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Welspun ONE will build a logistics park in Pune's TalegaonMaharashtra to Appoint Licensed Private Surveyors to Complete Land Measurement Work within 30 Days
The government of the Indian state, Maharashtra, has declared that it will employ authorised private land surveyors to complete land measurements within 30 days, which is considerably shorter than the earlier period of 90 to 120 days. Notably, it can be said that this move will bring about a landmark change in land administration. Notably, this move in land administration will help significantly lessen pending land measurement cases.
Clearing the Backlog with Speed and Technology
Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule described the move as “a revolutionary step in the history of the department. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has supported the initiative as part of broader reforms to strengthen land governance through technology and citizen-centric systems.
Government verification ensures that the data is correct.
The actual fieldwork will be done by private surveyors, whose measurements will be verified and signed by senior government functionaries at the level of Taluka Land Records Inspectors, Deputy Superintendents of Land Records, or City Survey Officers. This two-tier verification is a fast track that ensures correct and legally valid land measurement results.
The deployment of about 150 private surveyors in each district was a plan to support the rollout of this by the government, extending the survey capacity and solving the shortage of government survey staff that slows operations.
Broader Vision: More Transparent Land Records
The policy is also expected to support a long-term shift in how land transactions are handled. Officials are exploring a “measure first, register later” approach—where land is surveyed before a sale deed is executed and mutation entries are made. This will help prevent disputes caused by discrepancies between the sale deed descriptions and actual on-ground boundaries.
Effects on Investors and Citizens
Landowners, farmers, developers, and constructors are among those who will greatly benefit from the reform. Fast measurement services will
- Speed up real estate transactions
- Decrease border-related legal disputes
- Enhance trust in land records.
Conclusion
The state of Maharashtra is also proceeding with the modernisation of its land administration system by incorporating private certified surveyors for land measurement, with a defined 30-day timeframe to complete the task. The move not only seeks to clear past arrears but will also enhance convenience in matters concerning land.
More than 300 Notices of Encroachment on Panshet-Varasgaon Dam Lands Have Been Issued
Authorities have sent over 300 notices to individuals and companies for allegedly encroaching on government-owned land near the Panshet and Varasgaon dam areas. In order to recover restricted dam-area land and stop unapproved commercial and residential construction, the Water Resources Department has stepped up its efforts.
Scope of Action
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Over 300 notices have been served for illegal occupation near the dam catchment zones.
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Action has already been taken against 40+ illegal structures, including hotels, resorts, and farmhouses located along the Pune–Panshet route.
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These encroachments fall within sensitive land zones that are meant to remain free from construction for safety and environmental reasons.
Affected Areas
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The notices cover regions around the 38 villages that remain in the dam catchment area, originally rehabilitated during dam construction decades ago.
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Many of these villages have developed over time with access to basic government amenities, including water, temples, schools, and electricity.
Residents’ Concerns
Residents claim they have been living on this land for decades, but still lack legal ownership documents. They argue the government should regularise residential areas rather than impose sudden eviction threats.
There is growing concern among villagers about the potential loss of homes and livelihoods if demolitions are carried out.
Government Stand
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Officials stated that the focus is on unauthorised commercial properties — particularly resorts, hotels, and farmhouses built on dam-owned land.
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Notices have also been sent to some residential properties based on government orders.
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The drive aims to protect crucial water sources supplying Pune and to prevent further unregulated development near reservoirs.
The Government of India has now made it official that the Land Registry Rules 2025 will be implemented across the country, with major changes in the way land is bought and sold and registered. New rules are intended to avoid fraud, put an end to fake land registrations, and ensure fully verified ownership records for every property transaction.
By the new order, land cannot be registered without these two documents- the Updated Land Ownership Certificate and the Land Records. If these are missing, the application will be rejected outright by the registration authorities.
The purpose of the action is to protect land buyers from dishonest sales and prevent disputes caused by unclear or outdated land records. Land ownership information will now be verified through official digital revenue databases. Manual verification will be less necessary if digital systems are used for cross-checking.
These revised regulations will help ensure that only the rightful owner can sell a plot of land, thereby making the process of real estate transactions more transparent and secure.
According to the government, these changes would not only reduce land-related court cases but also reduce middlemen's interference and increase people's trust in the property-registration system.
The new regulations will take effect in 2025, and all citizens are advised to make sure their land documents are updated and verified before initiating any sale or purchase.
PCMC to Publish Red-Zone Map Around Defence Establishments — Relief for 4,000 Property Owners Soon
The PCMC is set to release an official “red-zone” map next week, which will clearly demarcate areas around two sensitive defence establishments — the Ordnance Factory Dehu Road (ammunition depot) and the Dighi Magazine Depot — where construction and development will be prohibited under the Works of Defence Act, 1903.
What is the Red Zone and Why It Matters
Under the proposed plan:
- A 2,000-yard radius around the Dehu Road ordnance depot.
- A 1,200-yard radius around the Dighi Magazine Depot.
