Pune Launches Maharashtra’s First Digital Portal for Project-Affected Persons to Curb Land Fraud

Pune, 23rd June 2025: In a pioneering move to enhance transparency and curb fraudulent compensation claims, the Pune district administration has launched Maharashtra’s first digital initiative to make all records of project-affected persons (PAPs) available online under the Akshay Abhilekh scheme.

The initiative involves digitizing documents of land acquisition and compensation provided to PAPs affected by key irrigation projects, including Varasgaon and Panshet, and making this information accessible through a dedicated portal. This step is aimed at preventing issues such as duplicate land allocation, submission of forged documents, and multiple claims for compensation by the same individual.

Previously, a major land scam in Daund taluka had revealed irregularities where bogus beneficiaries received duplicate land allotments and others fraudulently claimed compensation on behalf of the actual landowners. In light of such incidents, the district administration has decided to digitize and centralize all project-related records for quick verification.

Now, with just a click, district officials can verify if a claimant is genuinely project-affected and whether compensation has already been paid. This will also help detect repeat claims and ensure legitimate beneficiaries are compensated promptly.

Key Highlights:
In the first phase, four major irrigation projects — Kukdi, Varasgaon, Panshet, and Chaskaman — are covered.

Over 76,000 documents related to the Varasgaon and Panshet projects have already been uploaded.

Varasgaon: 17,702 documents

Panshet: 58,777 documents

So far, 2,38,158 documents have been scanned across the four projects.

Upload of Kukdi and Chaskaman records will be completed in the coming month.

The second phase will include 17 other smaller projects in Pune district, which has a total of 21 irrigation projects.

The portal will allow real-time verification of land acquisition and compensation orders, improving efficiency and reducing administrative costs.

“This is the first-of-its-kind initiative in the state to digitize all PAP-related records under the Akshay Abhilekh scheme. It will bring transparency and eliminate fraudulent practices,” said Jitendra Dudi, District Collector, Pune.