Vidarbha Taxpayers Association (VTA) expresses concern over the Maharashtra Government’s recent amendment dated April 28, 2025, to Section 18A(1)(b) of the Registration Act, which reinstates the requirement of obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the sale, transfer, or lease of properties under Central or State Government ownership, including those managed by agencies such as the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT).
This matter was discussed in detail during a recent Executive Body meeting of VTA, where members unanimously agreed that while the intent of regulatory oversight is understandable, the implications of such a requirement could inadvertently lead to delays and complications for property owners and genuine buyers.
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Shrawan Kumar Malu, President of VTA, noted that while the objective may be administrative clarity, the practical outcome could lead to procedural delays for citizens engaged in lawful property transactions. “It’s important to balance regulatory control with ease of doing business for the public,” he said.
Tejinder Singh Renu, Secretary of VTA, added, “We believe that such measures, if not accompanied by clear guidelines and safeguards, may lead to increased dependency on approvals, thereby creating uncertainty and logistical challenges for property holders, particularly those on NIT-leased land.”
VTA refers to the clarification issued by the Department of Stamps & Registration on July 24, 2025, which stated that developers are not required to obtain NOCs from agencies like MHADA, MIDC, or CIDCO for transferring flats on leased land. The previous ambiguity had reportedly contributed to a notable slowdown in property registrations, affecting both government revenue and market sentiment.
Additionally, the Association highlighted the September 2022 Supreme Court ruling, which clearly stated that no NOC is required for the transfer of flats built on leased land by private developers; particularly when units are individually owned and not part of concessional cooperative societies.
VTA respectfully requests. a reconsideration of the April 2025 amendment in light of its practical impact on citizens and property stakeholders; a formal clarification to Sub-Registrar offices across the state to avoid unnecessary refusals of registration based on NOC requirements; avoidance of retrospective fee demands for user-category changes unless supported by prior legal backing and wider stakeholder engagement and public consultation before implementing structural changes in property registration laws.
VTA believes in collaborative dialogue and policy alignment that safeguards both administrative interests and public convenience. We urge the Government to review the matter in light of legal precedents and citizen welfare.
Vidarbha Taxpayers Association remains committed to supporting any constructive deliberation on the subject and looks forward to working with stakeholders to ensure transparent, efficient, and citizen-friendly governance in property matters. Also present in the meeting were JP Sharma – IPP, Hemant Trivedi – vice president, Pawan Chopra – treasurer, Amarjeet Singh Chawla – joint secretary, and Executive Body members Vicky Osan, Veru Balani, Sharad Sonkule, Pravin Agrawal, Ashwin Agrawal, Govind Patel and Pratish Gujarathi.
