High Court Of Calcutta
Bhaskar Bhattacharya, P. N. Sinha
PUSHPA CHAND - Appellant
Versus
KOLKATA MUNICIPAL CORPORATION - Respondent
C. A. N. 2725 Of 2006
Decided On : 06/07/2006
KOLKATA MUNICIPAL CORPORATION ACT - SUIT FOR DECLARATION AND INJUNCTION - SECTION 586 - SECTION 189 (9) - APPLICABILITY - A suit for declaration and permanent injunction as a consequential relief cannot be said to be a suit under section 38 of the Specific relief Act and thus section 586 (4) of the Act is attracted. Section 189 (9) of the Act has no application where the plaintiffs have not challenged the assessment order under the provision of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation act.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiffs filed a suit for declaration and injunction seeking a declaration that the defendants were entitled to realize the arrear taxes from the plaintiffs on the basis of consolidated rate bills but not without the consolidated rate bills, and for permanent injunction restraining the defendants from taking any other recourses for realizing all arrear consolidated rate of taxes in respect of the said premises, but to allow the plaintiffs to continue in making payment by instalment of Rs. 15,000/- per mensem as per order of the Corporation dated July 10, 1992.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the suit was not barred by any law for the time being in force and the plaint ought not to have been rejected. The court set aside the order rejecting the plaint and directed the trial judge to proceed with the suit in accordance with law and dispose of it as expeditiously as possible.
Issues: Whether the suit was barred by the provisions of section 586 and section 189 (9) of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the suit was not barred by section 586 of the Act as it came within the provision of section 586 (4) of the Act. The court also held that section 189 (9) of the Act had no application as the plaintiffs had not challenged any assessment.
Final Decision: The court allowed the appeal and set aside the order rejecting the plaint. The court directed the trial judge to proceed with the suit in accordance with law and dispose of it as expeditiously as possible.
( 1 ) INSTEAD of disposing of the application for stay being C. A. N. No. 2725 of 2006, we propose to hear out the appeal itself by treating the same as on day's list with the consent of the parties.
( 2 ) THIS first miscellaneous appeal is at the instance of the plaintiffs in a suit for declaration and injunction and is directed against Order No. 52 dated february 13, 2006 passed by the learned Trial Judge thereby rejecting the plaint.
( 3 ) THE present appellants filed a suit before the City Civil Court at Calcutta being Title Suit No. 1605 of 1997 thereby praying for declaration that the defendants were entitled to realize the arrear taxes from the plaintiffs on the basis of consolidated rate bills of premises No. 76c, Acharyya Jagadish Chandra bose Road, Calcutta, but the defendants were not entitled to realize arrear consolidated rate of taxes without the consolidated rate bills from the plaintiff's in respect of the premises and for permanent injunction restraining the opposite parties from taking any other recourses by issuing notice of distress warrant for realizing all arrear consolidated rate of taxes in respect of the said premises, but to allow the plaintiffs to continue in making payment by instalment of Rs. 15,000/- per mensem as per order of the Corporation dated July 10, 1992.
( 4 ) THE Corporation after entering appearance filed an application under order 7 Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure for rejection of the plaint alleging non-compliance of the provisions contained in section 586 of the Kolkata municipal Corporation Act and also relying upon the bar created under section 189 (9) of the Act.
( 5 ) THE learned Trial Judge by the order impugned herein has accepted the contention of the defendant-respondents and consequently, rejected the plaint on the ground of non-compliance of the provisions contained in section 586 of the Act and also on the ground that the suit was not maintainable in view of the provisions contained in section 189 (9) of the Act.
( 6 ) BEING dissatisfied, the plaintiffs have come up with the present first miscellaneous appeal.
( 7 ) MISS Sanyal, the learned Advocate appearing for the appellants has strenuously contended before us that the learned Trial Judge erred in law in rejecting the plaint on the aforesaid grounds inasmuch as those provisions are not attracted in the fact of the present case.
( 8 ) MISS Sanyal first relies upon a decision of the Division Bench of this court in the case of Gowardhandas Rathi vs. Corporation of Calcutta and Anr. , reported in AIR 1970 Cal 539 in support of her contention that provision of section 586 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act has no application to a suit for declaration and permanent injunction. She contends that although her clients in the plaint have prayed for both declaration and permanent injunction, nevertheless, the suit should be treated to be one under section 38 of the Specific relief Act, and, thus, section 586 (4) of the Act is attracted.
( 9 ) MISS. Sanyal next contends that in the present case even section 189 (9)of the Act has no application inasmuch as her clients have not challenged the assessment order under the provision of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation act. According to her, the plaintiffs have merely prayed for declaration that without the consolidated rate bills for the period involved in the suit the arrear taxes cannot be realized and further the plaintiffs should be entitled to get the benefit of the order dated July 10,1992 permitting the plaintiffs to pay arrears by instalment of Rs. 15,000 /- a month and so long that amount is paid every month, the Corporation is not entitled to invoke the other penal measures, such as, issue of distress warrant, etc.
( 10 ) MR. Das Adhikary, the learned senior Advocate appearing for the corporation has on the other hand relied upon a decision given by a learned single Judge of this Court in the case of Kolkata Municipa
Kolkata Municipal Corporation vs. Chandra Properties (P) Ltd.
Referred to : Gowardhandas Rathi vs. Corporation of Calcutta and Anr.
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