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Chandroji Rao v. State Of M.P.

Madhya Pradesh High Court
Aug 12, 1975
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Structured Summary of the Opinion — Col. Sardar Angre

Factual and Procedural Background

The petitioner, Col. Sardar Angre, was a Jagirdar whose jagir was resumed under the Madhya Bharat Abolition of Jagirs Act, 1951. Compensation for the resumption was to be determined under section 8 of that Act and Schedule I (which defines the manner of calculating net income and the compensatory amount, the latter being seven times net income).

Proceedings to determine compensation were conducted by the Jagir Commissioner, who issued an order on 11 January 1958. The petitioner appealed to the Board of Revenue (D. B. Appeal No. 16/1958). That appeal was partly allowed by the Board on 9 November 1960 and the matter was remanded with directions on certain deductions (notably regarding Rs.30,000 on account of Paiga, the Tanka for village Bhaisakhedi and land records management deductions).

The Jagir Commissioner re-determined compensation by order dated 14 December 1962. The State appealed (D. B. Appeal No. 31-1 of 1963) arguing wider grounds; a preliminary objection by the petitioner that a new ground could not be taken was rejected by the Board. The petitioner obtained a High Court order (Division Bench of Dixit C.J. and Pandey J.) holding the new plea barred by constructive res judicata. The State appealed to the Supreme Court (Civil Appeal No. 459 of 1966), which applied section 151 of the M. B. Land Revenue and Tenancy Act to bring the Code of Civil Procedure into play and held that section 11 CPC (res judicata) barred the new plea; the issue regarding the Rs.30,000 deduction was finally concluded.

From the Commissioner’s 14 December 1962 order, the petitioner again appealed to the Board of Revenue (Appeal No. 36-1 of 1963) on two points: (1) whether the Tanka of Rs.21,664 included Rs.534 payable in respect of village Bhaisakhedi; and (2) whether Rs.1,33,897/8/3 could be deducted as charges for management of land records. The Board decided both points against the petitioner by its order dated 22 September 1969.

The petitioner approached the High Court under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution by the present writ petition seeking certiorari to quash the Commissioner’s and Board of Revenue’s orders, and mandamus directing (a) that the State/Commissioner not deduct Rs.1,33,897/8/3 from the compensation, and (b) that compensation be enhanced by Rs.3,738 (being seven times Rs.534, the claimed Tanka for Bhaisakhedi).

Legal Issues Presented

  1. Whether the Tanka of Rs.21,664 taken into account for the basic year included Rs.534 payable in respect of village Bhaisakhedi, and whether compensation should be enhanced by seven times that amount (Rs.3,738).
  2. Whether Rs.1,33,897/8/3 could lawfully be deducted from the petitioner’s compensation as charges for the management of the land records (i.e., whether the fixation and realization of management charges at the percentage prescribed was valid and applicable to this Jagir).
  3. Whether the petitioner is entitled to a writ of certiorari and/or a writ of mandamus to quash the impugned administrative and appellate orders and to direct the State/Commissioner to adjust compensation accordingly.

Arguments of the Parties

Petitioner's Arguments (as advanced by Shri Sapre)

  • First alternative argument: The Tanka figure Rs.21,664 included the Rs.534 Tanka for village Bhaisakhedi, which village had been taken out of the Jagir in 1953 and the Tanka figure (Rs.21,664) reflected a fixation dating back to 1924; therefore that Rs.534 should be deducted from the Tanka and the compensation enhanced by seven times that amount.
  • Second alternative argument: The Commissioner lacked jurisdiction to refuse to reduce the amount of Tanka because the Board of Revenue in D.B. Appeal No.16 of 1958 had given directions that (in the petitioner’s view) required such a reduction.
  • Third alternative argument: A new factual point (that Rs.2,797 on account of mafia had not been deducted when fixing the Tanka of Rs.21,664) should be allowed to be raised now so that that Rs.2,797 be deducted from Rs.21,664 to arrive at the correct Tanka for the basic year.
  • On the second main point (management charges), the petitioner argued that the amount Rs.1,33,897/8/3 could not be deducted as charges for land-records management and that the cost had been fixed arbitrarily. Before the Board the petitioner also contended that the Validation Ordinance and Validation Act were not valid (though that point was not pursued before the High Court except as an assertion of arbitrary fixation).

