Maharashtra Leases 1,500 Acres of Land to Nibe Group Without Tender
The rent will rise by 3 per cent every year, while the company will have to pay three years’ rent in advance to the MSFC.
Mumbai:The Maharashtra government has approved the lease of 1,500 acres of land belonging to the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation (MSFC) at Haregaon in Shrirampur taluka of Ahilyanagar district to Mumbai-based Nibe Group Company (Global Defence Industries Ltd) for non-agricultural use. The Revenue Department, headed by Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, issued a government resolution (GR) on Thursday approving the lease.
The land will be allotted directly, without an e-tendering process, at an annual rent of Rs 50,000 per acre. The rent will rise by 3 per cent every year, while the company will have to pay three years’ rent in advance to the MSFC.
The lease has initially been approved for 49 years, with a provision for renewal for another 49 years, subject to compliance with the prescribed conditions and government approval.
The decision has drawn criticism from the Congress. Senior party leader Sachin Sawant condemned the lease, saying it reflected the government's “disdain for the agricultural sector” and was an insult to farmers in Maharashtra.
“Handing over such a large tract of land to a private company without inviting any tender is not merely corruption; it is an open betrayal of the interests of farmers in an agriculture-driven Maharashtra. This decision must be immediately withdrawn. Otherwise, the Congress party will not remain silent and will raise its voice against the decision,” Sawant said.
The decision follows deliberations by a Cabinet sub-committee constituted in January 2026 under the chairmanship of the Revenue Minister, with the Industries and Environment Ministers as members. According to the GR, the sub-committee approved the proposal at its meeting on June 23, 2026. The Revenue Department and MSFC subsequently forwarded the proposal to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also approved the lease, subject to certain conditions.
Officials described the decision as significant, noting that such a large parcel of land had been allotted to a private company without inviting tenders.
According to the GR, the MSFC will initially make around 900 acres available. Land currently under joint cultivation will be handed over to the company after the standing crop is harvested, subject to a decision by the Cabinet sub-committee and approval from the state government.
The government has also exempted the company from paying a security deposit, on the condition that it pays three years’ rent in advance within 15 days of the MSFC issuing its order. The company has also been exempted from obtaining an NOC from the MSFC for permissions required to establish the project.
The GR further states that if the MSFC decides to sell the leased land in future, Nibe Group will be given preference.
Under the conditions of the lease, the company can use the land only for the approved purpose and must commence the sanctioned activity within two years of taking possession. Any transfer, mortgage or creation of an interest in the land will require prior approval from the Revenue Department.
In case of a violation of the conditions, the land can revert to the government, with the company not being entitled to compensation, the GR states.
