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1977 Supreme(Raj) 291

RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT AT JAIPUR BENCH
A.P.Sen, J.
Moolchand and Anr. - Appellant
Versus
State of Rajasthan and Nine Ors. - Respondent
S.B.C. Writ Petition No. 1225 of 1973.
Decided On : 28-07-1977

A Municipal Board is bound by the condition imposed by the Land Acquisition Officer for allotment of a plot of land to the landowner before making allotment of plots to others.

Headnote:

LAND ACQUISITION - RAJASTHAN LAND ACQUISITION ACT, 1953 - SECTION 6 - AWARD OF LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER - CONDITION FOR ALLOTMENT OF PLOT TO LANDOWNER - MUNICIPAL BOARD BOUND TO COMPLY - DOCTRINE OF EQUITABLE ESTOPPEL.

Fact of the Case:

Land was acquired by the State Government for the Municipal Board for extension of abadi. The Land Acquisition Officer, by his order, made a conditional award for payment of compensation depending on classification of soils, on condition that out of the land acquired a big plot shall be allotted to the landowner for his residential purposes at half the price of the other plots. The Municipal Board, by its resolution, made allotment of plots in favour of others, by ignoring the condition imposed by the Land Acquisition Officer.

Finding of the Court:

The Municipal Board was bound by the condition imposed by the Land Acquisition Officer, and it could not go behind the condition and to allot plots of land to others, totally ignoring the petitioner's claim.

Issues: Whether the Municipal Board was bound to allot a plot of land to the landowner before making allotment of plots to others.

Ratio Decidendi: The Municipal Board is clearly bound by the doctrine of equitable estoppel. It has taken the land by payment of compensation to an amount lower than the market value, on condition that a big plot of land out of the land acquired, shall be allotted to the landowner. The Municipal Board cannot resile from that condition and make allotment of the land to others without making provision for the allotment of a plot to the petitioners.

Final Decision: The petition succeeds and is allowed. A writ of mandamus shall be issued against the Municipal Board, directing it to comply with the order of the Land Acquisition Officer by allotting a plot of land to the petitioners out of the acquired land.

JUDGMENT

1. - By this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution, the petitioners Mool Chand, son of Khamma Rain, and Mst. Jawahari, widow of Khamma Ram, seek a writ of Certiorari for quashing the resolution of the Municipal Board, Neemka thana, dated July 21, 1972, the order of the Collector, 226 dated December 18, 1972, and the order of the Director, Local Bodies', Rajasthan, Jaipur, Dated April 26, 1973 in so far as it maintains the allotment of certain plots of land out of Khasra Nos. 1014, 1015 & 1016 in favour of the respondents Nos. 5 to 10; & for a writ of Mandamus, for directing the Municipal Board, Neem-Ka-Thana, to make allotment of a plot of land in their favour out of land bearing khasra Nos. 1014, 1015 and 1016, as directed by the Land Acquisition officer by this order dated December 3, 1963. The facts are that predecessor-in title of the petitioners, namely, Khamma Ram, was the Khatedar tenant of Khasra Nos. 1014, 1015 and 1016 situate at Neem-Ka-thana. In 1963, the said land was acquired by the State Government of Rajasthan for the Municipal Board Neem-Ka-Thana. for extension of abadi under Section 6 of the Rajasthan Land Acquisition Act, 1953. The Land Acquisition Officer, by his order dated December 3 1963, made a conditional award for payment of compensation depending on classification of soils Rs. 200/-, Rs. 160/- and Rs. 450/- per Bhgha, on condition that out of the land acquired a big plot shall be alloted to Khamma Ram for his residential purposes at half the price of the other plots. In case Khamma Ram did not want to take a plot, he was to be paid an amount equal to half the price. Thus the award of the Land Acquisition Officer for compensation, was a conditional award, and in terms thereof, the Municipal Board, Neem Ka-Thana, was bound to allot a big plot to Khamma Ram before making allotment of plots to others. The Land Acquisition Officer has indeed mentioned in the award that the fact that Khamma Ram was to be allotted one of the plots, had been taken into consideration in determining the market value of the land acquired. Thai being so, the Municipal Board was bound to allot a big plot to Khamma Ram before making allotment of plots to others.

2. Contrary to the condition imposed by the Land Acquisition Officer, the Municipal Board, by its resolution Dated July 21, 1972, made allotment of plots in favour of the respondents Not. 5 to 10, by ignoring the condition imposed by the Land Acquisition Officer. The petitioners, there fore, went up in appeal to the Collector, but the Collector, by his order dated December 18, 1972, maintained the resolution of the Municipal Board Thereafter, they preferred a revision to the State Government under Section 300 of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 195. The Director Local Bodies, Rajasthan, Jaipur, to whom the revisional powers had been delegated, parth allowed the revision preferred by the petitioners, by his order dated April, 26. 1973 to the effect:

ekeys es vkt fnukad 26&4&73 dks lquokbZ dh xbZA izkFkhZx.kkas dk izkFkZuk&i= bl dnj eatwj fd;k tkrk gSA fd Lo0 [kEHkkjke ds vizkIr 'kqnk tehu es ls budks ,d IykaV Hkwfe vokfIr vf/kdkjh ds fu.kZ; ds vuqlkj fn;k tkos mldks o ysus dh lwjr es fudyh dher nh tkosA vkoaVu tks uxjikfydk }kjk fd;s x;s gS vkSj ftlds Lohd`fr ftyk/kh'k egksn; us ns nh gS] og cjkcj jgsxhA

It appears that the second part of the order made on a representation by the Municipal Board before the Director, Local Bodies, Rajasthan, a here, that vacant plots were still available for allotment. It now appears that no such plots are available. When the petitioner applied for gram of ad-interim writ, the Municipal Board, in its reply dated December 3, 1973, stated in paragraph No. 1 of the additional pleas:

The Municipal Board at this stage is prepared to keep a vacant piece of land for the allotment of a plot to petitioner succeeds...."
In their rejoinder dated January 4, 1974 the petitioners disputed the fact that any plots are available. The rejoinde








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