Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : K.A.SWAMI, K.RAMASWAMY
Bhavanarayana Swamy Temple, Ponnur - Appellant
Versus
Chintalapudi Rudraiah - Respondent
Decided On : 10-17-85
INAM - SERVICE - ABOLITION OF INAMS - CONVERSION INTO RYOTWARI TENURE - GRANT OF RYOTWARI PATTA - EFFECT - LIABILITY TO RENDER SERVICE - ANDHRA PRADESH (ANDHRA AREA) INAMS (ABOLITION AND CONVERSION INTO RYOTWARI) ACT, 1956 (ACT XXXVII OF 1956) - SECTION 4.
Fact of the Case:
The appellant, a temple, filed a suit against the respondent, the holder of a minor inam burdened with service, seeking a direction to render "piper service" or, in the alternative, a decree for Rs. 300/- being the value of baka service rendered by a third party. The trial court decreed the suit without a charge, but on appeal, it was dismissed. The appellant challenged the dismissal of the suit.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the grant of ryotwari patta under Section 4 of the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Inams (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1956 (Act XXXVII of 1956) extinguished the pre-existing vestige of obligation to render service running with the land and relieved the holder of the land therefrom. The court found that the Act intended to confer absolute heritable rights to ownership on the holder of the minor inam and that subjecting the holder to the insecurity of rendering service would be contrary to this intent.
Issues: 1. Whether the holder of a minor inam burdened with service is still liable to render service to the temple even after the abolition of the inams and conversion into ryotwari tenure and grant of a patta in respect thereof? 2. Whether the grant of ryotwari patta under Section 4 of the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Inams (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1956 (Act XXXVII of 1956) relieves the holder of the inam from the obligation to render service?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The object of the Act is to convert minor inams into ryotwari tenure and to confer ryotwari pattas on the inamdars or tenants in occupation thereof. 2. The grant of ryotwari patta under Section 4 of the Act abolishes the inam and converts it into ryotwari tenure. 3. The holder of the ryotwari patta becomes the absolute owner of the land with heritable rights. 4. The holder of the ryotwari patta is liable to pay only the ryotwari assessment and other amounts to the State. 5. The Act intended to extinguish the pre-existing vestige of obligation to render service running with the land and to relieve the holder of the land therefrom.
Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed, and each party was directed to bear its own costs.
( 1 ) THIS appeal of the unsuccessful plaintiff has been referred by our learned brother rtamanujulu ISIaidu, J. for an authority to pronouncement by a division Bench since the question raised is of far reaching consequence. The point in issue is whether the holder of a minor inam burdened with service is still liable to render service to the temple even after the abolition of the inams and conversion into ryotwari tenure and grant of a patta in respect thereof? The appellant laid the suit to direct the respondent to render "piper service" in the appellant-Temple either by himself or his deputy as per the established usage and custom or in the ajternative for a decree of Rs 300/~ being the value of baka service got rendered by third party with a change on the plaint schedule property. Tne trial Court decreed the suit without a charge, but on appeal it was met with dismissal. Thus the second appeal.
( 2 ) THE brief undisputed facts are that the 1st defendant, Ch Surya basavalingaiah, and his ancestors are hereditory piper servicedars of the appellant. The plaint schedule Ac. 5-08 cents jnam lands was granted to the 1st defendant s ancestor burdened with rendering piper service. In title deed no 171, the Inam Commissioner confirmed the inam in the name of the ancestor of the 1st defendant. They were rendering piper service till ryotwari patta under Ex A. 10 (=ex B. 8), dated august 5, 1961 was granted by the Inam deputy Tahsildar Ponnur under Section 4 of the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) inams (Abolition and Conversion into ryotwari) Act, 1956 (Act No XXXVII of 1956) (for short the Act ). The deceased first defendant gifted over the plaint schedule property to the respondent (the 2nd defendant) under a gift deed, Ex. B6, dated October 29, 1959.
( 3 ) THE appellant claims that as per the conditions of the original grant and as per the custom and usage the respondent is liable to render piper service to the appellant so long as he enjoys the plaint schedule property. The grant of ryotwari patta -is only for conversion of the inams tenure into ryotwari. The levy of full assessment does not relieve the respondent of his duty to render the hereditary piper service to the appellant, but he committed breach thereof It is in violation of the grant. The conversion into ryotwari tenure does not amount to resumption or regrant with full ownership rights of the plaint schedule property bereft of doing here ditary piper service. Since the enjoyment of the land is burdened with service, it is a charge on the plaint schedule property and continues to remain the same. The grant of ryotwari patta under the act is also subject to the burden of rendering service. The Act did not relieve the respondent and his predecessor of the obligation to render piper service. Consequent upon the non-performance of the piper service in the temple by the respondent, the appellant is driven to engage third parties and is obliged to incur the expenditure at Rs 300/- per year in that regard. The rendering of piper service is covenant running with the [and. Therefore, if the respondent or his deputy fails to perform the duty, he is liable to reimburse the expenditure incurred in this regard with a charge on the suit land.
( 4 ) IT was resisted by the respondent pleading inter alia that the plaint schedule property, though is a personal grant burdened with rendering piper service to the appellant on festive occasions, is not a conditional grant. The respondent and his predecessor were doing service as long as the inams continued. After the Act came into force and on the grant of the ryotwari patta under Ex. A10/ex B8, dated August 5, 1961, the inam stood abolished and it was converted into ryotwari land; full assessment was levied on the plaint schedule property and the Government have been collecting land revenue from the respondent. Since the inam was abolished, he and his- predecessor were relieved of the obligation to render piper service. Ther
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.