Maharashtra government mandates use of Marathi for revenue hearings, orders

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Friday made the use of Marathi mandatory in hearings as well as in all orders passed by authorities in quasi-judicial proceedings in the revenue department.Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced a new standard operating procedure (SoP) for these proceedings.Authorities issued a 29-page government resolution laying down procedures for handling quasi-judicial cases filed before revenue officers."Under the guidance of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, we intend to make the revenue administration more citizen-centric and dynamic," Bawankule said.The government considered earlier directives, recommendations from divisional commissioners, field-level instructions and observations of the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court while framing the revised procedures for quasi-judicial functioning, he said.The new SoP also makes it mandatory for all revenue officers to conduct hearings at least twice a week, preferably on Tuesdays and Fridays, while adjournments will be allowed only once and only for valid reasons.All interim and final orders will have to be uploaded on the ‘e-QJ Court' system and issued only with digital signatures.No order can be passed without hearing both parties and recording proper reasoning. Speaking orders should be issued within a maximum period of eight weeks.Separate guidelines have been framed for cases related to minor minerals, farm access roads, petition matters, correction of clerical errors and various proceedings under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code.The new rules are expected to reduce pendency in revenue courts, officials said.