State / Respondent's Arguments

  • With respect to the Rs.30,000 and related points, the State contended (in the earlier appeal) that although the Board had said Rs.30,000 could not be deducted "as Tanka," that amount could nevertheless be deducted under Item No. 6 of paragraph 4 of Schedule I to the Abolition Act (i.e., as another form of permissible deduction).
  • Before the Board of Revenue on the management charges issue, the State relied on the Jagir Land Records Management Act and on a government memorandum fixing management charges at 10% of the Nikasi (less forest income). The State took the position that once the Government fixed a percentage for management costs, it constituted a permissible "proportionate" realization under sections 3 and 4 of the Management Act, and those costs could be realized uniformly at that percentage from each Jagir.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent Rule or Principle Cited For Application by the Court
Division Bench of this High Court (Dixit C.J. & Pandey J.) — order referred to in the opinion Held that a new plea raised by the State in the subsequent appeal was barred by constructive res judicata. The High Court's earlier Division Bench order was discussed as part of the procedural history and it supported the view that the State's attempt to raise a new ground was barred; the Supreme Court later addressed the legal basis for that conclusion.
Supreme Court — Civil Appeal No. 459 of 1966 (between same parties) Applied section 151 of the M. B. Land Revenue and Tenancy Act to import the Code of Civil Procedure; held that section 11 CPC (res judicata) barred the new plea and that the principle of res judicata applied to achieve finality in litigation. The High Court followed the Supreme Court's reasoning that the State could not raise the new plea; the Supreme Court's decision was treated as finally concluding the question regarding the Rs.30,000 deduction.
Iyyappan v. Dharmodayam Co., AIR 1966 SC 1017 Authority for the proposition that a new point requiring fresh enquiry on facts is not permitted to be raised for the first time in appeal. The Court relied on this authority when addressing the petitioner's attempt to raise a new factual point (the Rs.2,797 mafia deduction) for the first time on appeal and held that such a point could be barred where it would require fresh factual enquiry.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The Court addressed the issues in sequence and applied both factual findings and legal principles as follows.

First Point — Whether Rs.534 for Bhaisakhedi was included in the Tanka of Rs.21,664

  1. The Court explained the role of Tanka in computing net income: net income is obtained by deducting Tanka (among other items) from gross income for the basic year; a reduction in Tanka increases net income and therefore increases compensation (which is seven times net income).
  2. The Commissioner had found as a fact that the Tanka of Rs.21,664 did not include the Tanka for village Bhaisakhedi. The Court treated this as a finding of fact by the Commissioner.
  3. Before the Board of Revenue, counsel for the petitioner (Shri Sapre) had conceded that the Tanka of Rs.21,664 did not include the Bhaisakhedi Tanka. Given that concession and the factual finding by the Commissioner, the Court held that the petitioner's contention lacked substance.
  4. On the jurisdictional point (that the Commissioner should have given effect to the Board's earlier directions), the Court noted that the Board had not given a definitive finding but had observed that the matter required further enquiry; accordingly the Commissioner had jurisdiction to reconsider the point on remand. Thus there was no jurisdictional error in the Commissioner’s re-examination.
  5. On the third limb (the new factual plea that Rs.2,797 should have been deducted), the Court held that the Board correctly refused to permit the petitioner to raise that new point on the ground of constructive res judicata, relying on the Supreme Court decision and the principle (and authority) that a new point requiring fresh factual enquiry is not admissible for the first time on appeal.

