No need of non-agricultural nod for industrial land use in Maharashtra: Revenue minister Bawankule
Mumbai (PTI): Non-agricultural permission will no longer be required for using industrial land in Maharashtra as the state government plans to amend the relevant law to implement this change, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has said.
The decision to amend the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code has been taken as part of the country's Ease of Doing Business initiative, led by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, the minister said on Wednesday.
Previously, owners needed deemed non-agricultural (NA) status for industrial use of their land parcels. However, the government observed the time required for this process was almost the same as the formal NA conversion, leading to the decision to remove the requirement, Bawankule noted.
"The removal of this requirement would simplify procedures for industries. This is a significant step towards making land acquisition and utilisation easier for businesses. The state government is committed to promoting investment by reducing unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles," he said.
Since the legal amendments will take some time, the government has clarified that until the changes come into effect, industrial land users will not need to obtain NA permission. Instead, they must secure development permission from the relevant planning authority or get their construction plans approved, the minister said.
"Once this is done, they should register the approval with the local revenue officer (known as talathi in the state), who will be responsible for updating the records as soon as possible," he said.
Bawankule also said the deadline for converting Class 2 land (leasehold) to Class 1 (freehold) has been extended by one year, providing landowners with additional time to complete the necessary formalities.
Class 2 occupancy is a conditional holding where land is given to individuals for various reasons, including as rewards, and requires prior permission of the competent authority for any transfers.
On the other hand, Class 1 lands are freely transferable and not subjected to any permission of the competent authority.
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Kangana Ranaut sparks row: Claims Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem
New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.
The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.
When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.
"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."
Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."
Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."
Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.
"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."
मनरेगा का नाम बदलने की केंद्र सरकार की कवायद महात्मा गांधी के प्रति उनकी ओछी मानसिकता और असम्मान का प्रमाण है। सरकार पहले 'पूज्य बापू' के नाम का शिगूफा छोड़ती है और फजीहत होने पर अब 'विकसित भारत-गारंटी फॉर रोजगार एंड आजीविका मिशन (VB-G RAM G)' जैसा नाम थोपना चाहती है। बार-बार नाम…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 15, 2025
गांधी जी ने ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ को लेकर नेशनल एंथम बनाया था
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) December 16, 2025
BJP MP कंगना रनौत
चलो भाई आज नया नेशनल एंथम भी पता चला है!
BJP में एक से एक शिरोमणि भरे पड़े हैं 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/9DvyV5xLb1
