Maharashtra Government Challenges HC Order to Transfer 255-Acre Land to Private Builders

The Maharashtra government has decided to challenge the Bombay High Court (HC) order that granted around 254.88 acres of prime government land in Mira-Bhayandar to two private builders by filing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court. Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced the decision on Saturday and made it clear that the government will leave no stone unturned to protect public property.

The HC, on April 30, had ruled in favour of handing over the land to Estate Investment and Mira Real Estate Developers. The minister described the verdict as 'unexpected' and one that effectively allows the transfer of government land to private owners. 'The land belongs to the state government. We will firmly crush all attempts to grab government land by tampering with revenue records,' Bawankule stated.

He added that the government will go strictly by the provisions of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 - particularly Section 29(3)(c) - which deals with the rights of Occupants-Class II and protects unalienated government land.

The 254.88-acre plot is located in the Mouje Bhayandar area of Mira-Bhayandar and is estimated to be worth hundreds of crores of rupees. According to government records, the land has been under state ownership, but unauthorized changes were made in the revenue records since 1948 without prior permission. Names of 'Estate Investment Company' and later 'Mira Salt Works' were illegally inserted. In 1958, the name of the Central Government's Salt Department was also added due to its use as salt pans.

The ownership dispute reached the Supreme Court earlier, which directed that an appeal be filed before the Thane District Collector. In 2002, the District Collector rejected the claim of Mira Salt Company and ordered that the entire land be vested with the State Government.

However, in 2019, the companies along with the Central Government's Salt Commissioner filed a first appeal in Bombay HC. On April 30, the HC rejected the salt commissioner's appeal and ruled that the land belongs to Mira Salt Works. Notably, the appeal was only on the issue of maintainability, but the court decided the matter on merits. This has raised serious concerns as the name of the private developer 'Mira Real Estate Developers' may now remain on the government land.

Minister Bawankule emphasised that the Maharashtra government will strongly defend the state's ownership rights over this valuable piece of land in the Supreme Court. 'This order effectively allows transfer of government land to private owners. We will protect public property at all costs,' he said.