A company linked to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar’s son, Parth Pawar, has landed in a controversy over allegations of irregularities in a Pune land deal. On Thursday (November 6), Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP formed an inquiry committee to probe the allegations, saying “serious issues are coming forward at the primary level” regarding the transaction.
The deal pertains to 40 acres in the Mundhwa area of Pune city, near the upmarket Koregaon Park area. The Opposition has alleged that the land, reportedly worth ₹1,800 crore, was sold to Amedea Enterprises LLP, where Parth is a partner along with an individual identified as Digvijay Patil, for ₹300 crore with a stamp duty waiver of ₹21 crore. The land in question is a Mahar Watan land in Pune district.
What is Mahar Watan land?
Mahar Watan land is a term rooted in Maharashtra’s socio-historical land tenure system. It refers to land that was traditionally granted to members of the Mahar (now in Scheduled Caste category) community as compensation for performing hereditary village duties under the old Watan system.
What is the Watan system?
Before Independence, villages in Maharashtra followed the Watan system, under which specific castes or families were assigned certain services for the village. In return, they received land or revenue rights instead of cash payment. For the Mahar community, these hereditary duties included roles such as village watchmen, messengers and supporting administrative and emergency tasks for the village.
The land they received for these services came to be known as Mahar Watan land.
What are the key features of Mahar watan Land?
The land was granted not as full private property, but in return for compulsory service. It could not be freely sold or transferred, as eligibility was linked to hereditary duties. The allotment was usually modest, intended for subsistence rather than wealth.
What is the present status of Mahar watan Land?
To dismantle caste-based service obligations, the Mahar Watan Abolition Act of 1950 was passed in the then Bombay State (now Maharashtra). The Act, which abolished the Watan system and the compulsory hereditary service, converted Mahar Watan land into regular occupancy land, usually as Occupant Class II and set certain conditions and restrictions on sale or transfer of such land.
Story continues below this ad
Once re-granted, the land was generally given under Occupant Class II, which came with restrictions that the land cannot be sold, transferred, mortgaged, or leased without prior approval of the collector or appropriate authority and any transfer done without permission can be declared invalid and the land may be resumed by the government.
How the current allegations are linked to Mahar Watan land?
It is alleged that 40 acres of Mahar Watan land in Pune, owned by 272 individuals, was purchased by Amadea Enterprises LLP, of which Parth Pawar is one of the directors for ₹300 crore on May 19, 2025.
The land document called 7/12 had a name of erstwhile Bombay Government and no prior permission from the state government was taken before the transaction. The purchase took place based on the power of attorney given by these individuals before 10-15 years to one Paramount Infastructures.
Also, a month before the actual purchase, the company had applied to construct an IT park on the land and sought stamp duty exemption in the transaction. The request was approved based on Letter of Intent from the Directorate of Industries which is against the rules.
