Pune Administration to Act Against 102 Institutions Over Land Grant Violations
Pune, 18th April 2025: The Pune district administration has identified 102 educational and charitable institutions for allegedly breaching terms associated with government land allotted on lease or occupancy rights. Officials said these cases came to light following a district-wide verification drive.
Over the past 30 years, nearly 1,000 hectares of public land have been allocated to around 1,480 institutions across the district, either at concessional rates or under long-term lease agreements. However, a recent audit initiated under state directives found significant non-compliance in 102 of these cases, a senior revenue official confirmed.
“Inspections were carried out across all talukas. Notices had been issued earlier, but administrative action was postponed due to election-related responsibilities,” a senior official in the district administration told Punekar News. “We are now reviewing the status of each case and will begin taking appropriate steps shortly.”
According to officials, the largest number of notices were issued in Haveli taluka (25), followed by Pune city (14), Mulshi (11), Maval (10), and Indapur and Shirur (9 each). Violations ranged from unauthorized construction to commercial use of land intended for public welfare purposes.
“In 16 cases, the land lease has already been revoked,” the official added. “The process to reclaim land from the remaining institutions is underway, and all 102 have been formally notified.”
This crackdown follows heightened scrutiny at the state level. Last year, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had called for an investigation into alleged misuse of government land in Mahabaleshwar by a private entity, prompting district administrations across Maharashtra to conduct similar assessments.
