Maharashtra govt to introduce verification system to ensure only genuine farmers buy agri land

Mumbai, Jul 8 (PTI) The Maharashtra government on Wednesday announced that only genuine farmers will be allowed to purchase agricultural land and a stringent verification system will be introduced to ensure that fraudsters posing as agriculturists cannot acquire such land. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told the assembly that the government is introducing a stringent verification system through the Commissioner of Land Records to ensure that no person can purchase agricultural land without producing valid proof of being a farmer. "From now on, no one will be allowed to buy land in Maharashtra without establishing that he or she is a farmer. A new system based on land mapping is being put in place across the state," the minister said while replying to a discussion on alleged irregular land transactions in Dhule district and concerns over land purchases by people from outside Maharashtra. Bawankule also ordered a high-level inquiry into the alleged land scam involving Vadjai, Pimpri and Narvahal villages in Dhule district. He said a separate mechanism under the Divisional Commissioner would investigate the transactions, while the Superintendent of Police (SP), Dhule, had been directed to probe allegations of forged land records and fake documents submitted in connection with the case. According to the minister, a preliminary inquiry found that in two cases, documentary proof establishing the purchasers as farmers was unavailable. "Cases would be registered against those found guilty of cheating, forgery and tampering with government records," he added. Referring to the disputed land in Dhule, Bawankule said the land had originally been transferred to 44 members of the Jayprakash Housing Society after being sold by the original owners. However, in 2010, the heirs of the original owners allegedly got their names re-entered in the revenue records in collusion with officials and subsequently sold the land again, he said. The minister said the 2010 mutation entries would be cancelled after a review by the Superintendent of Land Records, and the rights of the original 44 plot holders would be restored. "Any changes made by the alleged misuse of provisions under Section 155 would also be revoked," he said. He also responded to concerns raised by NCP (SP) MLA Jayant Patil over large-scale land purchases by people from outside Maharashtra in the Dodamarg area of Sindhudurg district, particularly in the vicinity of the upcoming Mopa airport. Bawankule said stamp duty authorities across the state had now been given direct access to the Land Records Commissioner's database, enabling them to instantly verify whether a purchaser owns agricultural land elsewhere in Maharashtra and examine related land records before completing registration. "If a non-farmer or a suspicious transaction is detected, the land registration process will be halted pending verification," he said. PTI MR NSK