Nagpur: In a major relief for Nazul lease holders, the revenue department has decided to make their plots freehold. The final decision in this regard will be taken by March 2016. The government has constituted a committee for recommending the procedure to make lands freehold. The committee has been asked to submit its report to the government in three months. Other than giving relief to Nazul plot holders, the cash-strapped state government also plans to mop up revenue through this scheme. Making the announcement in state legislative council, revenue minister Eknath Khadse said the government intended to make the plots freehold by charging a one time amount. "This amount will not be much and affordable for common man," he said. There are over around 11,000 Nazul plots in Dhantoli, Ramdaspeth, Shivajinagar, Buldi, Dharampeth, Civil Lines, Amravati Road, Khamla, Jaripatka, Sadar and Ambazari localities of the city. Due to multi-storeyed buildings on these plots, the number of affected persons is over one lakh. According to the minister, the committee will be headed by principal secretary (revenue). "It will have an officer nominated by additional chief secretary (finance). The officer will be of the rank of either a principal secretary or secretary. The divisional commissioners of Nagpur and Amravati will also be members of the committee. The deputy secretary of revenue and forest department will be the member secretary of the committee," he said. Swanand Soni of Nagpur Nazul Plot Holders Association welcomed the decision saying it was long overdue. "Till now the government was giving freehold status to only Sindhi refugees and educational societies. If it gives this option for all Nazul plot holders it will greatly benefit the common people," he said. Soni said the one time payment should not be on the higher side. "As per Madhya Pradesh (MP) government decision, the payment was 1% of ready reckoner value for residential plots and 1.5% for commercial ones. If our government keeps it at say 5% then very few people will avail this scheme and government will be deprived of revenue," he added. Earlier, the BJP-Shiv Sena government had given relief to Nazul plot owners by slashing the ground rent to one-fifth. Nazul plots were given to plot owners in two ways, by auction and on lease. The ground rent for auctioned plots is now almost half that of lease plots. The new ground rent for residential plots given through auction is 0.02% of the ready reckoner value prevailing at the time of lease renewal. The rent for commercial and industrial plots depend on their area. It is 0.02% for plots used by charitable institutions. The rent for residential and charitable lease plots is 0.04%, down from earlier 0.2%. BOX * What is Nazul land? It is land owned by revenue department * How many Nazul plot holders exist in Vidarbha? There are 24,908 plot holders in Nagpur division and 10,528 in Amravati division. Thus there are 35,346 plot holders in Vidarbha. In the city the number is 10,963 * Why only in Vidarbha? Until 1956, Vidarbha was part of Central Province & Berar while rest of Maharashtra was part of either Bombay province or in the dominion of Hyderabad Nizam. Nazul lease system existed in Central Province & Berar only * What is the committee's brief? * To devise way and means to make the Nazul land freehold. The committee will suggest how much money the government should take for converting the plot to freehold. The rates will depend on use of the plot - residential, commercial or industrial and its size * How will the plot holders benefit? Once the plots are freehold, the owners will not have get their lease renewed every 30 years and also will be exempt from paying annual ground rent. They will not need Nazul department's permission for carrying out construction activity or to sell the plot. Change of user will, however, require permission from NMC

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