In a move aimed at reforming property ownership documentation, the Maharashtra government is preparing to issue 7/12 extracts for individual floors of buildings, as reported by The Economic Times.
Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced the upcoming “Vertical 7/12 Yojna” at a public event in Nagpur on Sunday, highlighting that the current land record system does not accommodate vertical structures.
Traditionally, the 7/12 extract has served as a key land ownership record in Maharashtra, but only for horizontal land parcels. Bawankule acknowledged that as families expand vertically—particularly in tier-2 cities and semi-urban areas—there is a growing need for legal recognition of ownership by floor. He noted that many joint families, over time, build additional floors for successive generations, which often leads to ownership disputes in the absence of separate documentation.
The Vertical 7/12 Yojna aims to provide each resident living on a different floor with their own 7/12 document. However, the scheme is still in its planning phase, and the government has not yet clarified whether it will apply to formal residential apartments that already have legal ownership proofs, such as sale deeds.
The proposed initiative is aligned with the central government’s Svamitva Yojna, which seeks to provide official property titles in rural areas. Bawankule said the state has selected certain nagar panchayats under the Svamitva Yojna and intends to complete the work within a year. He explained that while approximately 30,000 properties exist when measured horizontally, the number increases to 45,000 when viewed from a vertical perspective. He emphasized the need to adapt the land record system to account for buildings constructed vertically on those same parcels of land.
As part of the reforms, the revenue department will no longer charge citizens for property mapping, which previously cost around ₹8,000. “We have paid the money on your behalf,” Bawankule said, adding that it is the government’s responsibility to safeguard property ownership across the state. He also said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed officials to expand the Svamitva scheme statewide and expedite its implementation.
To ease the process for homeowners, Bawankule instructed officials not to demand 7/12 documents while issuing Svamitva certificates for residential properties. Instead, he said a property tax receipt and ID proof such as Aadhaar will suffice. However, for agricultural land, the 7/12 extract will still be a required document.
In a separate announcement, Bawankule directed revenue officials to ensure that houses in Hudkeshwar and Narsala areas are upgraded under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojna. He emphasized the need to eliminate tin and tile roofing and replace it with concrete slabs. “I don’t want to see a single tiled-roof house in these areas,” he said. The minister added that 20,000 homes have been allotted under the scheme and directed officials to survey homes in need of upgrade.
He also confirmed that a detailed development plan for Hudkeshwar and Narsala is expected by December. The plan will consider the long-term growth of the area through 2050, with infrastructure and housing developments in the pipeline.