Superstar Amitabh Bachchan [Images] decided on Thursday night to surrender -- free of cost -- the acquired agricultural land in Pune disitrict of Maharashtra to its original owners.

Maharashtra Revenue Minister Narayan Rane told reporters that the Pune division commissioner had received a letter from Bachchan in this regard.

"Pune divisional commissioner received the letter from Bachchan on Thursday, in which the actor said he wanted the land to be given back to the original owner free of cost," Rane said.

Earlier, Rane had told the state assembly that the registration of the land purchased by the actor in the Maval teshil of Pune district was deemed legal on the basis of a certificate given by district Collector of Barabanki to the effect that Bachchan owned agricultural land since 1982, that gave him the status of a farmer.

Reports had stated that Bachchan had last week donated the land in Daulatpur to the gram sabha and has since informed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati of his decision.

The Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh had questioned allotment of land to Bachchan in Barabanki, but the
cinestar got a breather when the Allahabad High Court stayed the deal.

Pune Divisional Commissioner Nitin Kareer said his office has received a two-page letter from Bachchan at about 1400 hours in which he has expressed his desire to donate the agricultural land he has bought in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh to the Gram Sabha there and the land in Maval taluka to the 'original farmers'.

"Because the letter is not a registered document, we would have to follow certain procedures like calling for say of different parties etc to give effect to his wish," the Divisional Commissioner said.

Bachchan claimed to be an agriculturalist in Uttar Pradesh to buy 20 acres of farmland at Pale village in Maval taluka in 2000.

Under the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1948, no person can purchase agricultural land in Maharashtra if he is not a farmer.

Subsequent to a question mark over Bachchan's purchase of farmland in Uttar Pradesh, its effect was felt in Pune too with the demand being made for probe into the genunity of his claim of being a farmer.

Large tracts of land in Maval and Mulshi talukas of Pune, located on the National Highway and having a plethora of small dams, are much sought after for various reasons.

The state government had acquired the land from farmers in Pale village to build a small dam.

Some tract of the same land later changed hands and was finally bought over by Bachchan claiming to be a farmer from UP to meet one of the requrements of Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act.

The Bollywood actor now wants the state government to donate the land to the original farmers from whom it had acquired to build the dam, the Divisional Commissioner said.

As far as the land in Barabanki was concerned, he wanted it to be donated to the gram sabha there for constructing a school.