Maharashtra Eases Tukdebandi Rules, Regularizes 49 Lakh Land Parcels Across State

Pune, 8th October 2025: The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has approved a key amendment to the state’s “Tukdebandi” (land fragmentation) law, lifting its restrictions on non-agricultural lands and paving the way for the regularization of existing irregular land divisions. The reform is expected to benefit nearly 49 lakh land parcels across Maharashtra.

The amendment will apply to properties located within municipal corporations, municipal councils, and nagarpanchayat limits, as well as those under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Development Authorities and Special Planning Authorities established under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966. This means plots earmarked for residential, commercial, or industrial use will no longer fall under the constraints of the “Tukdebandi” provision.

Earlier, the Maharashtra Land Reforms Act, 1947, which was enacted to prevent excessive fragmentation of agricultural land, had inadvertently caused complications in urban areas. Property owners often struggled to transfer or develop lands due to irregular divisions that were deemed legally non-compliant.

With the new amendment, non-agricultural plots that were previously considered “substandard” can now be transferred, subdivided, or developed without additional penalties or fees. “This decision will not only regularize such properties but also help streamline land records and resolve long-pending issues in urban and peri-urban areas,” said Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule while announcing the Cabinet’s decision.

Officials said the move would help update land records, ease property transactions, and remove legal bottlenecks affecting real estate development. According to government data, Maharashtra has around 49.12 lakh irregular or substandard land parcels, but only about 10,500 applications for regularization had been received until now.

The amendment is expected to simplify land ownership and promote systematic urban development. “Citizens will now be able to legally use, sell, or transfer their land holdings. This reform will bring clarity, transparency, and efficiency in land administration,” an official from the Revenue Department said.

The change is being seen as a crucial administrative reform that will support planned urban growth and boost investment in real estate and infrastructure projects across the state.