Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday announced that the state government will grant ownership rights to individuals who have encroached on state-owned land prior to 2011. The move is expected to benefit nearly 30 lakh households across the state.
“This policy covers encroachments on state-owned land such as collector land, grazing land, and zilla parishad land,” said Bawankule. “Encroachments up to 500 square feet will be regularised free of cost. Larger plots will need to be purchased at the current ready reckoner rate.”
The cut-off date for eligibility under the scheme is January 1, 2011, in line with an earlier protection granted in 2018. Beneficiaries will also be eligible for housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), ensuring they are not rendered homeless.
ARTIFICIAL SAND (M-SAND) POLICY
The minister also announced that the Maharashtra Government has finalised the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the Artificial Sand (M-Sand) Policy. The policy aims to put a complete stop to sand mining from the state’s rivers by promoting the use of manufactured sand.
Under the new framework, details of suitable public and private lands for M-Sand units will be made available on the ‘Mahakhanij’ portal for auction. Registered undertakings will be required to set up these units. The government plans to conduct awareness campaigns, including workshops, camps, and webinars, at the district level to ensure widespread adoption.
AMNESTY SCHEME FOR SINDHI REFUGEES
In a significant relief for displaced families, the state has approved a special amnesty scheme to regularise land leases in 30 notified areas where Sindhi refugees were settled post-Partition, excluding Ulhasnagar.
An estimated 5 lakh people are expected to benefit from this move. Under the scheme:
A 5 per cent premium on the 1989 Ready Reckoner Rate will be charged for residential properties up to 1,500 sq ft.
Commercial properties will be charged a 10 per cent premium.
Properties exceeding 1,500 sq ft will attract double the applicable premium.
This decision provides long-awaited legal ownership to families that migrated from West Pakistan during the communal unrest following India’s independence.
CRACKDOWN ON FAKE BIRTH CERTIFICATES
Bawankule further revealed that the state government is taking steps to address the issue of illegal birth certificates held by Bangladeshi nationals residing in Maharashtra. A task force will verify and cancel such certificates.
As of now, around 45,000 fake birth certificates have been identified. This number may rise in the coming days. The verification and cancellation process will be completed by August 15, under the supervision of District Collectors.
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