wl-7086-Loss of an Alternative Vision of Urban Property: The Post-repeal Trajectory of ULCRA in Maharashtra

This paper discusses the dilemmas that have arisen in the aftermath of the repeal of ULCRA with regard to the exemptions granted under it (especially for industrial purpose). The state of Maharashtra is an interesting case study in this regard. Although the Repeal Act was adopted there in 2007, differences about the interpretation of particular clauses were formally resolved only in 2019. The decision finally taken was that such exempted land can be converted into freehold land on payment of a one-time premium. In addition to highlighting the process by which this decision was reached and the subsequent judicial interventions that have continued until as late as 2023, the paper brings out the larger implications of the resolution. Specifically, the paper argues that what is unfolding today is the erasure of the last lingering traces of ULCRA, the loss of even a notional attempt to think differently about landed property, and the growing consolidation of a single homogenous ideal of what owning land should mean. In addition, the possible effect that one may see on urban inequalities and the changing relationship between the state and corporate entities are also briefly alluded to.