High-level meet paves way for regularisation of Ulhasnagar properties

ULHASNAGAR: In a major development for lakhs of residents of Ulhasnagar, the Maharashtra government has initiated steps to remove long-pending hurdles in the regularisation of encroached properties in the city.

A high-level meeting chaired by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on request of BJP MLA Kumar Ailani was held at Mantralaya to discuss various obstacles that have delayed the implementation of a special law enacted for Ulhasnagar to grant ownership rights to occupants of unauthorised properties.

Following detailed deliberations, a key decision was taken to regularise all unauthorised properties that existed prior to January 1, 2011.

The meeting reviewed difficulties faced by citizens in obtaining ownership documents despite the existence of a dedicated legal framework for the city. Officials discussed procedural bottlenecks, documentation requirements and delays that have slowed the regularisation process over the years.

According to officials, the proposed regularisation will cover various categories of properties, including chawls, flats, barracks, plots, and structures identified under U-number, E-number and Chalta-number classifications.

In another major relief, citizens will no longer be required to obtain a D Certificate for securing ownership rights. Instead, occupants will be able to regularise land by paying 5% of the Ready Reckoner value, significantly lower than the earlier 10% provision.

To speed up implementation, the government has decided to form a special task force that will work in mission mode to process pending cases and facilitate the issuance of ownership documents.

Ailani said that once a land sanad (ownership certificate) is granted, property holders will be eligible to obtain D Form approvals for their buildings. Owners of dilapidated structures will also be able to pursue redevelopment or reconstruction after obtaining statutory permissions.

After regularisation, beneficiaries will be issued Property Cards, providing them with legal proof of ownership and helping resolve several long-standing property disputes.

The decision is expected to benefit lakhs of residents who have been awaiting legal recognition of their properties for decades and is being seen as one of the most significant steps towards resolving Ulhasnagar's complex land ownership issues.

The meeting was attended by MLA Kumar Ailani, Revenue Department Joint Secretary Manisha Jadhav, Stamp Department Joint Secretary, Konkan Divisional Commissioner Rubal Agarwal, Thane Collector Shrikrishna Panchal, Ulhasnagar Municipal Commissioner Manisha Awhale, Sub-Divisional Officer Vijayanand Sharma, Town Planner Vikas Birari, Land Survey Officer Rajendra Londhe and other senior officials.

Speaking after the meeting, Ailani said the state government had responded positively to the demands raised by citizens and expressed confidence that a formal notification implementing the decisions would be issued soon.