Pune: When Ramesh Jadhav from Baramati, a farmer, lost his father last year, he had apprehensions about a long wait to get his name entered in the 7/12 extract, the crucial land ownership document. However, he was able to make the correction within weeks and without spending a single rupee under the special drive initiated by the Pune district administration.Pune district has so far updated over 15,000 land records, replacing the names of deceased landowners with those of their rightful heirs. The changes are part of a state-wide initiative launched earlier this year under which 21,017 such cases have been identified in the district.Additional collector Suhas Mapari told TOI, “We have completed more than 15,000 corrections after verification with gram sevaks and the death registration department. In the remaining 4,000 cases, legal issues are delaying the process. It will take another two to three months to complete,” he said.Officials said talathis and gram sevaks have played a key role by cross-checking data with registrars, issuing notices and collecting documents from heirs before finalising updates. “The responsibility is with the talathi and circle officers, who must verify papers, conduct local enquiries and make the changes in records,” a revenue official explained. Pushpa Chavan, also a farmer, was able to get her name changed in the property papers after her husband’s demise easily after the talathi conducted the necessary inquiries.She told TOI that the process was seamless and with special focus by govt, the process was made smooth; otherwise, she was unable to get a bank loan. The 7/12 extract—a critical document in Maharashtra that reflects ownership and agricultural details—often remains unchanged after a landowner’s death, forcing legal heirs to approach courts to claim their rights.The ongoing exercise, carried out across 45,000 villages in state, aims to ease this burden for people without any fee, a district revenue official said.The initiative has brought major relief to villagers across talukas like Junnar, Maval, Velhe, Purandar and Ambegaon—regions with the highest number of such cases. “This was long overdue. My father passed away in 2018, but his name was still on the land record. We could not access farm schemes or even get a loan,” said Tukaram Jadhav, a farmer from Maval. “Now, with officials taking responsibility, my name is finally updated without needing a court case,” he added. The state revenue department has set timelines for the completion of these records in each village.In most cases, talathis read out names during gram sabhas and interact with villagers to identify unreported deaths and collect necessary documents like death certificates and succession proofs. Suman Kendre, a widow from Ambegaon, said, “For years, I visited offices trying to change the land record after my husband died. This process saved me from that struggle. Now, I can access crop loans and govt aid.”Officials said a proposal was sent to state govt for integrating various land record databases to speed up future updates. “With a unified data system, we will be able to reduce delays and errors,” he said. The drive is not only resolving ownership issues, but is also expected to reduce land disputes and improve access to agricultural and welfare schemes for rightful landholders, officials said.
