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1983 Supreme(AP) 221

Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : P.A.CHOUDHARY
Peddi Sambaiah - Appellant
Versus
Principal Subordinate Judges Court, Guntur - Respondent
Decided On : 06-23-83

The provisions of Chapter III of the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1966 prevail over the provisions of any scheme framed under section 92 of the Civil Procedure Code.

Headnote:

CHARITABLE TRUST - APPOINTMENT OF TRUSTEES - SCHEME FRAMED UNDER SECTION 92 OF THE CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE - SUPERSESSION BY THE ANDHRA PRADESH CHARITABLE AND HINDU RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND ENDOWMENTS ACT, 1966 - JURISDICTION OF THE COURT TO APPOINT TRUSTEES - SECTION 36 OF THE ACT.

Fact of the Case:

A scheme framed in 1956 under section 92 of the Civil Procedure Code provided for the appointment of non-hereditary trustees for a charitable institution by the Subordinate Judge, Guntur. In 1980, the Subordinate Judge appointed two non-hereditary trustees. A writ petition was filed challenging the appointments on the ground that the Subordinate Judge had no jurisdiction to make the appointments in view of the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1966.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the provisions of Chapter III of the Act, which deal with the appointment of trustees, prevail over the provisions of any scheme framed under section 92 of the Civil Procedure Code. Therefore, the Subordinate Judge had no jurisdiction to appoint the non-hereditary trustees.

Issues: Whether the provisions of Chapter III of the Andhra Pradesh Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1966 prevail over the provisions of a scheme framed under section 92 of the Civil Procedure Code.

Ratio Decidendi: Section 36(1) of the Act provides that "notwithstanding any scheme judgment decree or order of a Court, tribunal or other authority or any custom or usage, governing any charitable or seligious institution or endowment, the provision of this Chapter shall with effect on and from the date of the commencement of this Act, prevail in so far as they relate to the matters governed by the corresponding provisions in any such scheme judgment decree or order or any custom or usage and such corresponding provisions shall thereafter have no effect."

Final Decision: The court allowed the writ petition and set aside the appointments of the non-hereditary trustees made by the Subordinate Judge.

( 1 ) A scheme framed in the year 1956 under section 92 of the Civil Procedure code in O. S. No. 9 of 1953 on the file of the Additional Subordinate Judge, Gunture for a charitable institution called Peddivani tank", situate at Uppalapadu Village guntur Taluk, provided for the appointment of two non-hereditary trustees for a term of five years by the learned Subordinate Judge, guntur. This is in addition to the three hereditary trustees. All these years the scheme has been in force and in operation; now currently the learned Subordinate jadge had called for applications for filing the posts of two vacancies in the office of non-hereditary trustees. In response thereto, certain persons had applied to be appointed as non-hereditary trustees, making the choice of some and rejection of others inevitable. In I. A. No. 303i of 1980 in o. S No. 9 of 1958 the learned Subordinate judge had appointed respondents 2 and 3 herein viz. , Pothineni Sambasivarao and Peddi Satyauarayana, as non hereditary trustees. This writ petition has been filed challenging that order of the learned subordinate Judge, Guntur.

( 2 ) THE applicant before me is the person who filed the scheme suit O. S. No. 9 of 1953 on the file of the Additional Subordinate judge, Guntur. Obviously, he is the person whose interest in the management of the suit charitable institution is well above the ordinary. The trustees manage about ac. 20 00 of wet land in addition to a fairly big tank spread over to 12 acres. The petitioner is not therefore without legitimate interest in the good management of the Trust. It is not denied that under the above scheme framed in O. S. No. 9 of 1953 it was provided that non-hereditary trustees should be appointed by the learned Subordinate Judge, guntur; nor is it suggested before me that the appointments made by the learned Subordinate Judge were impeachable on their own merits. The entire argument of the learned Counsel for the writ petitioner is tut the learned Subordinate Judge in calling for the applications and appointing respondents 2 and 3 as non-hereditary trustees, had acted without jurisdiction. Want of jurisdiction is the staple dict of a writ argument and requires serious consideration of writ Court. It is argued that by reason of Chapter III of the Andhra Pradesh charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1966 (hereinafter called as "the Act") the matter of appointments of trustees is provided for by section 15 of the Act and that thereafter notwithstanding the fact that a scheme had been prepared and approved by the court under section 92 of the Civil Procedure providing for the appointment of trustees by the learned Subordinate Judge, the appropriate departmental authorities mentioned in Chapter III of the Act alone should appoint the trustees. In support of the argument advanced by Mr. Narayanarao, the learned Counsel for the petitioner and strongly supported by Mr, Suryanarayana murthy, the learned Counsel for the Department, reliance has been placed upon the language of section 36 of the Act. Section 36, Clause (1) of the Act reads thus :-"notwithstanding any scheme judgment decree or order of a Court, tribunal or other authority or any custom or usage, governing any charitable or seligious institution or endowment, the provision of this Chapter shall with effect on and from the date of the commencement of this Act, prevail in so far as they relate to the matters governed by the corresponding provisions in any such scheme judgment decree or order or any custom or usage and such corresponding provisions shall thereafter have no effect. "the clear meaning of section 36 Clause 1 is that where Chapter III deals with a matter notwithstanding the fact that matter has been dealt with by the scheme judgment, decree, order of a Court, the provisions of chapter III should alone be given effect to even to the extent of supersession of the corresponding provisions in the scheme. Now, under the scheme above-mentione

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