Officials to Face Criminal Charges for Malpractice in Land Acquisition, Warns Minister Bawankule

In a stern warning to the revenue department, Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule stated that officials colluding with traders to manipulate land compensation will face immediate criminal prosecution

Pune | May 12, 2026: Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has announced a crackdown on administrative corruption involving government land acquisition projects. Speaking at a press conference in Pune on Monday, the Minister revealed that the government has detected several instances where officials allegedly leaked confidential project plans to traders. These traders then purchased land from farmers at lower rates just before official acquisition, later claiming massive government compensation. Bawankule warned that any official found facilitating such “pre-planned” transactions would face direct criminal charges.

The investigation into these irregularities is leveraging high-tech tools, including Google Maps and satellite imagery, to verify land status over the past year. The Minister noted that some traders had even planted trees or built temporary structures specifically to inflate compensation claims. “We are reviewing registration transactions from the past year. If it is found that land was bought by traders shortly before acquisition based on leaked information, no compensation for trees or structures will be provided,” Bawankule asserted. He was accompanied by former MLA Jagdish Mulik and other local leaders during the announcement.

Furthermore, the Minister addressed the misuse of Section 155, which is intended for correcting clerical errors in land records. He disclosed that some Tehsildars used this power to illegally change ownership names. Currently, the performance and records of nearly 2,000 Tehsildars across the state are under review. Bawankule also clarified new regulations regarding land fragmentation, stating that no plot of land can be sold without an authorized layout sanctioned by the Municipal Corporation or relevant authorities. These measures, along with a new manual to prevent the encroachment of government properties, aim to bring total transparency to Maharashtra’s revenue administration.

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