PATNA HIGH COURT
N.L.Untwalia and S.Sarwar Ali JJ.
Ram Adhikari Devi
Versus
District Magistrate
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No. 1495 of 1972 ;
Decided On : MARCH 08, 1973
Held that, the correct interpretation of requirement of Sec. 11 (2)(a) is that the District Magistrate should make the order of allotment within a week of the receipt of the information of the impending vacation or vacation of the building by the Govt. servant, this he could do under the intimation to the landlord meaning thereby, the two acts should be at the same time. Whether the two actions have been simultaneous or at the same time or not will depend upon the facts of each case.
Held further, that, the time-limit of one week for making the order of allotment cannot be held to be mandatory. It is directory. A directory provision, as repeatedly pointed out in many cases, is not meant to be violated. It is also meant to be obeyed and as far as possible strictly accordingly to law. But there may be circumstances that a public officer is not able to follow the time-limit strictly due to various reasons beyond his control. It would be highly unjust to say that orders passed by a public officer beyond the time-limit should be invalidated merely on that ground. It will depend upon the facts and circumstances of each case whether the delay made by the District Magistrate beyond the period of one week in making his order of allotment is reasonable or unreasonable.
Held further, that, the requirement of giving intimation is mandatory, because without the intimation the landlord or landlady will not get any chance for making his or her representation before the D. M. and that would be against the spirit of the law as also against the principle of natural justice.
Held further, that, an order of allotment can be made even if the landlord or anybody on his behalf has come in physical possession or possession in the eye of law. If the allotment is not otherwise bad then the landlord will have to vacate or will be forced to vacate because the house will be deemed to have been allotted to the new govt. servant from the day following the day on which it was vacated. (Para 5, 6, 7 & 8)
Held further, that, the premises in question must be deemed to have been allotted to respondent No. 2 from 1.12.72. He is, therefore, liable to pay rent from that date. (Para 10)
Untwalia, J.
1. The petitioner landlady is the owner of the house in question which is situated in the town of Hajipur. She had let out the ground floor of this house in April 1972 on a rent of Rs. 110.00 per month to Shri Ram-bilash Ram respondent 3 who was a Government servant posted as Assistant Superintendent of Police at Hajipur. An agreement was executed on 20-4-72 a copy of which is annexure 1. The petitioners case is that respondent 3 informed her orally on 30-10-72 that he would be vacating the demised premises by the end of November. 1972. Actually he vacated the premises on that date, i.e. 30-11-72. The petitioner came in actual physical possession, according to her of the premises on 1-12-72. Since she needed the premises for her own occupation and use she filed an application on 2-12-72 before the District Magistrate, Vaishali. a copy of which is annexure 2. The District Magistrate rejected her application on 6-12-72 by his order contained in annexure 3. But before that he purported to allot the house to Shri J. K. Sinha respondent 2, Superintendent of Police designate to be posted at Hajipur to be the Superintendent of Police of the new district Vaishali. The petitioner filed this writ application on 8-12-72 with a prayer to quash the orders contained in annexures 3 and 4. This application was admitted on 11-12-72 by a Bench of this Court. The prayer for stay was refused but a rule returnable within two months was issued. A supplementary affidavit was filed on behalf of the petitioner on 7-2-73 making certain corrections in her statements in the petition. In her petition she had stated that respondent 3 had given the vacation report to the District Magistrate of Vaishali on 28-11-72, but on inspection of the record it was found that that intimation was given on 27-11-72 and was received in the office of the District Magistrate on that very date.
2. The argument on behalf of the petitioner is (1) that the allotment of the premises in question could not be made by the District Magistrate, respondent 1 in favour of respondent 2 before giving such intimation to the petitioner as was required by Sec.11 (2) (a) of the Bihar Buildings (Lease. Rent and Eviction) Control Act. 1947 (hereinafter called the Act); (2) that the allotment had to be made within one week of the receipt of the notice of vacation or impending vacation by the erstwhile tenant; and (3) that no order of allotment could be made in favour of respondent 2 after the tenancy came to an end on 30-11-72.
3. A counter-affidavit has been filed on behalf of the State on 5-3-73. Although it was filed a bit late, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case we accepted it. In the counter-affidavit the assertion of the petitioner that respondent 3 had put her in possession of the premises is denied. Respondent 3 vacated the premises but did not put the petitioner in possession of it with effect from 1-12-72. On 27-11-72, according to the statement in the counter-affidavit, respondent 3 had written to respondent 1 that the former was likely to vacate the house. It is not disputed that this intimation was received on 27-11-72; respondent 1 had passed the order of allotment in the file on 1-12-72 allotting the house to respondent 2 but formal order could not be communicated before 5-12-72. The order passed by the District Magistrate on 6-12-72 is correct. The petitioner is not entitled to any relief.
4. I shall read the relevant provisions in the Act contained in Sec.11 (2) (a) and (b)-
"(2) (a). Where a servant of the Government in possession of any building as a tenant intends to vacate such building, he shall give fifteen days previous notice in writing of his intention to do so to the landlord and to the District Magistrate who shall under intimation to the landlord, within a week of the receipt of the notice, either allot the building to any other servant of the Government whom the District Magistrate thinks suitable subject to the payment of rent,
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