Second Point — Deduction of Rs.1,33,897/8/3 as management charges

  1. The Court summarized the statutory framework: the Madhya Bharat Jagir Land Records Management Act No. 25 of 1949 (sections 3 and 4) empowered the Government to manage land records and to realize the costs incurred "in proportion to the land revenue of the Jagirs" as arrears of Tanka, and vested the Government with power to determine the amount and proportion of the cost to be realized.
  2. Administrative action: the State issued a memorandum (2 July 1953) fixing management charges at 10% of the Nikasi of a Jagir (less income from forests). Because the Act required a commencement notification which was not given, the Madhya Pradesh Validation Ordinance/Act (1961) validated the appointments, costs realized and actions taken under the 1949 Act from the date of its publication in the Madhya Bharat Gazette.
  3. The Board of Revenue held that, in light of sections 3 and 4, it was unnecessary for the Government to give detailed calculations in the order; once a percentage (10%) was fixed for all Jagirs, that percentage constituted a permissible "proportionate" realization of management costs within the meaning of the Act.
  4. The High Court agreed with the Board: once the State fixed a percentage rather than individual computed amounts, that percentage fixed the proportionate cost of management; there was no error in the Board's interpretation of "proportionately" or in permitting realization at the flat percentage rate. The petitioner had not established that the fixation or realization amounted to jurisdictional error or an error apparent on the face of the record.

Writ Principles Applied — Certiorari and Mandamus

  • The Court set out the scope of certiorari: it is available for correcting jurisdictional errors (acting without or in excess of jurisdiction), illegal exercise of jurisdiction (e.g., breach of natural justice), or where the order contains an error apparent on the face of the record. The High Court acts in supervisory, not appellate, jurisdiction on certiorari and does not re-weigh evidence.
  • Applying those principles, the Court found no jurisdictional defect, illegality or error apparent on the face of the record in the Commissioner’s or the Board’s orders on the questions before it.
  • On mandamus, the Court reiterated the two conditions: (a) petitioner must show a legal right; (b) there must be a legal duty on the authority to perform. The Court found that the petitioner had not established either condition to justify a mandamus directing enhancement of compensation or forbidding the specified deduction.

Holding and Implications

Holding: The petition is dismissed.

Implications and direct effects:

  • The Court refused to quash the Commissioner’s order dated 14 December 1962 and the Board of Revenue’s order dated 22 September 1969 with respect to the two contested points.
  • The petitioner is not entitled to enhancement of compensation on the ground that Rs.534 (Bhaisakhedi Tanka) was included in the Tanka of Rs.21,664 — the Commissioner’s factual finding to the contrary and the petitioner’s earlier concession foreclosed that claim.
  • The Court upheld the Board’s approach to realizing land-records management charges at the fixed percentage (10% of Nikasi less forest income) as a permissible "proportionate" realization under the Jagir Land Records Management Act; the deduction of Rs.1,33,897/8/3 was not shown to be contrary to jurisdictional limits or to suffer from an apparent error on the face of the record.
  • Costs: The petitioner shall pay Rs.250 as costs to the State Government; that amount shall be realised from the security deposit and any deficit recovered from the petitioner.
  • No novel legal principle or new precedent is set by this decision: the Court applied established doctrines (scope of certiorari and mandamus; res judicata / constructive res judicata principles; and statutory interpretation of the Management Act and its validation) to the facts of this case and dismissed the petition accordingly.

Note: This summary strictly reflects the matters and reasoning contained in the provided opinion and does not add facts or conclusions beyond what the opinion states.

Show all summary ...

Shivdayal J.-

By this petition under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitu­tion, the petitioner Col. Sardar Angre, has sought a writ of certiorari to quash the order of the Commissioner dated December 14, 1962. and the order of the Board of Revenue, dated September 22, 1969vand a writ of mandamus directing the State of Madhya Pradesh and the Commissioner not to deduct the amount Rs.1,33,897/8/3 from the amount of compensation payable to him under the M. B. Abolition of Jagirs Act, 1951, and to enhance the compensation to the extent of Rs.3738 (being 7 times of Rs.534 representing the Tanka of village Bhaisakhedi).

