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1

L. A. BILL No. I OF 2025.

A BILL

further to amend the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966.

WHEREAS it is expedient further to amend the Maharashtra Land

Revenue Code, 1966, for the purposes hereinafter appearing ; it is hereby

enacted in the Seventy-sixth Year of the Republic of India, as follows :–

1.

This Act may be called the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code

(Amendment) Act, 2025.

Mah.

XLI of

1966.

Short title.

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In pursuance of clause (3) of article 348 of the Constitution of India, the following translation in

English of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (L. A. Bill No. I of 2025),

introduced in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on the 5th March 2025, is hereby published

under the authority of the Governor.

By order and in the name of the Governor of Maharashtra,

SATISH WAGHOLE,

Secretary (Legislation) to Government,

Law and Judiciary Department.

RNI No. MAHENG / 2009 / 35528

(1)

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2

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2.

In section 220 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, after

the second proviso, the following proviso and Explanation shall be added,

namely :—

“ Provided also that, if the property is not subsequently sold as

aforesaid or returned or granted on tenure to the defaulter within a period

of twelve years from the date of purchase on behalf of the State Government,

the Collector may, by notice to the defaulter or his legal heir, ascertain his

willingness to have the land returned back to him ; and if the defaulter or

his legal heir gives his willingness to have such land returned back and pays

an amount of twenty-five per cent. of the market value of such land for the

year in which the land is returned or granted to the defaulter or his legal

heir within such period, which shall not be less than ninety days, as may be

specified by the Collector in the notice issued in this behalf, then the land

shall be returned and granted to the defaulter or his legal heir subject to

restrictions on right to transfer without prior permission from the State

Government.

Explanation.— For the purposes of this section, “the market value of

such land” means the value of such land specified in the Annual Statement

of Rates published under the provisions of the Maharashtra Stamp

(Determination of True Market Value of Property) Rules, 1995 or any other

Rules for the time being in force, in this regard for the relevant year, and

where such Annual Statement of Rates are not prepared or available, it

means the value of such land as determined by the Assistant Director of

the Town Planning Department of the concerned District.”.

Amendment of

section 220 of

Mah. XLI of

1966.

Mah.

XLI of

1966.

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3

STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS.

Under the provisions of Chapter XI of the Maharashtra Land Revenue

Code, 1966 (Mah. XLI of 1966) the lands of the defaulter farmers, who have

failed to pay arrears of land revenue, are attached, taken under management

of the Government or sold or purchased on behalf of the Government for

realization of arrears of land revenue. Such lands are under the management

of the District Collector under the head “Aakari pad”.

2.

Section 220 of the said Code provides that, where at any sale held

under the provisions of Chapter XI of the said Code, there is no bidder or

the bids made are inadequate or nominal, it shall be lawful for the Collector

to authorize any of his subordinates to purchase such property on behalf of

the State Government for such bid as such subordinate may make.

First proviso to the said section 220 provides that, if the property so

purchased is subsequently sold by the State Government within twelve years

of the purchase, then after deducting the Government dues and penalty the

surplus amount shall be paid to the defaulter. Second proviso to the said

section 220 provides that, if the property is not subsequently sold, it may

be returned to the defaulter on payment of the Government dues and

penalty at any time within a period of twelve years from the date of purchase

on behalf of the State Government.

However, there are many such lands which are under the management

of the District Collectors for default in payment of meagre amount of arrears

of land revenue even after lapse of thirty to forty years since the purchase

of such lands on behalf of the Government under said section 220. It is not

possible for the Government to manage such lands day by day, as it has

become a very difficult task to protect such lands from encroachments. The

land holders and their legal heirs have also, from time to time, demanded

to return such lands to them. However, in view of the provisions of second

proviso to the said section 220 such lands cannot be returned or regranted

to the defaulting land owners after lapse of a period of twelve years from

the date of its purchase on behalf of the State Government.

If such lands are returned back to the defaulting land holders on

payment of the Government dues, the problem of their subsistence or

livelihood will be resolved, such lands will not remain fallow and also will

come into the national stream and the Government can also get an increased

revenue.

Therefore, it is considered expedient to make a suitable amendment

to section 220 of the said Code to enable the Government to return or

regrant such Akari pad lands to the defaulting land holders or their legal

heirs, on payment of an amount of twenty-five per cent. of the market value

of such land for the year in which the land is returned and granted to the

defaulter or his legal heir.

3.

The Bill seeks to achieve the above objectives.

Mumbai,

CHANDRASHEKHAR BAWANKULE,

Dated the 25th February 2025.

Minister for Revenue.

ON BEHALF OF GOVERNMENT PRINTING, STATIONERY AND PUBLICATION, PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY DIRECTOR,

RUPENDRA DINESH MORE, PRINTED AT GOVERNMENT CENTRAL PRESS, 21-A, NETAJI SUBHASH ROAD, CHARNI ROAD,

MUMBAI 400 004 AND PUBLISHED AT DIRECTORATE OF GOVERNMENT PRINTING, STATIONERY AND PUBLICATIONS,

21-A, NETAJI SUBHASH ROAD, CHARNI ROAD, MUMBAI 400 004. EDITOR : DIRECTOR, RUPENDRA DINESH MORE.