State ordinance clears hurdles for conversion of land use





To ensure that there are no hurdles for conversion of land use from agricultural to non-agricultural, the state government has issued an ordinance amending the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966.

Section 42 of the MLRC requires permission from the collector for non-agricultural use.With the ordinance the state has done away with the requirement. This is because the process is cumbersome and had led to a rise in use of land for other purposes without the collector's nod.

Under the new amendment, in urban areas, if a plot is part of the development plan or the draft development plan sanctioned under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act, then the collector's permission is not required. But the planning authority will need to ascertain its occupancy and any encumbrances and thereafter sanction development permission.

In August 1999, the state had issued a government resolution for conversion of land use. But as the Act was not amended, the notification could not be implemented. This time, after the cabinet approved the proposal, the earlier GR was cancelled and in its place the ordinance has been issued. It is one of the last ordinances signed by governor K Sankaranarayanan on August 22. He resigned from office on August 24, after he was transferred as Mizoram governor.