2. The petitioner Col. Sardar Angre was a Jagirdar of Tahsil Nervi Bhorasa and Panbihar in the erstwhile Gwalior State. In 1948, by merger of several princely States, a new State of Madhya Bharat was constituted. Under the Madhya Bharat Abolition of Jagirs Act, 1951, (hereinafter referred to as the Abolition Act), the petitioner's Jagir was resumed on December 4, 1952, under section 3 of the Act, by the State of Madhya Bharat Section 4 of the Act enacts the consequences of the resumption. Section 8 of the Act provides for determination of compensation to be paid to Jagirdars in consequence of the resumption. Accordingly, proceedings were taken for the determination of the compensation payable to the petitioner. The manner of determining com­pensation is provided in Schedule I to the act. clause (i) of the schedule defines 'basic year' clause (2) defines 'gross income'; clause (3) defines 'basic income'; clause (4) defines 'net income' and clause (5), which defines 'compensatory amount' reads thus:-

"The compensation payable under section 8 to a Jagirdar shall be seven times his net income calculated in accordance with the provisions hereinbefore contained."

3. By his order dated January 11, 1958, the Commissioner determined the compensation payable to the petitioner. Aggrieved by that order, the petitioner preferred an appeal to the Board of Revenue. That appeal (D. B. Appeal No. 16/1958) which was decided on November 9. 1960, was partly allowed. The case was remanded to the Jagir Commissioner with certain directions, holding that (1) Rs.30.000 on account of Paige shall not be deduct­ed as Tonka (per discussion in para 12): (2) proportionate amount of Tanka for village Bhaisalchedi shall not be deducted as discussed in para: 13 (a), and (3) no deduction shall be made on account of land records management (as discussed in para. 16).

4. The Jagir Commissioner, by his order dated December 14, 1962, re-determined the amount of compensation. Regarding the question of Paiga, the Commissioner gave effect to the aforesaid decision of the Board of Revenue and did not deduct Rs.30,000. The State preferred an appeal to the Board of Revenue (D. B. Appeal No. 31-1 of 1963) contending that in the earlier decision of the Board of Revenue (dated November 9, 1960), all that was held was that Rs.30.000 could not be deducted "as Tanka," but the Commissioner should have held that that amount could be deducted under Item No. 6 of paragraph 4 of Schedule I to the Act. A preliminary objection was raised by Sardar Angre that a new ground could not be taken in that subsequent appeal before the Board of Revenue inasmuch as it was barred as constructiveness judicata. That preliminary objection was rejected by the Board. Sardar Angre filed a writ petition in this Court (Misc. Petition No. 307 of 1963). A Division Bench con­sisting of Dixit C. J., and Pandey J., held that the new plea raised by the State Government m the subsequent appeal (Info. 31-1 of 1963);was barred by cons­tructive res judicata, as it had not been raised in the earlier appeal (No. 16 of 1958). Aggrieved by that order of the High Court, the Stats preferred an appeal to the Supreme Court (Civil Appeal No. 459 of 1966). It was held by the Supreme Court that by virtue of section 151 of the M. B. Land Revenue and Tenancy Act, the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure applied, so that under section 11 of the Code, a new plea was barred on the principle of cons­tructive res judicata. It was further held that even if section 11 of the Code'did not in terms apply, the principle of res judicata would certainly be applicable for the purpose of achieving finality in the litigation. Thus the question of the amount of Rs.30,000 finally came to an end.

5. From the decision of the Commissioner dated December 14, 1962, Sardar Angre also preferred an appeal (No. 36-1 of 1963) to the Board of Revenue on two points.

First Point:-The Commissioner was in error in holding that the Tanka of Rs.21,664 did not include the amount of Tanka pertaining to village Bhaisakhedi.

Second Point:- The Jagir Commissioner erred in deducting Rs.1,33,897/8/3 on account of the charges for the management of the land records.

6. The Board of Revenue decided both these point against the petitioner and dismissed the appeal by its order dated September 22, 1969, aggrieved by which he has invoked the jurisdiction of this Court under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution by this petition. In this petition, the same two points have been canvassed.

FIRST POINT

7. Shri Sapre, learned counsel for the petitioner, has advanced three alternative arguments before us. His first contention is that the Tanka of Rs.21,664 included the Tanka of Rs.534 payable in respect of Bhaisakhedi and that village was taken out from the Jagir in the year 1953, and the Tanka of Rs.21,654 was fixed as back as in the year 1924, at the time of mutation of the petitioner.

