2004 Supreme(Guj) 766
Gujarat High Court
Judgename :J.N.PATEL
BIJALBHAI BHAGWANBHAI NAKUM, SON NATHABHAI - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF GUJARAT - Respondent
S.C.A.13204 of 2004
Decided On : 12/16/2004
Headnote:
Civil Procedure Code - Petitioner is holding the land admeasuring acres gunthas at village show cause notice was issued by Collector petitioner for breach of conditions on ground that petitioner has used land for manufacturing of bricks - Petitioner submitted reply and stated that he is an illiterate person and bricks are made in land with a view to construct a place for his residence and for keeping agricultural equipments and also for preserving fertilizers and he also submitted that bricks are used for purpose and neither the bricks are sold nor land is given to anyone else for purpose - Petitioner has prayed for condo nation of such breach if any appears that thereafter on Collector passed the order on basis that there is an admission on part of petitioner to use land for nonagricultural purpose and consequently penalty of times of revenue amounting to imposed upon petitioner – Held, To examine basis of order passed by authority it would be necessary to consider provisions of Act - As per plain and simple reading of Act any occupant of land assessed or held for purpose of agriculture is entitled to erect farm-buildings construct wells or tanks or make any other improvements thereon for better cultivation of land or its more convenient use for purpose of agriculture - If an agriculturist constructs a farm building or makes improvement over land for better and convenient use of land for agricultural purposes use is not prohibited and on contrary expressly permitted - It appears that petitioner used part of land for preparing bricks but are used for constructing house for keeping agricultural equipments and for keeping fertilizer and crops purpose by no stretch of imagination can be said as use of land for other than agricultural purpose can be said as for convenient agriculture and for better cultivation of land - Petition allowed (Para 5)
( 1 ) RULE. Ms. Chandarana, Ld. AGP waives service of rule for respondents. With the consent of learned advocates for the parties, the matter is taken up for final hearing today.
( 2 ) THE short facts of the case are that the petitioner is holding the land admeasuring 3 acres 10 gunthas at village Rajula. The show cause notice was issued by the Collector, dated 23. 11. 01 to the petitioner for breach of conditions on the ground that the petitioner has used the land for manufacturing of bricks. The petitioner submitted the reply on 3. 12. 2001 and stated that he is an illiterate person and the bricks are made in the land with a view to construct a place for his residence and for keeping the agricultural equipments and also for preserving fertilisers and he also submitted that the bricks are used for such purpose and neither the bricks are sold nor the land is given to anyone else for such purpose. The petitioner has prayed for condonation of such breach, if any. It appears that thereafter on 30. 12. 2002 the Collector, Amreli passed the order on the basis that there is an admission on the part of the petitioner to use the land for nonagricultural purpose and consequently penalty of 40 times of revenue amounting to Rs. 42,086. 41 ps,is imposed upon the petitioner. The petitioner carried the matter before the State Govt in revision and in revision also the State Govt proceeded on the basis that there is admission for utilisation of the land for other than agricultural purpose and therefore the order passed by the Collector imposing fine does not call for interference and it is under these circumstances the petitioner has approached this court by preferring this petition.
( 3 ) I have heard Mr. Pandya for the petitioner and Ms. Chandarana, Ld. AGP for respondent authorities.
( 4 ) UPON hearing the learned counsel for the parties and the perusal of the record shows that there is no dispute on the point that the petitioner has used portion of the land for preparing bricks. The case of the petitioner is that as such the bricks are used for construction of his house for residence and for keeping the crops, fertiliser and other agricultural equipments. There is no finding by the authority before imposing penalty that the bricks are not used for other purpose nor there is any finding that the bricks are sold by the petitioner to the other persons or the land is allowed to be used for such purpose by the petitioner to some third party. The authorities have proceeded on the basis that as the petitioner admitted his utilisation of the land for preparing bricks, there is admission on the part of the petitioner and therefore it is proved that the land is used for nonagricultural purposes and therefore the penalty is imposed.
( 5 ) TO examine the basis of the order passed by the authority it would be necessary to consider the provisions of section 65 (1) of the Act. As per plain and simple reading of section 65 of the Act, any occupant of land assessed or held for the purpose of agriculture is entitled to erect farm-buildings, construct wells or tanks or make any other improvements thereon for the better cultivation of the land or its more convenient use for the purpose of agriculture. If an agriculturist constructs a farm building or makes improvement over the land for the better and convenient use of the land for agricultural purposes, such use is not prohibited and on the contrary expressly permitted. It appears that the petitioner used the part of the land for preparing bricks but such bricks are used for constructing house for keeping the agricultural equipments and for keeping fertiliser and crops. Such purpose, by no stretch of imagination can be said as use of the land for other than agricultural purpose. As such, such purpose can be said as for convenient agriculture and for better cultivation of the land. If the farmer has constructed a farm house or has made any construction over the land for better cultivation of