Inside these zones, construction and new development will be prohibited — a regulation meant to uphold security and safety around defence assets.
Who Will Be Affected
The red-zone designation is expected to directly impact around 4,000 properties — both residential and commercial — that currently fall within the buffer zones of these depots.
Localities likely to be affected include (but are not limited to) Talawade, Nigdi, Ravet, Chikhali, Dighi, Bhosari, Yamuna Nagar, Rupi Nagar, Vadmukhwadi, and Bopkhel, among others.
For many residents and property owners, the new map brings long-awaited clarity. With unclear boundaries until now, there has been persistent confusion and concern over legal construction permissions.
Why the Map Was Needed
The process to draw accurate red-zone boundaries began after the state’s land-records department conducted a survey, employing satellite imagery to map the zones. The exercise was completed recently, and PCMC has spent over ₹1.13 crore for land measurement and mapping for the Dehu Road and Dighi areas.
The updated map was submitted to PCMC on 31 July 2025, according to civic-body officials.
However, publication has been delayed because the map must first be vetted by the defence authorities to ensure that no sensitive installations are exposed publicly.
What This Means for Residents and Property Owners
Once released, the map will:
- Clearly inform which properties lie inside the red zone (where construction is prohibited) and which lie outside (eligible for development).
- Provide long-awaited clarity for home-buyers, developers, and existing residents — helping avoid legal disputes over building permissions.
- Help civic authorities regulate illegal or unauthorised constructions that have proliferated over the decades due to boundary ambiguity.
An official from PCMC’s Town Planning Department, Kishor Gokhale, stated that the map has already been shared with defence authorities and they expect to receive a response within “the next four to five days,” after which the map will be made public.
Source- TOI
The Pune Land Records Department (in Maharashtra) has decided to cancel nearly 700 land-measurement maps.
These maps were originally made using the old “vahivat” (customary) method.
What Is “Vahivat” — And Why It Matters
“Vahivat” refers to a traditional or customary method used for measuring and recording land parcels.
For decades this method was used across many parts of Pune and its surrounding areas.
But from February 2025 onwards, following an order from the settlement authority, the “vahivat” method was officially discontinued.
Because of this change, all properties previously measured using “vahivat” now need re-measurement under the updated, legally recognised survey procedures.
Who Was Asked to Act — And Who Didn’t
The department identified around 1,400 land parcels that were recorded using the old method (vahivat).
In September 2025, notices were issued to these landowners asking them to regularise their boundaries via proper re-survey under the new system.
About half of them — ~700 owners — complied and got their land re-measured as required.
The remaining ~700 did not respond or complete the process. Their old maps will now be cancelled.
What the New Rules Require
Under the updated land-record regime:
- Land measurement must follow a formal, legally valid survey procedure — the old customary method is no longer acceptable.
- In cases where land has multiple co-owners, consent from all owners is mandatory for the new survey.
- The survey must be supported by a “temporary layout approval” from the relevant municipal or development authority, ensuring only sanctioned surveys are accepted.
- These reforms aim to make land records more transparent, accurate and legally defensible.
What Does This Mean for Landowners & Buyers
If your old “vahivat” map gets cancelled and you don’t get a fresh survey done, your land boundaries may no longer be legally recognised. That could create problems later — for selling, transferring, or developing the land.
For buyers or developers, it becomes crucial to check that the land has a valid, updated survey under the new system — and not rely on old customary maps.
The change also reduces chances of fraud, illegal transfers or boundary disputes, because the new method ensures clear, verified records.
Bigger Push Toward Digital, Transparent Land Records in Pune
Apart from cancelling old maps, the authorities are moving many land-record tasks online — for example, corrections to 7/12 extracts (essential land ownership documents) must now be done only through digital processes.
Offline/manual edits to records — which earlier enabled misuse, such as unauthorised name changes, incorrect area data, or even illegal transfers — are no longer valid.
The overall aim is to bring transparency, accountability and accuracy to land administration in the region.
26 Booked in ₹33-Crore Illegal Sale of Animal Husbandry Land in Tathawade
Police have registered a case against 26 people, including a sub-registrar, for allegedly orchestrating the illegal sale of 15 acres of government-owned land belonging to the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) in Tathawade for ₹33 crore.
According to officials, the accused wrongfully projected the disputed 6.32-hectare land as their private property by using an outdated 2023 7/12 extract. However, the updated records clearly show that AHD has been the true owner since 1945-1946, which prohibits its sale.
The buyers, sellers claiming to be “legal heirs,” and sub-registrar Vidya Shankar Bade-Sangale have all been named in the FIR. Investigators say mandatory digital verification was allegedly bypassed to approve the transaction.
AHD officials discovered the scam during a routine inspection and immediately filed a complaint. The Registration Department has suspended the sub-registrar, and the AHD is preparing a civil suit to cancel the sale deed.
Police are probing possible wider collusion and undervaluation, calling the case a “major attempt to convert high-value government land into private property illegally.
Source- Pune Mirror