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1995 Supreme(Guj) 283

Gujarat High Court
Judgename :J.N.Bhatt
CHANDRAKANT M.DESHPANDE - Appellant
Versus
VASANTRAO B.TOKE - Respondent
Civil Revision 1539 of 1981
Decided On : 07/07/1995

Advocates Appeared: M.A.BUKHARI, P.B.MAJUMDAR

Headnote:

Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control act, 1947 - Section 13 (1) (l) - Allotment of quarter to employee of State or central Government in connection with his employment with employer could be said or not as acquisition or allotment of suitable alternative accommodation - Petitioner is original defendant-tenant and respondents are original plaintiffs landlords - Defendant is tenant in respect of one room in building bearing Municipal Census situated in city of Baroda at a monthly rent - Held, Court had rejected aforesaid contention and held that tenant is a Government employee and according to relevant provisions of Government rules he is entitled to continue in service till his retirement and therefore was liable for eviction decree and cannot claim protection of Bombay Rent Act - It may also be mentioned that even if tenant as an employee of Western Railway is ordered to be transferred or his posting is changed to another place would obviously be entitled to residential premises service rules at transferred place - Decision of this Court could safely be concluded that same is inapplicable to facts and present case tenant had temporarily shifted to another premises was evidence in that case there was temporary shifting for nine months by tenant - There was no evidence in that case to show that had shifted to a temporary premises with an intention to settle down there - Petition dismissed (Para 15)

J. N. BHATT, J.

( 1 ) ALLOTMENT of quarter to the employee of the State or the central Government in connection with his employment with the employer could be said or not as acquisition or allotment of the suitable alternative accommodation under Sec. 13 (1) (l) of the Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control act, 1947 (Bombay Rent Act) is the main theme of this Revision Petition. Thus, short and interesting question which has figured in this revision is with regard to the interpretation and applicability of the provisions of Sec. 13 (1) (l) of the Bombay rent Act in the light of the facts and circumstances of the case.

( 2 ) THE petitioner is the original defendant-tenant and the respondents are the original plaintiffs landlords. For the sake of convenience and brevity, the parties are hereinafter referred to as the landlords, and tenant. The defendant is the tenant in respect of one room in the building bearing Municipal Census No. 17-136 situated in the city of Baroda, at a monthly rent of Rs. 35. 00. There is no dispute about the fact that the plaintiffs are the landlords and the defendant is the tenant in respect of the demise property consisted of one room.

( 3 ) THE landlords filed Rent Suit No. 3273 of 1975 for the purpose of recovery of rent and eviction of the demise property against the tenant on the ground of his having acquired and allotted suitable alternative accommodation under Section 13 (1) (l) of the Bombay Rent Act. Other averments in the suit and the written statement are not material for the present. The defendant tenant resisted the suit by filing written statement, inter alia, contending that the plaintiffs are not the only owners and landlords and therefore, they are not entitled to the file suit. He also contended that he had been let not only one room but the entire portion of the second floor of the suit property. A contention was also raised that the contractual rate of rent is not the standard rent. He denied the allegations of arrears of rent. He also filed civil Misc. Application No. 337 of 1975 for the purpose of fixation of standard rent. Other averments made in the plaint were also denied. The material part important for the purpose of this revision is about the acquisition and allotment of quarter to the tenant. The defendant-tenant denied that he was offered quarter by the Railway authority. Alternatively, he contended that the staff quarter is not suitable for his residence.

( 4 ) IN the light of the pleadings of the parties, issues came to be settled, at Ex. 13, and the trial Court after having examined the facts and circumstances and the pleadings of the parties decreed the suit, on 29th September, 1979. The tenant is directed to handover vacant possession of the demise property to the plaintiffs on the ground of Sec. 13 (1) (l) of the Bombay Rent Act. The trial Court fixed the contractual rent as the standard rent plus electricity charges. The standard rent application and the suit came to be consolidated and came to be disposed of by the Small Causes Court, Vadodara by common judgment on 29th September, 1979 as aforesaid.

( 5 ) BEING dissatisfied by the judgment and decree passed by the trial Court against the tenant, he questioned its legality and validity by filing Regular Civil No. 365 of 1979 in the District Court, at Baroda, which also came to be dismissed, on 30- 6-1981. The decree passed by the trial Court came to be confirmed. The standard rent fixed by the trial Court at Rs. 35. 00 was also confirmed. However, it was clarified that the amount of rent of Rs. 35. 00 is inclusive of electrical charges.

( 6 ) THUS, both the Courts have concurrently and consistenly held on facts that the allotment of quarter to the tenant by the Railway Department in the capacity as an employee is a suitable residence. Therefore, the tenant is held to be liable for ejectment. In the circumstances, the original defendant-tenant has, now come before this Court challenging the legality and v














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