Maharashtra will survey land parcels in municipal areas and newly incorporated villages that do not yet have an urban land survey, and issue property cards for them, according to a report by Lokmat – Pune. Once the process is completed, the existing 7/12 land extracts for the surveyed areas will be discontinued.
The decision applies to land within municipal corporations, municipalities and areas added to urban boundaries where the urban land survey scheme has not yet been implemented. Under the process, survey or group numbers will be measured and fresh land records will be prepared before property cards are issued to residents.
The concerned municipal corporation or municipality will have to prepare a proposal for the urban land survey and submit it to the district superintendent of land records. The survey costs will be made available through the district annual plan or the Nagarothan scheme. After approval, the local body will deposit the sanctioned funds with the district superintendent of land records, following which the physical survey will begin.
The reform is being implemented under provisions of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code. It changes the role of local bodies in initiating the process. Previously, the land records department took up urban surveys on its own initiative. Under the new arrangement, the relevant municipal corporation or municipality will be required to take the lead by submitting a proposal.
The move addresses a record-keeping problem created by the expansion of urban boundaries. In several cities, the original urban land survey had already been completed, but adjoining villages later brought within municipal limits were not surveyed under the same system. As a result, 7/12 extracts continued to be used for land in areas that had become part of the urban jurisdiction.
The continued use of 7/12 extracts in these newly urbanised areas has created technical difficulties during property transactions and loan applications, the report said. Property cards are expected to provide clearer urban property records and an official document supporting ownership claims. They may also reduce documentation-related difficulties during sale and purchase transactions, borrowing and the establishment of ownership.
The decision states that residents will not face an additional financial burden for the survey because funding will be provided through state government schemes. However, the process will depend on municipal bodies preparing and submitting proposals, securing approval and coordinating with the district land records administration. The next operational step is therefore for eligible local bodies to begin preparing proposals for the areas where urban land surveys remain pending.
