IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
(Nagpur Bench)
V.A. Mohta H.D. Patel, JJ.
Atmaram s/o Sukhdeo Patil .... Appellant.
Versus
State of Maharashtra .... Respondent.
Letters Patent Appeal No. 93 of 1987, decided on 20-7-1988.
Advocates appeared :
T.R. Kankale, for appellant.
V.V. Naik, A.G.P, for State.
See Civil Procedure Code, 1908, Section 96, Order 41, Rules 1 to 37.
Section 96, Order 41, Rules 1 to 37-Maharashtra Agricultural Lands (Ceiling on Holdings) Act, 1961, Section 33-Appeal against order of S. D. O. - Limited Stay by Tribunal jurisdiction-Validity-Held-Tribunal rightly granted limited stay-Interference not required -Appeal dismissed.
All these circumstances do justify the grant of appropriate stay in order to avoid likely complications, injustice and prejudicate the landholder as well as the recipient of the surplus land. But why should there be a stay even in a case where such situations are not likely to arise. Yes, distribution of undisputed surplus land can have some impact on the right of choice of retention of the landholder, but in some cases the extent of undisputed land. In such cases the impact will be either nil or negligible. Desire to retain surplus land on some pretext or the other by delaying the proceeding is common. Many times the choice factor is unreal and is used merely as a pretext. The Tribunal or the Government, must therefore be empowered to examine the facts and circumstances of each case and to grant only appropriate stay. Such power is absolutely necessary to advance the object of the Act.
Under the circumstances, the Tribunal was right in granting only limited stay and the learned Single Judge was right in refusing to interfere with the said interim order. Letters Patent Appeal dismissed.
2. The land-holder contends that filing of the appeal operates as automatic stay of the whole order appealed against and, therefore, the Tribunal's order granting only a limited stay and not granting complete stay was without jurisdiction. We find it extremely difficult to accept this submission, taking into consideration, the object of the Act, its scheme and also the powers of the Tribunal. Section 33 of the Act provides for appeals. It reads thus :
"33. (1) An appeal against an order or award of the Collector shall lie to the Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal in the following cases :---
(1) an order under sub-sections (2) and (3) of section 13 not being an order under which a true and correct return complete in all particulars is required to be furnished;
(2) a declaration or any part thereof under section 21;
23-A, an order under section 21-A;
(3) an award under section 25;
(4) an order refusing sanction to transfer or divide land under section 29;
(5) an order of forfeiture under sub-section (3) of section 29;
(6) an amendment of declaration or award under section 37;
and
(7) an order of summary eviction under section 40.
(1-A) Any respondent, though he may not have appealed from any part of the decision, order, declaration or award, may not only support the decision, order, declaration or award, as the case may be, on any of the grounds decided against him, but take cross-objection to the decision, order, declaration or award which he could have taken by way of an appeal :
Provided that, he has filed the objection in the Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal within Thirty days from the date of service on him of notice of the day fixed for hearing the appeal, or such further time as the Tribunal may see fit to allow; and thereupon the provisions of Order 41, Rule 22 of the First Schedule to the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 shall apply in relation to the cross-objection as they apply in relation to the cross-objection under that rule.
(2) Every petition of appeal under sub-section (1), shall be accompanied by a copy of the decision, order, declaration or award, as the case may be, against which the appeal is made.
(3) In deciding such appeal the Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal shall exercise all the powers which a Court has and follow the same procedure which a Court follows, in deciding appeals from the decree or order of an original Court, under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908."
Sub-section (3) empowers the Tribunal to exercise all the powers which a Court has and enjoins upon it to follow the same procedure which a Court follows in deciding appeals from the decree or order of an original Court, under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. While an appeal is provided for in the Code of Civil Procedure by section 96, procedure and power of the Appellate Court is prescribed under Order 41, Rules 1 to 37. Order 41, Rule 5 m
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