In yet another amendment in the state laws on the farm sector to promote industries, any illegal land transfer without the government’s nod can now be legalised by paying a fine.
The tweaked law applies to tenants cultivating agricultural land, who transfer land to a new owner illegally. The state cabinet on Tuesday gave its nod to the amendments, which require the new owner to pay 50 per cent to 75 per cent of the ready reckoner (RR) rate for the plot in question.
As per the Maharashtra Tenancy and Agriculture Lands Act, 1948, agricultural land purchased by a tenant under the provision of the Act is not allowed to transfer land without the collector’s permission. “However there have been many cases where land was sold without the government’s permission, following which the State either confiscated the land or court cases were filed lead ing to land lying unused for many years,” said Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse.
Principal Secretary (Revenue) Manukumar Srivastava said that the amendment will not only penalize the buyer for buying the land by flouting the law, but will also ensure that court cases come to an end and bring land to actual use.
The buyer will have to pay 50 per cent of RR rates if he/she wants to use new land for agricultural purpose, otherwise 75 per cent of the RR rates will have to paid for using the land for non-agricultural purpose.
The decision is likely to impact over 2,000 cases pending in courts in the State, ensuring an escape window for those who bought lands without the government’s nod. “We are not giving any escape route, but legalizing the transaction by charging a hefty fine. It will aid industrialisation process as land can be used for non-farm purposes,” said Mr Khadse.
