Pune: The Maharashtra government has dissolved the Dangat Committee, which was established to study and implement the restructuring of the state’s revenue department, districts, and talukas. The decision comes instead of granting the committee an extension, effectively putting the process of district and taluka formation on hold.
The committee, chaired by former IAS officer Umakant Dangat, was formed on October 25, 2023, with the objective of reorganizing revenue office jurisdictions and recommending necessary amendments to revenue laws. The committee was initially given 90 days to submit its report but was later granted an extension due to the extensive scope of work.
During its tenure, the committee studied the Fragmentation and Consolidation of Holdings Act and the Maharashtra Agricultural Lands (Ceiling on Holdings) Act, submitting recommendations to the state government.
The committee had also begun work on restructuring the revenue department and preparing a detailed plan for the creation of new districts and talukas. However, before this work could be completed, the state government dissolved the committee, citing the end of its tenure. An official notification regarding this decision was issued by Satyaranayan Bajaj, Deputy Secretary, Revenue Department.
The government’s move comes amid widespread speculation that new districts and talukas were to be announced on January 26. With the committee’s dissolution, this process has now been stalled.
Need for Revenue Reorganization
The reorganization of Maharashtra’s revenue department was considered crucial due to several factors:
Urbanization, population growth, and rising land prices have led to an increase in land disputes, putting pressure on revenue offices.
The workload on district collectors, SDOs, and tehsildars has increased, causing delays in services and administrative inefficiencies.
Timely processing of citizen services and a reduction in the burden on revenue officers required a redistribution of responsibilities.
There was significant demand from both citizens and public representatives for the creation of new revenue offices and administrative units.
Scope of the Dangat Committee’s Work
The committee was expected to recommend amendments to key revenue laws, including:
Maharashtra Prevention of Fragmentation and Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1947
Maharashtra Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1948
Maharashtra Agricultural Lands (Ceiling on Holdings) Act, 1961
Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966
Maharashtra’s Administrative Landscape
36 districts
358 talukas
