Maharashtra Revolutionizes Revenue Proceedings with Email Notices

The Maharashtra cabinet has approved an amendment to the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, allowing legal validity of email notices in revenue proceedings. This change aims to expedite land-related case resolutions, addressing issues of notice delivery delays and promoting swifter justice in revenue courts.

In a significant move to streamline land-related case proceedings, the Maharashtra cabinet has given the green light to an amendment in the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, sanctioning the use of email service for official notices. This decision, spearheaded by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and approved in a meeting led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, marks a pivotal shift in how revenue notices are served.

The amendment to Section 230 of the Code asserts that a notice issued to a recipient's officially registered or provided email ID is now legally valid. Previously, notices had to be personally delivered or sent by post, methods that often led to delays due to non-receipt, incorrect addresses, or outright refusal to accept service, consequently causing frequent adjournments in revenue hearings.

Officials emphasized that more than 12,000 land-related cases remain pending at the secretariat level, underscoring the need for faster resolutions. The introduction of email notices is expected to mitigate these delays, paving the way for a more efficient and reliable justice system in revenue matters, as highlighted by Bawankule.

(With inputs from agencies.)