Pune: After Kondhwa Forest Land Case, Maharashtra Changes Rules for Land Development Approvals
Pune, 10th March 2026: The Maharashtra government has tightened the procedure for issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) by the forest department for land transactions and large housing projects involving government and private land.
The move follows strong observations by the Supreme Court in the Kondhwa Budruk forest land case in Pune district. In the wake of the ruling, regional forest officers have been barred from issuing NOCs independently. The authority to grant such approvals has now been shifted to the state government.
The issue arose in the Kondhwa Budruk area of Haveli taluka, where a No Objection Certificate had earlier been issued at the local level for the allocation and non-agricultural use of land falling within a reserved forest area. This reportedly led to violations of forest laws and triggered a legal dispute.
On May 15, 2025, the Supreme Court delivered its final verdict in the case, clarifying that the land in question forms part of a reserved forest.
Following the ruling, the forest department has issued a government order laying down a revised procedure for granting approvals related to land development, land acquisition, and integrated township projects.
Under the new guidelines, details of the proposed land will be published on the forest department’s website for 15 days to invite public objections. After reviewing the objections, the regional office will submit a report through the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to the state government.
The order, issued by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Revenue and Forest Department) Dr Ravikiran Govekar, states that regional offices will no longer issue NOCs independently. All proposals must now be forwarded to the state government for final approval.
The government noted that local-level approvals had often been granted for integrated township projects under regional plans, which could lead to violations of forest laws. Henceforth, the revenue and urban development departments must directly consult the forest department at Mantralaya before processing such proposals.
