( 1 ) WP-6302-2015 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY BENCH AT AURANGABAD WRIT PETITION NO.6302 OF 2015 Deorao S/o. Nagoba Choudante Age: 45 years, Occu: Ex-Serviceman/Agil. R/o. Bhimnagar, Mudkhed, Tal. Mudkhed, Dist. Nanded. ...Petitioner VERSUS 1. The State of Maharashtra through Revenue & Forest Department Mantralaya Mumbai. 2. The Collector, Collector Office, Nanded. 3. The Tahasildar, Tahasil Office, Mudkhed. 4. Dy. Superintendent Land Record Mudkhed Tal. Mudkhed. Dist. Nand. ...Respondents ….. Dr. R. J. Godbole h/f Mr. V. P. Kadam, Advocate for Petitioner. Mrs. S. S. Joshi, AGP for Respondent/State. CORAM : KISHORE C. SANT & AJIT B. KADETHANKAR, JJ. RESERVED ON : 21st JULY 2026. PRONOUNCED ON : 03rd SEPTEMBER 2026. JUDGMENT :- [ PER: KISHORE C. SANT, J.] 2026:BHC-AUG:40366-DB ( 2 ) WP-6302-2015 1. Heard. Dr. Godbole h/f Mr. Kadam, the learned Advocate for the petitioner and Mrs. Joshi, the learned AGP for Respondent Nos. 1 to 4/State. 2. This Court vide order dated 01/07/2015 granted Rule in the present writ petition. By consent of the parties, the petition is taken up for final disposal. 3. By way of present writ petition, the petitioner has approached this Court challenging an order/notice dated 23/11/2011 passed by the learned Collector Nanded, thereby refusing to allot the land to the petitioner, being ex-serviceman, and notice dated 28/07/2014 issued by Tahasildar, Mudkhed thereby directing him to remove encroachment over the land. 4. It is the case of the petitioner that he happens to be an ex-service man. He retired from the Army after serving for 20 years. In the year 2000, he made an application to the Government for allotment of land from Gut No.7, situated at Village-Rajwadi, Tal. Mudkhed, Dist. Nanded. ( 3 ) WP-6302-2015 He stated in the application that he had encroached upon the Gairan Land from 03/04/2003 to the extent of 2H and was cultivating crops such as Toor, Soyabean and cotton. He gave reference of Government Resolution No. LEN/1990/Pra.Kra.172/Kha-1 dated 28/11/1999. Alongwith the said application, he submitted the report of the Tahasildar, Mudkhed showing that the said land is available for allotment. He also annexed a No Objection Certificate issued by the Gram Panchayat alongwith resolution. He claimed entitlement of the Government Resolution dated 12/07/2011. The application was made to the Collector. 5. Learned Advocate for the petitioner vehemently submits that, by Government decision dated 29/11/2002, the Government took a decision to consider the applications of the ex-army person for (i) gun licences (ii) fair price shops (iii) allotment agricultural land which was available under the old Ceiling Act and (iv) allotment of residential plots etc. He thus submits that it is the policy of the Government to make the land available to ex-army person in recognition of their contribution ( 4 ) WP-6302-2015 towards the nation. By Government decision dated 12/07/2011, the Government also took a decision to allot the land to the army person. It is stated that initially there was a policy to allot such land to landless persons belonging to scheduled tribes or scheduled castes etc. In the present case, there is no objection even from Gram Panchayat to allot the land to the petitioner. It was therefore, incumbent on the part of the Collector to allow the application to allot the land. He thus submits that the impugned communication dated 23/11/2011 and 28/07/2014 deserves to be quashed and set aside and direction be issued to allot the land to the petitioner. 6. Ms. Joshi, the learned AGP vehemently opposed the petition. He submits that now the Hon’ble Apex Court, in the case of Jagpal Singh and Ors. Vs. State of Punjab and Ors.1 clearly held that no Gairan/Gurcharan land can be allotted except for public utility and public purpose etc. She thus submits that in any case, the petitioner has no right to get the allotment of the land. The Collector has rightly rejected the application. 