Maha govt abolishes ‘Sanad’ requirement after scrapping non-agricultural permission

Nagpur, Dec 10 (IANS) In a major step towards simplifying land revenue procedures, the Maharashtra government has completely removed the requirement of obtaining a ‘Sanad’. 

This comes after the earlier relaxation of Non-Agricultural (NA) permission. 

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday tabled the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the Legislative Assembly to give effect to this change. 

The bill was unanimously passed in the state assembly.

Explaining the bill, Minister Bawankule said that although the mandatory NA permission for residential and commercial use was relaxed through amendments made between 2014 and 2018, the subsequent requirement of obtaining a Sanad continued to cause hardship and delays. The new amendment abolishes this remaining hurdle altogether. 

Instead of a Sanad, landowners will now have to pay only a nominal premium to regularise the change in land use. New premium structure (based on Ready Reckoner rate) includes Up to 1,000 sq. metres: 0.1 per cent of Ready Reckoner value, 1,001 to 4,000 sq. metres: 0.25 per cent of Ready Reckoner value and 4,001 sq. metres and above: 0.5 per cent of Ready Reckoner value, said the minister.

He told the assembly that the government has assured that local bodies will suffer no revenue loss and will continue to receive their full share of taxes and fees.

According to the revenue department, Sanad is a government-issued certificate, typically granted by the Collector or Deputy Collector of the district. The primary function of a Sanad is to grant permission for the change of land use (e.g., from farming to residential, commercial, or industrial development). 

Without this conversion, development on agricultural land is generally restricted or considered illegal. 

The Sanad serves as a crucial piece of prima facie evidence of land title and is an agreement between the government and the landholder. 

It records the conditions under which the non-agricultural use is permitted.

Meanwhile, the state council today unanimously passed the Maharashtra Prevention of Fragmentation and Consolidation of Holdings (Amendment) Act, 2025, Bill, which significantly relaxes the stringent provisions of the land fragmentation (Tukdebandi) law in urban and planned areas. 

The Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who tabled the bill, claimed it is a major step towards resolving decades-old property ownership issues faced by common citizens. 

The state assembly had passed the bill unanimously on Tuesday. Addressing concerns raised by the opposition, the legislators,

Minister Bawankule gave a categorical assurance on the floor of the House that this has not been brought to benefit any builder; it is solely to give legal ownership rights to the 60 lakh families in the State who are living on small fragments of land. 

Minister Bawankule said the Bill will directly benefit approximately 60 lakh families (nearly 3 crore citizens) living on small plots, gunthewari layouts and fragmented land holdings in cities and towns across the state.

Due to this bill, buying and selling of small plots will now become easier, and the way has been cleared for the respective owner’s name to be entered on the 7/12 land record (Satbara).

--IANS

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