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Tahsildar, Hinganghat And Another v. Deorao And Others
Factual and Procedural Background
The respondents were members of the Tas Gram Panchayat, which forms part of the Samudrapur-Kandhli electoral division. Elections to the Panchayat Samiti for that division, under the Maharashtra Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samities Act, 1961, were scheduled for 31 July 1967. Claiming a right to vote by virtue of their panchayat membership, the respondents sought inclusion of their names in the voters’ list. On 12 July 1967, the appellant rejected this request.
The respondents filed a writ petition before the Bombay High Court, which on 28 July 1967 quashed the appellant’s decision and directed that the respondents’ names be added to the voters’ list. The appellant obtained special leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. At the Supreme Court hearing, no one appeared for the respondents and the matter proceeded ex parte. Although over seven years had elapsed and subsequent elections were presumed to have taken place, the Supreme Court proceeded to consider the merits of the appeal.
Legal Issues Presented
- Whether, after the 1966 Gram Panchayat election had been set aside and new members had not assumed office, the respondents' term of office continued by virtue of Section 28(2) of the Bombay Village Panchayats Act, 1958, or had expired under Section 27 of that Act.
- Whether the respondents were consequently entitled to have their names included in the voters’ list for the Panchayat Samiti election scheduled for 31 July 1967.
Arguments of the Parties
The opinion does not contain a detailed account of the parties' legal arguments.
Table of Precedents Cited
No precedents were cited in the provided opinion.
Court's Reasoning and Analysis
The Court compared Sections 27 and 28 of the Bombay Village Panchayats Act, 1958 (“the Act”):
- Section 27(1) sets a four-year term for panchayat members, “save as otherwise provided in this Act.” Section 27(2) allows governmental extension of that term up to five years.
- Section 28(1) states that the term of newly elected members begins on the date of the first meeting of the panchayat, to be convened by the Collector within four weeks of publication of election results.
- Section 28(2) deems the term of outgoing members to extend until the day before such first meeting.
The 1966 panchayat election was set aside by the Civil Judge, Junior Division, Hinganghat, and no first meeting was ever held. The statutory deeming provision in Section 28(2) therefore kept the respondents in office until a valid meeting of newly elected members occurred. This interpretation, consistent with the proviso to Section 28(1) and the phrase “save as otherwise provided” in Section 27(1), prevents any vacancy in panchayat offices.
Because the respondents legally remained members of the panchayat, their exclusion from the voters’ list was based on an erroneous understanding of the law. The High Court’s order directing their inclusion was correct, and the appeal lacked merit even if practical events had since overtaken the controversy.
Holding and Implications
Appeal dismissed.
The Supreme Court affirmed the Bombay High Court’s decision. The ruling confirms that, under Section 28(2) of the Bombay Village Panchayats Act, 1958, the tenure of outgoing panchayat members continues until the day before the first meeting of duly elected successors. The decision primarily affects the parties and clarifies the statutory mechanism for continuity of panchayat membership; no broader precedent was announced.
N.L Untwalia, J.— This is an appeal by special leave from the ludgment and order of the Bombay High Court dated July 28, 1967 allowing a writ application filed by the respondents. Nobody appeared to oppose this appeal on their behalf. Therefore, its hearing proceeded ex parte.
2. The respondents were members of the village panchayat of Village Tas which is included in the electoral division called Samudrapur-Kandhli. New elections for this division for electing members to the Panchayat Samiti in accordance with Maharashtra Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samities Act, 1961 were to be held on July 31, 1967. The respondents claimed that they were members of the village panchayat and were entitled to vote at the election. Their names, therefore, ought to have been included in the list of voters entitled to vote at the election for the Panchayat Samiti. The appellant by taking an erroneous view of the law made an order on July 12, 1967 rejecting the respondents' prayer for inclusion of their names in the voters' list. The High Court has allowed their application, quashed the order of the appellant and directed the inclusion of their names in the list of voters.
3. This appeal has remained pending in this Court for about 7 years and by this time elections must have been held to the Panchayat Samiti or fresh elections must have been held to fill up the office of the members of the village panchayat. Since the other side has not appeared, we could not be sure as to whether this appeal has become infructuous or not. In any event it has to fail as being without any merit.
4. Admittedly, the respondents were members of the Tas Gram Panchayat since the year 1960. Fresh election was held in the Gram Panchayat aforesaid in the year 1966. This election was set aside by the Civil Judge, Junior Division Hinganghat and, therefore, the new members could not take their office. In such a situation the appellant took the view that the term of the office of the respondents had expired under Section 27 of the Bombay Village Panchayats Act, 1958, Bombay Act 3 of 1959 — hereinafter referred to as “the Act”. The High Court has taken the view that the term of the office of the respondents stood extended under sub-section (2) of Section 28 of the Act. In our opinion the High Court is right in its view.
5. Section 27 as stood at the relevant time read as follows:
“27. (1) The members of a panchayat shall, save as otherwise provided in this Act, hold office for a term of four years.
(2) The State Government may, after consulting the Standing Committee by order in writing and for reasons recorded therein, extend the said term for a period not exceeding in the aggregate five years. Any such order shall be notified in such manner as the State Government may approve.”
It would be useful to quote Section 28 also in full:
“28. (1) The term of office of the members elected at a general election including the Chairman or Chairmen of the co-operative society or societies, as the case may be, referred to in clause (a) of sub-section (1) of Section 10 or appointed under sub-section (3) of Section 10 shall be deemed to commence on the date of the first meeting of the panchayat. The first meeting of the panchayat shall be held on a day fixed by the Collector within four weeks from the date on which the names of elected members are published under Section 10:
Provided that, if such day fixed for the first meeting falls prior to the date on which the term of office of the retiring members expires under Section 27 or prior to the expiry of the period for which the panchayat has been superseded under Section 145, the first meeting shall be held on a date not exceeding ten days from such expiry of the term of office of the members or the expiry of the period of supersession.
(2) The term of office of the outgoing members shall be deemed to extend to, and expire with, the day before such meeting.”
It would thus be seen that the scheme of the Act is that ordinarily and generally fresh election for filling up the office of the members of the panchayat should be held before the expiry of their term as provided in sub-section (1) of Section 27 or within the term extended under sub-section (2). The proviso to sub-section (1) of Section 28 also lends support to this view. But the term of office of members under Section 27 in express language is subject to the other provisions of the Act because the expression used in sub-section (1) is “save as otherwise provided in this Act”. The office of the members of the panchayat is not to remain vacant and, therefore, sub-section (2) of Section 28 by a deeming provision extends the term of the office of the outgoing members to the day before the meeting called and held in accordance with sub-section (1). Since the fresh election held in 1966 was set aside and no meeting was held, the term of the office of the respondents, the outgoing members, stood extended and did not expire until the day before the holding of the meeting of the duly elected members.
6. For the reasons stated above, this appeal fails and is dismissed, No order as to costs.
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