Fifteen officials, including a corrupt Deputy Collector and Tehsildars in Pune, suspended !

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announces action
Criminal cases to be registered; guilty officials will also be dismissed from service

Mumbai, 11 July (News) – Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced in the Legislative Council on 10 July that 15 corrupt officials of the Revenue Department, including a Deputy Collector and Tehsildars, who had illegally altered land ownership records and were involved in scams worth crores of rupees, would be suspended. He stated that criminal cases would be registered against the guilty officials and that some would also be dismissed from government service. The Government has directed all District Collectors to conduct a comprehensive verification within the next three months of all orders passed under Section 155. During the previous legislative session, Thackeray faction MLA Anil Parab had drawn the attention of the House to this serious scam. Subsequently, the report of the Pune Divisional Inquiry Committee found the direct involvement of these 15 officials in 13 out of a total of 424 suspicious cases.

What is the case ?

Section 155 of the Revenue Code is intended to be used only for correcting spelling or clerical errors in government records. However, the corrupt officials allegedly misused this provision to transfer properties worth crores of rupees from the original owners to others. They also made government files disappear in order to destroy evidence.

Action will also be taken against those who grabbed land belonging to Shri Kshetra Tuljapur !

The Government has also taken serious note of complaints regarding the grabbing of land belonging to the Goddess at Shri Kshetra Tuljapur, other land, and unauthorised encroachments there. A high-level inquiry committee has been constituted under the leadership of the Pune Divisional Commissioner. It has been assured in the Legislative Council, on behalf of the Public Works Minister, that the unauthorised encroachments will be demolished and criminal cases will be registered against those responsible for grabbing the land.