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Maharashtra OKs Email Notices for Land Cases to Speed Up Justice

The Maharashtra Cabinet has approved amendments to the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, to legally validate the service of hearing notices via email. This move aims to address chronic delays caused by issues with physical notice delivery, such as incorrect addresses or refusal to accept. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule stated this will close a major loophole that kept thousands of land-related cases pending for years. The reform is expected to bring transparency, provide technical proof of delivery, and accelerate justice in approximately 12,000 pending secretariat-level cases.

Key Points: Maharashtra Makes Email Notices Legally Valid for Revenue Cases

  • Email notices now legally valid
  • Aims to clear 12,000 pending land cases
  • Eliminates "notice not received" excuse
  • Part of push for paperless administration
2 min read

Email notices now legally valid in Maharashtra Revenue cases

Maharashtra cabinet amends land revenue code to allow email service of notices, aiming to clear 12,000 pending cases and prevent delays.

"The justice delivery process in revenue matters will now become significantly faster and more reliable. - Chandrashekhar Bawankule"

Mumbai, Feb 10

In a landmark decision aimed at bringing greater transparency and speed to land revenue proceedings across the state, the Maharashtra Cabinet on Tuesday approved amendments to the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 to make service of notices of revenue hearings through email legally valid. The proposal was moved by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

"Until now, notices for revenue hearings were required to be served either through personal/hand delivery or by post under the existing provisions of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code. Delays frequently occurred due to technical issues such as non-receipt of notice, incorrect or untraceable addresses, or refusal to accept the notice - often resulting in repeated adjournments of hearings. With the amendment carried out in Section 230, a notice sent to the party's officially registered or provided email ID will now be deemed to have been validly and legally served," said Bawankule.

Approximately 12,000 land-related cases are currently pending at the secretariat level. A significant portion of these delays stems solely from the time-consuming process of serving physical notices.

Minister Bawankule said, "The primary reason thousands of land-related cases in revenue courts remained pending for years was the issue of 'non-receipt of notice.' Legal recognition of email-based notice service has now closed this major loophole. The justice delivery process in revenue matters will now become significantly faster and more reliable."

Minister Bawankule said the new provision will save considerable time previously spent on postal dispatch or personal service, bring greater transparency to the process, provide technical proof of dispatch and delivery of the email, eliminate the common excuse of "notice not received," prevent repeated adjournments of hearing dates and ultimately ensure faster delivery of justice to ordinary citizens.

He said that the decision to digitise notice service is yet another decisive step towards paperless and efficient administration, reinforcing the government's commitment to Digital India objectives.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rajesh Q
Good move, but what about villagers or older people who don't use email regularly? The government must ensure there is a parallel system or help desks so that this digital push doesn't become a new barrier for the less tech-savvy.
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Aditya G
Finally! The "notice not received" excuse was the biggest scam delaying property matters for years. This will bring much-needed accountability. Kudos to the government for this practical solution.
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Sarah B
As someone who has worked on governance projects, the proof of dispatch and delivery via email is a game-changer. It creates an audit trail and reduces corruption. A solid step for Digital India.
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Karthik V
My father's land case in Pune has been stuck for 3 years just due to notice issues. I hope this amendment is implemented swiftly and the 12,000 pending cases get moving. Time is money, especially for farmers and small landowners.
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Nikhil C
Transparency and speed are welcome, but the law must also strictly define what constitutes a "registered or provided" email ID. What if someone changes their email? The rules need to be crystal clear to prevent new legal loopholes.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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