Pune: Residents of Balewadi Housing Societies Fear Land Grab Due to Surveyor Error
Pune, 24th March 2025: Due to an incorrect measurement by an employee of the Land Records Office, the access road of a housing society has been shown as part of another property, putting two societies in Balewadi in crisis. This error has created a risk of these buildings being demolished in the future and blocking access for 60 families. The society office-bearers have submitted a written complaint to the Land Records Office, demanding action against the concerned land surveyor.
This complaint has been filed by the office-bearers of Amit Emerald Park Society and Celebration Society in Balewadi. The society representatives alleged in a press conference today that this act was a conspiracy for the benefit of a private landowner.
In a press conference held at the Pune Shramik Patrakar Sangh today, representatives of both societies provided details of the issue. Present at the press conference were Amit Emerald Park’s President Dr. Vijay Bhilawade, Celebration Society’s Secretary Santosh Chhajed, Rajaram Dhawale, along with other office-bearers and flat owners.
Amit Emerald Park Society and Celebration Society are located in Survey No. 31/1 in Balewadi. The building plans were approved by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in 2007 and 2010, after which the buildings were constructed, and residents purchased flats by paying government stamp duty. PMC also issued occupancy certificates for these buildings. The necessary government land surveys were conducted in 2005 and 2010, and all required permissions were obtained from PMC, making these buildings fully legal and authorized. The access road of Amit Emerald Park was acquired by PMC in exchange for FSI (Floor Space Index) compensation. A few days ago, both societies filed a petition in the High Court against PMC, demanding road repairs. However, now, the Land Records Office has entirely removed this road and assigned it to someone else.
On February 3, 2025, Celebration Society and Amit Emerald Park Society received a letter from the Land Records Office regarding boundary marking. The land surveyor, V. V. Kokare, arrived at the site without consulting the society members, marked the boundaries arbitrarily, and assigned the road to another property. He left without recording the objections of the society members. On February 4, the societies immediately filed objections. Surveyor V. V. Kokare incorrectly documented the boundaries, showing the road (which was part of Survey No. 31/1) as part of a neighboring private property in Survey No. 29. As a result, on paper, this land is no longer under PMC and has become private property. In the future, the owner of this property could claim the land, demolish the buildings of Amit Emerald Society, and block the access road used by 60 families.
Both societies have promptly filed a complaint with the Land Records Office, raising objections to the measurement and incorrect boundary markings, demanding rectification.
The complaint states that the boundaries marked by Surveyor V. V. Kokare were incorrect and corruptly manipulated. It has been demanded that:
Copies of the erroneous maps should not be provided to anyone.
Senior officials must personally verify the measurements before finalizing them.
The maps should be re-examined along with Google maps, old surveys, notes, and partition records, and new boundary markings should be made at the site under the supervision of senior officials.
The complaint further demands an investigation into Surveyor V. V. Kokare and suggests transferring the case to senior officers for impartial reassessment.
पुणे: भूमी अभिलेख कार्यालयातील कर्मचाऱ्याच्या चुकीच्या मोजणीने २ सोसायट्या संकटात
Society members have urged the Settlement Commissioner to take direct action on this malpractice. Since PMC had already acquired this road in 2008, the Municipal Commissioner should conduct an on-site inspection and ensure that this road is not wrongfully transferred to private ownership.
