Pune: Amid the controversy over the Mahar Watan land in Mundhwa, district administration officials have confirmed that the original Mahar watandar families had approached the state government seeking restoration of their rights even though the land has been leased to Botanical Survey of India (BSI) till 2038. However, the revenue department has not passed any order so far on the watandars’ plea, revenue officials from Pune district administration told TOI on Friday.Officials said that the Mundhwa land was originally classified as Mahar Watan before 1955. That year, the state government took possession of it, and the ownership column in the land records was updated to “Mumbai Sarkar.” Subsequently, the Bombay Inferior Village Watans Abolition Act, 1958 came into effect on Feb 1, 1959. It formally abolished the hereditary watan system and all such lands were vested in the state. Watandars could apply to govt for restoration of rights. District administration officials said that since govt already took possession of the land in 1955, before the Act came into force, the law does not apply to the watandars’ claim. “The ownership of this land parcel remains with the state government. However, the watandars’ names continued to appear under the ‘others’ column which should have been deleted,” an official told TOIDistrict collector Jitendra Dudi said that the land continues to be under lease to Botanical Survey of India (BSI) till 2038. “We are checking for similar lease arrangements involving other Mahar Watan lands in the district and their status,” he added.Agreement That Goes Back 66 years 1959 I According to official records, a kabuliyat (agreement) was executed between the state govt and BSI1973 I Land was leased to the survey office for 15 years up to 1988 1991-92 I Watandars raised issues, a detailed report reiterated that it was govt land1999 I The lease was renewed with BSI retrospectively from 1988 to March 2038 for 50 yearsOfficials said a panchanama is conducted during every re-lease to confirm that the land is being used for its intended purpose which has been verified in BSI’s case2007 I Despite this, a power of attorney was executed on behalf of 272 Mahar Watandars, and several applications for restoration of the land to them have been made since thenOfficials said the district administration’s detailed reports in 1992–93 and again in 2023, reaffirmed that the land belongs to govt and cannot be sold or transferred without the collector’s permission2018 I The 7/12 extract for the Mundhwa land was closed and a new survey number (1178) was assigned to itMay 2025 I Sale deed registered using the closed 7/12 record which is illegal; the sub-registrar did not verify this before allowing the registration Lessons To LearnExperts said the Mundhwa case highlights legal and administrative ambiguities that continue to persist decades after the abolition of watansWhile the land remains under a valid govt lease, its reappearance in property transactions has revived questions about vigilance and record management of govt landsquoteEven though govt reiterates that the land belongs to it, the names of the watandars is part of the ‘others’ column and so they will definitely ask for their land rightsA retired revenue department official