8. It may now be mentioned that Tanka means the amount payable by a Jagirdar to the State. In determining compensation, net income is arrived at by deducting from the gross income the Tanka payable by the Jagirdar to the State Government for the basic year, besides some other items enumerated in paragraph 4 of the first schedule. Thus, if the amount of Tanka is reduced, the net income increases and consequently the amount of compensation also increases.

9. It was contended by the learned counsel for the petitioner that out of Rs.21,664 Rs.534 had to be deducted so that the amount of compensation had to be enhanced to the extent of 7 times of Rs.534. The Commissioner was patently in error when he held that this amount was not included in the Tanka amount of Rs.21, 664.

10. A notice dated October 14, 1957, was issued by the Commissioner Land Reforms and Jagirs, Madhya Bharat, to the petitioner calling upon him to file objections, if any, October 25, 1-957. At item No. 13, the amount of Tanka has been shown as Rs.51664, which,comprises of Rs.30,000 in lieu of Palga and Rs.21,664 in respect of the Jagir. Although Sardar Angre did not file any objection at that time, the Board of Revenue, in its order in D.B. Appeal No. 16 of 1958, considered the objection and held that the amount of Tanka for village Bhaisakhedi could not be deducted.

11. However, there is no substance in Shri Sapre's contention. The learned Commissioner found as a fact that in the Tanka of Rs.21,664 was not included the Tanka of village Bhaisakhedi. This is a rending of fact. Moreover, the amount of Tanka, which is to be taken into consideration, is that amount of Tanka which was payable by the Jagirdar in the basic year (1951-52) and in the basic year, the amount of Tanka payable by the petitioner was Rs.21,664 Furthermore, before the Board of Revenue, Sheri Sapre conceded that in the Tanka of Rs.21,664, the Tanka for village Bhaisakhedi wads not included.

12. The second limb of the argument is that the Commissioner had no jurisdiction to refuse to reduce the amount of Tanka, when the Board of in D.B. Appeal No. 16 of 1958 gave specific directions in that behalf. Clearly, this contention is without substance. The Board of Revenue did not give any definite finding but merely said that the amount of Tanka for village Bhaisakhedi was not to be deducted and observed that the matter needed further enquiry. The Commissioner had, therefore, jurisdiction to go into that ques­tion afresh. Moreover, once it was conceded before the Board of Revenue that the Tanka of Rs.21,664 did not include the Tanka payable for village Bhaisakhedi, the objection before us is without meaning.

13. The third argument advanced before us by Shri Sapre is the same which was endeavoured to be taken for the first time before the Board of Revenue in Appeal No. 36-1 of 1963. It was a new point. It was this. The amount of Tanka of Rs.21,664 was not fixed after deducting the amount of Rs.2,797 on account of mafia and this amount should now be deducted from the total Tanka of Rs.21,664, in order to arrive at the correct amount of Tanka for the basic year. The Board of Revenue did not permit the petitioner to raise this objection on the ground that it was constructive res judicata. The Board relied on the above-mentioned decision of the Supreme Court, which was rendered between the same parties in a matter arising from this very case.

14. Shri Sapre contends that his application for amendment ought to have been allowed. In the first place, a new point is not allowed to be raised for the first-time in appeal when it will require a fresh enquiry on a question of fact. See lyyappan v. Dharmodayam Co. AIR 1966 S C1017. Besides, the Board of Revenue has rightly held, on the principles laid down by their Lordships, that the petitioner was debarred, on the principles of constructive res judicata, from raising the new plea. We would add further that in the relief clause in this petition, what has been claimed is enhancement of compensation "to the extent of 7 times the amount of Rs.534 representing the Tanka of village Bhaisakhedi". There­fore, the petitioner has really confined the first point to the Tanka payable for village Bhaisakhedi.

SECOND POINT:-

15. Learned counsel for the petitioner urges that the amount of Rs.1,33,897/8/3 could not be deducted as charges for the management of land records.

