The Maharashtra Land Tenures Abolition (Recovery of Records) Act

1953 : L]  1 
THE MAHARASHTRA LAND TENURES ABOLITION 
(RECOVERY OF RECORDS) ACT 
[Text as on 30th November 2023] 
_____________________ 
CONTENTS 
PREAMBLE.  
SECTIONS.  
 1.  Short title.  
 2.  Definitions.  
 3.  Holder to deliver land records to State Government.  
 4.  Power to make searches.  
 5.  Offence and penalty.  
 6.  Rules.  
SCHEDULE 
  
2 The Maharashtra Land Tenures Abolition (Recovery of Records) Act [1953 : L 
  
1953 : L]  The Maharashtra Land Tenures Abolition (Recovery of Records) Act  3 
LIST OF AMENDMENT ACTS 
 
 1) Amended by Bom. 52 of 1954 
 2) Amended by Mah. 24 of 2012   (22-12-2012)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note.- The date mentioned in the bracket indicates the date of commencement of the act. 
 
4 The Maharashtra Land Tenures Abolition (Recovery of Records) Act [1953 : L 
 
  
1953 : L]  The Maharashtra Land Tenures Abolition (Recovery of Records) Act  5 
ACT No. L OF 19531 
2[THE MAHARASHTRA LAND TENURES ABOLITION (RECOVERY OF RECORDS) ACT.]  
[7th October 1953]  
An Act to provide for taking over records maintained by the holders of lands or villages held on 
tenures which have been abolished by certain enactments in the State of Bombay. 
WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for taking over records maintained by the holders of lands 
or villages held on tenures which have been abolished by certain enactments in the State of Bombay; It 
is hereby enacted as follows :—  
1.  Short title.— This Act may be called 3[the Maharashtra Land Tenures Abolition (Recovery of 
Records) Act].  
2.  Definitions.— In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context—  
(1) “holder” means —  
(a) a taluqdar,  
(b) a watandar,  
(c) a vazifdar,  
(d) an estate-holder,  
(e) a mulgirasia,  
(f) an ankadedar,  
4[(g) a kaul-holder,  
(h) an inamdar, or  
(i) a matadar,]  
as defined or referred to in the respective Land Tenure Abolition Acts and includes his heirs, 
assigns and legal representatives and also a person who for the time being is in possession of any land 
records on behalf of such holder;  
(2) “Land Tenure Abolition Act” means an Act specified in the Schedule to this Act;  
(3) “land records” means records maintained by a holder in respect of the land or village held by 
him at any time before the abolition of the tenure on which such land or village was held;  
(4) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act.  
3.  Holder to deliver land records to State Government. — It shall be the duty of every holder 
to deliver, in the prescribed manner, 5[within two months from such date as the State Government may, 
by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf ] all land reco rds in his possession to the 
Collector or to such officer as may be appointed by the State Government in this behalf:  
Provided that in the case of any holder, the Collector or the officer, as the case may be, may, for 
sufficient reasons, extend such period by a further period not exceeding two months. 
                                                   
1  For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Bombay Government Gazette, 1953, Part V, page 435. 
2  This short title was amended by Mah. 24 of 2010, Sch., entry 51 w.e.f. 1-5-1960. 
3  This short title was amended by Mah. 24 of 2010, Sch., entry 51 w.e.f. 1-5-1960. 
4  These sub-clauses were substituted for clauses (g) and (h) by Bom. 52 of 1954, s. 2. 
5  These words w ere substituted for the words “ within two months from the date o f the commencement of this Act”  by 
Bom.52 of 1954, s. 3. 
6 The Maharashtra Land Tenures Abolition (Recovery of Records) Act [1953 : L 
4.  Power to make searches. — If the Collector or the officer appointed under section 3 has 
reason to believe that any holder is not likely to deliver the land records as required by section 3 or is 
likely to destroy them or tamper with them, he may, for the purpose of recovering such records, issue a 
search warrant and exercise all such powers with respect thereto as may be lawfully exercised by a 
magistrate under the provisions of Chapter VII of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 18981 (V of 1898). 
5.  Offence and penalty. — If a holder fails to deliver land records in accordance with the 
provisions of section 3, he shall, on conviction, be punished with fine which may extend to two 
hundred rupees. In the case of a continuing failure to deliver land records, the holder shall be punished 
with an additional fine which may extend to twenty-five rupees for every day during which such failure 
continues after conviction for the first such failure.  
6.  Rules.— The State Government may, subject to the condition of previous publication, make 
rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. Such rules shall, when finally made, be published in the 
Official Gazette.  
SCHEDULE 
(See section 2) 
1. The Bombay Taluqdari Tenure Abolition Act, 1949 (Bom. LXII of 1949).  
2. The Bombay Paragana and Kulkarni Watans (Abolition) Act, 1950 (Bom. LX of 1950).  
3. The Bombay Watwa Vazifdari Rights Abolition Act, 1950 (Bom. LXII of 1950).  
4. The Salsette Estates (Land Revenue Exemption Abolition) Act, 1951 (Bom. XLVII of 1951).  
5. The Bombay Personal Inams Abolition Act, 1952 (Bom. XLII of 1953).  
6. The Bombay Merged Territories (Ankadia Tenure Abolition) Act, 1953 (Bom. XLIII of 1953).  
7. The Bombay Kauli and Katuban Tenures (Abolition) Act, 1953 (Bom. XLIV of l953).  
8. The Bombay Merged Territories (Baroda Mulgiras Tenure Abolition) Act, 1953 (Bom. XLV of 
1953).  
9. The Bombay Merged Territories (Baroda Watan Abolition) Act, 1953 (Bom. XLVI of 1953).  
2[10. The Bombay Merged Territories Matadari Tenure Abolition Act, 1953 (Bom. XLVIII of 
1953). 
 
                                                   
1  Now the code of Criminal procedure Act, 1923 (2 of 1974). 
2  This entry was added by Bom. 52 of 1954, s. 4. 

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