2015 Supreme(Kar) 253
HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
K.L. Manjunath & Raghvendra S. Chauhan, JJ.
Muniraju and Others – Appellants
Versus
State of Karnataka and Others – Respondents
Writ Appeal Nos. 4127 to 4134 of 2013
Decided On : 18.3.2015
Advocate Appeared:
For Appellant/Petitioner/Plaintiff:Narayanappa P., Advocate.
For Respondents/Defendant:R.B. Sathyanarayana Singh, High Court Government Pleader and Siddartha H.M., Advocate.
Headnote:KARNATAKA SCHEDULED CASTES & SCHEDULED TRIBES (PROHIBITION OF TRANSFER OF CERTAIN LANDS) ACT, 1978 - Sections 1 & 4: [K.L. Manjunath & Raghavendra S. Chauhan, JJ] Applicability of Act - Act is not applicable to lease of land under Grow More Food Scheme and subsequently confirmed.
K.L. Manjunath, J.
1. Though the matter is listed for preliminary hearing, by consent of parties, the matter is taken up for hearing. The concurrent findings of the order passed by the learned Single Judge in W.P. No. 23239 of 2012 and other connected matters dated 6-9-2012 wherein, the learned Single Judge has confirmed the order passed by the Assistant Commissioner, Bangalore Sub-Division, dated 21-1-2008 in Case No. KSC. ST. 81:2006-07 which has been upheld by the Deputy Commissioner, Bangalore, in Case No. SC. ST. (A) 101/2008-09, dated 2-12-2011.
2. The facts in these appeals are hereunder:
The appellants are claiming to be the legal heirs of one Marappa. It is the specific case of the appellants that the aforesaid Marappa was granted 4.00 acres of land in Survey No. 54/2-P1 situate at Sathanur Village, Jala Hobli, Bangalore North Taluk. The aforesaid land was granted to Marappa under scheme known as "Grow More Food Scheme" (for short, the GMF Scheme). It was given on temporary lease to enable the farmers to cultivate more food as per the GMF Scheme. For first year, the lessee need not pay the assessment, but for the next year, he has to pay half of the assessment. The scheme also envisages the lessee to buy the land for an upset price. The Marappa, had taken the land on lease as scheduled caste person.
3. The land was granted under the GMF Scheme on 4-3-1943 under a provisional grant and thereafter, same has been sold to Marappa in the year 1960.
4. Under registered sale deed dated 16-1-1964, the land was sold to Dasappa, son of Venkataramanappa by Shambaiah who was the son of original grantee and the appellants are the legal heirs of Shambaiah. Dasappa, in turn has sold the property to one Kempaiah, the father of respondents 4 to 7.
5. Relying upon the provision of the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act, 1978 (for short, the TTCL Act), Shambaiah filed an application before the Assistant Commissioner, Bangalore Sub-Division for cancellation of sale deed executed by him in favour of Dasappa on the ground that sale made by him was contrary to the provisions of the PTCL Act. The case was contested by respondents 4 to 7 on the ground that the PTCL Act is not applicable for the fact of this case since the land was granted to father of Shambaiah under the GMF Scheme. Therefore, it cannot be the granted land to Scheduled Castes/Schedule Tribes in order to pass an order of resumption.
6. By order dated 27-6-2005, the Assistant Commissioner allowed the application holding that the land was granted to Marappa. Aggrieved by the same, respondents 4 to 7 filed an appeal before the Special Deputy Commissioner, Bangalore in Case No. SC. ST (A) 58/2005-06. The Special Deputy Commissioner after hearing the parties allowed the appeal and set aside the order passed by the Assistant Commissioner on the ground that the land was granted under the GMF Scheme, initially a temporary lease was granted in 1941-1942 and the same was confirmed in 1955-1956 and the Special Deputy Commissioner came to a conclusion that when land was not granted to Marappa considering him as an Scheduled Caste person and that the PTCL Act is not applicable to the case. Accordingly, by order dated 11-10-2006, he set aside the order passed by the Assistant Commissioner. Aggrieved by the same, the appellants filed W.P. No. 23239 of 2012 and other connected matters, four years after the orders passed by the Special Deputy Commissioner. The learned Single Judge having heard the cases and following the judgment of this Court in Pedda Reddy vs. State of Karnataka and Others, 1993 (1) Kar. L.J. 328 (DB) : ILR 1993 Kar. 551 (DB), came to a conclusion that the land was granted considering him as an Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe and it was not granted to such a person on an upset price or free grant and the provision of the PTCL Act is not applicable. Accordingly, he dismissed the writ petitions on 6-9-2012.
7. Being ag