SC dismisses 1959 Maharashtra land ceiling dispute

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has dismissed an agriculture land ceiling dispute of Maharashtra lingering on since 1959 as the landowner did not substantiate its appeal.

The Bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta, in its judgment on Wednesday, found no merit in the appeals as the appellant led no evidence. It held that presumption of truth is attached to the revenue record and it is for the party to lead evidences to rebut the entries as wrong, which the appellant miserably failed to do. The case relates to Satwarao Naik, who was found to possess 468.08 acres of land as against the ceiling of 114 acres. Even after accepting his claim of gifts and transfers prior to the ceiling act, he was found to hold 333.14 acres.

The Maharashtra Agriculture Land (Ceiling on Holdings) Act was later amended, reducing the ceiling limit from 114 acres to 54 acres, and fresh notice was issued to Satwarao. His son Vishwasrao Naik and his daughter-in-law Rajni Bai had appealed in the Supreme Court as he had bequeathed his properties in favour of Rajni Bai, whose 166.39 acres of land was declared as excess to be handed over to the government. They knocked at the Apex Court after failing to get any remedy from the tribunal and the high court.