Those allotted plots by Maha govt will soon be able to buy them

Individuals and entities that have been allotted nearly 5,000 plots on lease in Mumbai will soon have the option to buy them from the government. The Maharashtra legislative council on Monday cleared amendments to the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 that pave the way to granting ownership rights to such plots across the state. This means that housing societies built on leased or occupancy-class-II (conditional ownership right) plots will be able to buy the land by paying a one-time premium.

Once the bill is converted into an act, a new section – 29A – will be inserted into the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966.

The government will now form a committee headed by the principal secretary of the revenue department to formulate procedural guidelines and determine how much is to be charged for these plots.

At present, the government broadly allots plots in two ways — on lease and as occupancy class II plots. Those allotted on lease remain with the lessee for a certain period on the payment of an annual rent. Those allotted under occupancy class II give the holder conditional ownership and do not require an annual rent to be paid. However, both types can only be used for activities permitted by the government.

Across Maharashtra, the government has allotted more than 1.5 lakh such plots. These include 1.04 lakh plots under occupancy class II, 9,500 on lease, and 40,000 Nazul plots (given on lease under the Madhya Pradhesh land revenue code), a senior official, who did not wish to be named, told HT.

Revenue minister Eknath Khadse told HT that it was necessary to have such a legal mechanism to improve the ease of doing business in the state by enabling quicker, smoother development of such plots.