1 (2011) 11 SCC 396 ( 5 ) WP-6302-2015 7. So far as judgments relied upon by the petitioner is concerned, in the case of Nandkishor S/o. Dhonduji Salwe Vs. The State of Maharashtra and Ors. passed by this Court in WP/5099/2024, this Court considered the question of regularization of encroachment. In that case, it was prior to the judgment in the case of Jagpal Singh (supra). The claim therein was based upon the Government Resolutions dated 28/11/1991 and 12/07/2011. It is in that case, the authorities were directed to consider the claim of the petitioner therein. The said order would not be applicable in the present case. 8. This Court has gone through the judgment in the case of Jagpal Singh and Ors. (supra), it is clearly seen that no gairan/gurcharan land can be allotted to a private individual. The only exception is for putting such land for public utility and public purpose etc. Though there is no objection certificate given by the gram panchayat, it is of no use. The Gram Panchayat has no authority to grant such a no objection. Law does not confer any right upon Gram Panchayat. Even the Government Resolution dated 12/07/2011, clearly stipulates that the Gairan land can ( 6 ) WP-6302-2015 be considered only for the public purposes or public utility of the State Government or the Central Government. The relevant portion of the said Government decision reads as under: “ शासन निनर्णय 8. मा. सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाने निलेल्या निनर्णयाच्या अनुषंगाने शासन असे आेश ेत आहे की, र्वोरील " परिरच्छे ७ (४) मध्ये नमू के लेल्या प्रयोजनांव्यतितरिरक्त " गायरान / गुरचरर्ण र्वो गार्वोाच्या सार्वोजनिनक र्वोापरातील (common village land) जनिमनीर्वोरील अन्य प्रयोजनांसाठी झालेली अतितक्रमर्णे तथा अनति1कृ त बां1कामे फार जुनी असली र्वो बां1कामाबर फार खच के ला असला तरी तात्काळ निनष्कासिसत करण्याची कायर्वोाही संबंति1त स्थानिनक स्र्वोराज्य संस्था यांनी (ग्रामपंचायत, नगरपालिलका, नगरपरिरष इत्याी) निर्वोशेष कृ ती कायक्रम तयार करुन करार्वोी. संबंति1त तहसिसलार, सार्वोजनिनक बां1काम निर्वोभाग र्वो पोलीस प्रशासनाने त्यांना सर्वोतोपरी सहाय्य करार्वोे. सर्वो संबंति1त निर्वोभागांनी ही सामुहीक जबाबारी म्हर्णून पार पाडार्वोी. तसेच अशा जनिमनीर्वोर भनिर्वोष्यात कोर्णतीही अतितक्रमर्ण होर्णार नाही, बाची क्षता सर्वो संबंति1तांनी घ्यार्वोी. 9. (१) यापुढे गायरान जमीन अथर्वोा सार्वोजनिनक र्वोापरातील जमीन फक्त कें द्र र्वो राज्य शासनाच्या निर्वोनिर्वो1 निर्वोभागांमाफ त राबनिर्वोण्यात येर्णाऱ्या सार्वोजनिनक सुनिर्वो1ा (Public Utility) र्वो सार्वोजनिनक प्रयोजन (Public Purpose) यासाठी अन्य जमीन उपलब्1 नसल्यास याबाबत निर्वोचार करार्वोा. (२) गायरान / गुरचरर्ण अथर्वोा गार्वोकऱ्यांच्या सार्वोजनिनक र्वोापरातील जमीन कोर्णतीही व्यक्ती, खाजगी संस्था, संघटना यांना कोर्णत्याही प्रयोजनासाठी मंजूर करण्यात येऊ नये. (३) र्वोरील अ.क्र. १ मध्ये नमू प्रयोजनासाठी जमीन मंजूर करताना पुढील अटS/ शतSचे पालन करण्यात यार्वोे. (अ) ग्रामसभेचा र्वो ग्रामपंचायतीचा जमीन मंजूरीसाठी सुस्पष्ट उरार्वो असार्वोा. (ब) उक्त ठरार्वोास मुख्य कायकारी अति1कारी, सिजल्हा परिरष यांची मान्यता असार्वोी. (क) जमीन मंजूर करताना निकमान आर्वोश्यक जनिमनीबाबत (Bonafide Area Requirement) खात्री करण्यात यार्वोी. त्याकरिरता निनयोसिजत आराखडे, नकाशे प्रस्तार्वोासोबत असार्वोेत. (४) सार्वोजनिनक प्रयोजन (Public Purpose) र्वो सार्वोजनिनक सुनिर्वो1ा (Public Utility) याबाबत संभ्रम निनमार्ण झाल्यास राज्य शासनाचे मागशन घेण्यात ( 7 ) WP-6302-2015 यार्वोे. (५) गायरान जमीन र्वोा ग्रामपंचायतीकडे निननिहत के लेल्या अन्य शासकीय जनिमनी निर्वोतरर्णाचा प्रस्तार्वो सार करतांना मा. सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाने निलेला निनर्णयाच्या अनुषंगाने प्रस्तार्वो अत्यंत काळजीपूर्वोक तपासून, निनयमानुसार पुढील कायर्वोाही करार्वोी.” 9. This Court, considering all above, finds that the case of the petitioner cannot be considered for allotment of land. In view of above, this Court finds no substance in the submissions advanced by the learned Advocate for the petitioner. The petition therefore deserves to be dismissed. The same is accordingly dismissed and disposed off. 10. Rule stands discharged. [AJIT B. KADETHANKAR, J.] [KISHORE C. SANT, J.] D.A.ETHAPE