SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
R.M. SAHAI AND N.P. SINGH, JJ.
Pt. Chet Ram Vashist (dead) by L.Rs., Appellant
Versus
Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Respondent.
Civil Appeal No. 319 of 1976
Decided on 26-10-1994.
Advocates appeared
Mr. R. F. Nariman, Sr. Advocate and Mr. S. S. Jauhar, Advocate with him, for Appellant; Mr. Ranjit Kumar and Ms. Binu Tamta, Advocates, for Respondent.
B.S.A. No. 38 of 1969, Dated 7-5-1975 (Delhi).
Constitution Of India,1950 - Article 31 - Payment of compensation - Corporation to claim - Supply of water to colony therefore decided to connect his colony with municipal water main- After providing services to colony he applied to Corporation for removing restrictions from building activities in colony- He wanted to sell plots- Permission was also sought from Corporation for his purchasers to build- In course of these preparations original plan had to be changed at places- Therefore an adjustment plan was submitted showing latest position of plots and roads etc died in After his death his son wrote to Corporation for removal of restrictions- On Town Planner of Corporation informed appellant that area of two plots originally earmarked for will have to be used as an open park- Standing Committee of Corporation met for consideration of appellants application for removing restriction on building activities- They passed following resolutions –Held, Corporation to claim that land so should be transferred to authority free of cost- That is not made out from any provision in Act or any principle of law- Corporation by virtue of land specified as open space may get a right as a custodian of public interest to manage it in interest of society in general- But right to manage as a local body is not same thing as to claim transfer of property to itself- effect of transfer of property is that transferor ceases to be owner of it and ownership stands transferred in person in whose it transferred- resolution of Committee to transfer land colony for parks and school was an order for transfer without there being any sanction for same in law Court and appellate Court and restore that of trial Court or we may alter order passed by Courts below so as to do substantial justice- We have opted for latter course for reasons to be mentioned hereinafter- appellant plan was sanctioned subject to conditions imposed by Corporation- He did not raise any objection immediately and appears to have proceeded to sell and transfer land- suit was filed after nearly one year sanction- Corporation has been exercising right over land in dispute as transferor since then for nearly a quarter of Century-In these circumstances interfering with order of High Court would be setting at naught settled state of affairs- It was also stated by learned counsel for respondent appellant has no land or house in locality - Order accordingly
JUDGMENT
R. M. SAHAI, J.:- The question of law that arises for consideration in this appeal is whether the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (herinafter referred to as the Corporation) in absence of any provision in the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 (hereinafter referred to as the Act) was entitled to sanction the plan for building activities with condition that the open space for parks and schools be transferred to the Corporation free of cost.
2. Facts inbrief are that one Pt. Amin Chand was owner of a colony named Ganga Ram Vatika situated on Najafgarh Road, Village Chaukhandi, near Tilak Nagar, New Delhi. In 1957 he submitted a layout plan of the colony to the Delhi Development Provisional Authority. It was rejected. The Town Planning Organisation of the Corporation sent him a copy of the revised lay out plan and intimated him that if he submitted the plan as proposed by them they might consider his request, Amin Chand therefore, submitted fresh proposal in accordance with proposed lay out plan in September 1958. In the plan it was proposed to divide the colony into 98 residential plots and 7 shops plots. Some open space was reserved for children park. The plan was approved by the Corporation. It passed a resolution in December 1958 approving the plan. In the plan the water supply to the colony was proposed to be supplied by tube well as an interim arrangement till the municipal supply of water reached the colony. It was proposed to install tube wells in the two plots measuring 100 x 80 ft. These two plots Nos. 1and 2 were set apart for this purpose. Later on since municipal water supply main reached Tilak Nagar there was no necessity of installing any tube well for the supply of water to the colony. Amin Chand, therefore, decided to connect his colony with the municipal water main. After providing services to the colony he applied to the Corporation for removing restrictions from building activities in the colony. He wanted to sell the plots. Permission was also sought from the Corporation for his purchasers to build. In course of these preparations the original plan had to be changed at places. Therefore, an adjustment plan was submitted showing the latest position of the plots and the roads etc. Amin Chand died in June 1962.After his death his son wrote to the Corporation for removal of restrictions. On November 20, 1963 the Town Planner of the Corporation informed the appellant that the area of the two plots originally earmarked for tubewell will have to be used as an open park. The Standing Committee of the Corporation met in November 1964 for consideration of the appellants application for removing restriction on building activities. They passed the following resolutions:
"Resolved that building activity in those parts of Ganga Ram Vatika be allowed were the services have already been completed subject to the condition that the open spaces for parks and schools be transferred to the Corporation free of cost."
On coming to know of this in November 1965 the appellant filed a suit for declaration and mandatory injunction in the court of the subordinate Judge. The main grievance was against the condition in respect to transfer of the open space for parks and schools. The Trial Court held that the condition relating to reservation of the two plots for the purpose of an open park was valid. But the condition relating to transfer of the sites reserved for schools and parks to the Corporation free of cost was invalid. Both parties went in to appeal. The appeal of the Corporation was dismissed. The Appellate Court set aside the judgment and decree of the trial court to the extent it dismissed the suit of the appellant in respect of the declaration and injunction reliefs with respect to the condition calling upon him to leave as green park the area shown as two residential plots in the revised lay out plans but held that the appellant had no cause of action and the trial court should have rejected the plaint as the Standing
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