16. The State of Madhya Bharat had taken over the management of the land records of the Jagirs. Necessary expenditure was to be realised from the Jagirdars. For that purpose, the Madhya Bharat Jagir Land Records Management Ordinance, Samvat 2005, was promulgated. It was replaced by Jagir Land Records Management Act No. 25 of 1949. Sections 3 and 4 enacted as following: -

“Management of the Land Records of Jagirs and the apponintment of village Patwari by the Government. - Notwithstanding anything contained in any Act,, Regulation or Rule in force in any covenanting state of the United State, the preparation of papers of Land Records of all the Jagirs within the United State, and the management of establishing an office for it and the appointment of the village Patwari shall be done by the Government and cost, which will be incurred by the Government in all this management shall in pro­portion to the land revenue of the Jagirs, be realised from them as arrears of Tanka.

4. Power of Government to determine the amount and proportion of the cost to be realized. The power to determine the amount and the proportion of the cost to be realised under the foregoing section shall vest in the Government."

In accordance with the above sections, the State Government, in the revenue department, issued a memorandum dated July 2, 1953, (Annexure VI) whereby the management charges were fixed at 10 per cent of the Nikasi of a Jagir, less the income from the forest. However, section 1 of the Act provided that it would come into force from a date to be notified by the Government. Since no date was actually notified, the Madhya Pradesh Jagir Land Records Manage­ment (Validation) Ordinance No. 1 of 1961, was promulgated, which was subse­quently replaced by act no. 6 of 1961. It was thus that the aforesaid act 25 of 1949 was brought into force from the date of its publication in the Madhya Bharat Gazette and all appointments made, costs realised and other things done or actions taken under that Act were validated.

17. Before the Board of Revenue, the petitioner contended that the Validation Ordinance and the Validation Act themselves were not valid. But that point has not been canvassed before us, except that the cost of manage­ment has been fixed arbitrarily. The Board has held that by virtue of sections 3 and 4 of the Act, it was not necessary for the Government to give details of the calculations in the order and if the cost of management was fixed at 10 per cent of the Nikasi of all the Jagirs, it could order realisation of the dues at 10 per cent from each Jagir. That is how the Board of Revenue interpreted the word "proportionately". We do not see any error in it. Once a percentage is fixed instead of the actual amount, it necessarily fixes the proportionate cost of management within the meaning of section 3.

18. Certiorari is issued (1) for correcting errors of jurisdiction, i.e., when an inferior Court or Tribunal acts without jurisdiction or in excess of it or refuses to exercise it; or (2) when the Court or Tribunal acts illegally in the exercise of its undoubted jurisdiction, e. g., when it decides without giving opportunity to the parties to the heard, or when the Court or Tribunal violates the principles of natural justice; or (3) when the order of the inferior tribunal is shown to suffer from an error which is apparent on the face of the record. The High Court in issuing a writ of certiorari acts in exercise of supervisory and not appellate jurisdiction. The right Court does not review or reweigh the evidence upon which the determination of the inferior Tribunal purports to be based. The Court demolishes the order which it considers to be without jurisdiction or palpably erroneous; but does not substitute its own view for those of the inferior Tribunal. What is done by certiorari is that the offending order or proceeding is put out of the way as one which should be used to the detri­ment of any person. In the present case, the petitioner has not been able to make out any case of defect of jurisdiction, nor is there any error apparent on the face of the record.

19. The high prerogative writ of mandamus is issued when there is a specific legal right but no specific legal remedy for enforcing such right. Two conditions must be satisfied for issuance of a mandamus. The petitioner must show that he has a legal right to the performance of a legal duty by him against whom mandamus is sought. Secondly there must be a legal duty incumbent on the officer or authority in his public character. Here on neither of the two points has the petitioner made out a mandamus to direct the state Government to enhance the petitioner's compensation.

20. The petition is dismissed. The petitioner shall pay Rs. 250 as costs to the state Government to be realised from the security deposit and the deficit, if any shall be recovered from the petitioner.