the illegal fragmented land registration process. Later, a special investigation team (SIT) was constituted at the instruction of the chief secretary of the Maharashtra state government to check the document registration work carried out without following RERA laws in the state.
