In a major decision, the Bombay High Court has canceled a rule from the Maharashtra government that changed how land value is calculated for payment. This affects many people whose land is being taken for projects like the Pune Ring Road.
On January 24, 2023, the Maharashtra government issued a rule. It said that when figuring out how much to pay for land, sales from one year before the land is officially taken should be ignored. This idea came from an earlier decision by another court.
"The rule aimed to ignore sales from the year before the land is taken to stop fake high land prices."
The people challenging the rule, including Kamlakar Raghunath Ahirrao, said it was unfair. They argued it went against the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. According to this law, the market value should be based on sales from the past three years.
On December 24, 2025, Judges G. S. Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe declared the rule illegal. They stressed that the law clearly says the payment should consider sales from the past three years and not ignore the last year.
"The court decided that the rule was against the law's goal to give fair payment."
This decision directly affects the Pune Ring Road project. Many villagers from areas like Marnewadi and Ambegaon will now see a change in how their land payment is calculated.
The court's order means any actions based on the now-canceled rule are also invalid. Officials must redo the payment process according to the correct legal rules.
"Landowners will receive payment based on the actual market value, ensuring fair treatment."
The court's decision ensures that landowners will get fair payment for their land, based on the real market value from the past three years. This ruling protects the rights of those whose land is being taken for projects.
