Maharashtra govt. orders probe into land transfer to Premier Automobiles over six decades ago
The Maharashtra government has launched an investigation into the transfer of 175 acres of land originally allotted to Premier Automobiles in the 1960s. The probe focuses on whether land intended for industrial use was improperly converted into premium real estate by various developers.
Why it matters
This investigation highlights potential corruption and regulatory failures in land use policy, impacting major real estate developers and the state's industrial history.
An investigation has been ordered into the allotment of about 175 acres land by Maharashtra government to Premier Automobile Ltd (Now renamed Premier Ltd) more than six decades ago and the subsequent transfer of land parcels by the company to real estate developers and other entities.
Premier Automobiles was synonymous with the iconic Fiat 1100 D, the Premier Padmini car as well as Premier 118NE.
Following allegations of cattle-grazing land allotted for industrial purpose in 1960s turning into premium real estate in alleged land use violation, the Maharashtra Revenue Department has constituted a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by the Konkan Divisional Commissioner, to examine the alleged transfer of government-owned grazing land in Kalyan taluka, Thane district near Mumbai.
The government order, issued on September 4, follows directions given at a meeting chaired by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on August 19, 2026.
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