Bawankule settles decades-old 58-acre ‘American Mission Bungalow’ land dispute

Kolhapur: Ending a decades-old dispute, state revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has rejected a review application filed by developers and ruled that the prime 58-acre ‘American Mission Bungalow’ land in Kolhapur will remain classified as ‘B tenure’, or leasehold, and not freehold.The decision overturns attempts to treat the land as privately owned and affirms that it cannot be freely sold or developed without govt approval.The land traces its origins to the late 19th century, when Kolhapur’s royalty leased it to an American Christian missionary trust for educational and healthcare purposes. Following the abolition of princely states, such lands were transferred to state govt.In 2010, the Kolhapur district administration changed the land classification from ‘B tenure’ to ‘C tenure’, effectively making it freehold. This move enabled private developers to plan residential projects on the land, where a slum also later came up.However, RTI activist Dilip Desai and others challenged the decision after examining historical records, contending that the land was leased on a non-transferable basis and remained govt property. Acting on these findings, the divisional commissioner in 2024 cancelled the 2010 order and restored its leasehold status.Developers subsequently approached the revenue minister seeking relief, but after multiple hearings, Bawankule concluded that they failed to establish the land as freehold.The minister’s order was passed on April 30 and uploaded on June 7.“The land was grabbed by the developers, and it is a perfect case where the private entities and authorities have acted with common greed. The land is worth thousands of crores,” said Desai.He demanded immediate action by the govt, adding, “We demand that without delay, govt should measure the land, put up proper title details, and use it for public purposes like parking or visitor facilities as per the city’s needs.”