IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
G.G. Loney, J.
Controller of Aerodrome, Nagpur Airport, Nagpur.... Applicant.
Versus
Homi D. Jahangir another.... Non-applicants.
Civil Revision Application No. 654 of 1983, decided on 13-1-1987.
Advocates appeared :
M.G. Bhangde, for applicant.
P.N. Kithari, for non-applicant No. 1.
Held, Any court sub-ordinate High Court implies a court of District Judge acting as an appellate officer under Section 9 of Public Premises Act, 1971. District Judge hearing appeal not as a persona designata, but as Court - Held Revision against impugned order passed by District Judge under Section 9 ibid maintainable.
Section 7 (2)-Limitation Act, 1963, Article 112-Claim presented was on behalf of Central Government which would fall under Article 112 of Indian Limitation Act District Judge was in error in taking the view that claim was on behalf of Corporation and was to be governed by Article 52 of Limitation Act.
Held, that, Article 52 refers to a claim for arrears of rent and Article 112 does not refer to any such claim, It would be useful to see that Article 112 is in part IX of the Limitation Act under the head "Suits relating to Miscellaneous Matters". The Controller of Aerodromes, Nagpur Airport clearly represents the Union of India and therefore, he presented the claim before the Estate Officer on behalf of the Union of India i.e. the Central Government and the claim in question would fail under Article 112 of the Indian Limitation Act where the limitation is 30 years and not 3 years. The District Judge, therefore, was clearly in error in taking the view that the claim is on behalf of the Corporation and is governed by Article 52 the Limitation Act.
2. Briefly stated facts are that non-applicant No. 1 Homi D. Jahangir was licensee at the Nagpur Airport occupying the premises for running a canteen. He was in possession and occupation of the premises under the management of applicant-Controller of Aerodrome, Nagpur Airport upto August 1976. After the non-applicant No. 1 vacated the canteen premises, he was found in arrears of rent. Applicant-Controller of Aerodrome, Nagpur Airport therefore, filed an application under section 7, sub-section (2) of the Public Premises Act on 21-5-1981 claiming the recovery of rent amounting to Rs. 25,345.57 fora period from 1-2-1974 to 7-2-1977 and also some amount towards Electric and water charges plus interest. Thus, a total amount of Rs. 28,345.57 was claimed by the applicant as per the statement made by him before the Estate Officer at Nagpur. The non-applicant No. 1 had submitted a written say before the non-applicant No. 2 Estate Officer. He submitted that the claim of the applicant was without any legal basis and there was no contract between them. Besides the objection regarding the claim of the applicant, the non-applicant No. 1 took the plea that the claim was barred by Article 52 of the Indian Limitation Act, 1963. Evidence was led by the parties and the non-applicant No. 2 after hearing both the sides, passed an order dated 17-4-82 ordering the non-applicant No. 1 to pay to the applicant a total amount of Rs. 30,006.27. The non-applicant No. 1 filed an appeal before the District Judge, Nagpur under section 9 sub section (1) of the Pubic Premises Act being Miscellaneous Civil Appeal No. 68 of 1982. The District Judge took the view that the premises in question were governed under the International Airports Authority Act, 1971. He was of the view that an Airport Authority is a Corporate Body and therefore. It cannot be termed as Central Government. He further was of the view that the applicant should have fled the claim for recovery of rent within a period of three years under the provisions of Article 52 of the Limitation Act. The Appellate Court also took the view that the provisions under Article 112 of the Limitation Act were not applicable in this case and therefore, allowed the appeal, dismissing the claim of the applicant as barred by limitation. The appeal was allowed on the sole ground that the applicant is governed by the International Airports Authority Act, 1971.
3. Shri Bhangde, the learned Counsel appearing for the applicant, submitted that the provisions of International Airports Authority Act, 1971 will not be applicable to the Nagpur Airport. Shri Bhangde is right in his submission in view of the provisions of section 1, sub-section (3) in which the application of the Act is defined. Under sub-section (3) of section 1 of then aforesaid Act, the provisions are applicable to Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi and Madras Airport only. The provisions of the aforesaid Act can also be made applicable to other airports by the Central Government by publishing a notification in the Official Gazette. Shri Bhangde submitted at the bar that there is no such notification published extending the provisions of the aforesaid Act to Nagpur Airport.
4. Shri Kothari the learned Counsel Appearing for the non-applicant No. 1 was unable to point out that the provisions of the aforesaid Act also extended to Nagpur Airport. The finding of the learned Appellate Court, therefore, is obviously incorrect inasmuch as the provisions of the International Airports Authority Act, 1971 would not apply to the premises in question. Shri Kothari for the non-applicant No. 1, made two submissions. Fir
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