HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR
Mahendar Kumar Goyal, J.
Parmeshwar – Appellant
Versus
Naurang & Ors. – Respondents
S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6604 of 2020
Decided On : 27-07-2022
Rajasthan Land Revenue Act - Application under Section 136 - [Section 136 of Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956] - The court discussed the provisions of Section 136 of the Act, emphasizing that the proceedings under this section are summary in nature and can only be applied to correct clerical errors or errors admitted by the parties. The court also referred to previous judgments to support its interpretation of the section and concluded that the application under Section 136 was not maintainable in the present case.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner filed an application under Section 136 of the Act of 1956, seeking correction in the revenue record due to a reduction in the area of land recorded in his khatedari. The application was allowed by the SDO but was later set aside by the appellate authority and subsequent appeals were dismissed. The petitioner challenged the judgments, arguing that the error was clerical in nature and the appellate authority erred in setting aside the SDO's order.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the error did not satisfy the requirements of Section 136 as it was a contested claim by the rival parties, not a clerical error or an error admitted by the parties. The court also emphasized that the proceedings under Section 136 are summary in nature and are not applicable to contested claims.
Issues: The main issue was whether the application under Section 136 of the Act of 1956 was maintainable in the present case.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the application under Section 136 was not maintainable as the error did not satisfy the requirements of the section and was a contested claim by the rival parties.
Final Decision: The writ petition was dismissed as devoid of merit.
ORDER
1. This writ petition has been filed by the petitioner/applicant assailing the legality and validity of the judgment dated 17.02.2020 passed by the Board of Revenue Rajasthan, Ajmer (for brevity, 'the BoR') in Special Appeal/LR/2019/2504/Sikar whereby, the special appeal filed against the judgment dated 14.05.2019 passed by the BoR in Appeal/LR/6430/2013/Sikar affirming the judgement dated 28.10.2013 passed by the Court of Additional Divisonal Commissioner, Jaipur in Appeal No.71/2012 reversing the judgement dated 29.06.2012 passed by the Sub- divisional Officer, Sikar allowing the application filed by the petitioner/applicant under Section 136 of Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956 (for brevity, 'the Act of 1956'), has been dismissed.
2. The facts in brief relevant for decision of the writ petition are that the petitioner filed an application under Section 136 of the Act of 1956 stating therein that land measuring 2 bigha 17 biswa (0.72 hect.) of the erstwhile Khasra No.342/2, Village Radhakishanpura, Tehsil & District Sikar was recorded in his khatedari; however, in the new revenue record, while carving out new Khasra No.192/1056, the area has been reduced to 0.35 hect. The application was allowed by the SDO, Sikar vide its order dated 29.06.2012 on the basis of report of Tehsildar dated 28.06.2012. An appeal preferred thereagainst by the respondents/non-applicants was allowed by the Court of Additional Divisional Commissioner, Jaipur vide its judgement dated 28.10.2013 which was unsuccessfully challenged by the petitioner by way of an appeal which came to be dismissed by the BoR vide its judgement dated 14.05.2019 and a special appeal preferred thereagainst has also been dismissed by Division Bench of the BoR vide its judgement dated 17.02.2020.
3. Learned counsel for the petitioner, drawing attention of this Court towards the judgement dated 24.04.2008 passed by the Court of Sub-divisional Officer, Sikar in Revenue Suit No.80/2005 filed by him, contended that no findings on the merits of the case were recorded therein as to his rights qua the subject land which necessitated filing of an application under Section 136 of the Act of 1956. He submitted that since, the error, whereby, area under his khatedari was reduced while carving out a new Khasra No.192/1056, was clerical in nature, the appellate authority erred in setting aside the order dated 29.06.2012 passed by the SDO. Learned counsel submitted that the BoR seriously erred in recording a finding that since the dispute was beyond the scope of Section 136, the SDO committed illegality in entertaining the application. Referring to the provisions of Section 136 of the Act of 1956, learned counsel submitted that even assuming that error was not clerical in nature, if the error was noticed by a Revenue Officer in any record of rights during the course of his inspection, the same could have been corrected after serving a show cause notice to the parties as provided under proviso to the section. He, therefore, prayed that the writ petition be allowed, the judgement impugned be quashed and set aside and the matter may be remanded back to the SDO for decision afresh under Section 136. He, in support of his submission, relied upon a judgement of this Court in case of Poosa Ram Vs. The Board of Revenue & Ors.; 1995 (2) RLW 561.
4. Heard. Considered.
5. The SDO has passed the order dated 29.06.2012 relying upon Tehsildar's report dated 28.06.2012. A perusal of the Tehsildar's report placed on record as Annexure 4 reveals that shortfall in land under khatedari of the petitioner was recommended to be made up by reducing the corresponding land under the khatedari of the respondents herein. In these circumstances, in the considered opinion of this Court, the learned appellate authority did not err in setting aside the order dated 29.06.2012 passed by the SDO whereby, land under khatedari of the respondents was directed to be recorded in the name of the petitioner without giving them an
Poosa Ram Vs. The Board of Revenue & Ors.; 1995 (2) RLW(Raj) 561
The court emphasized the limited power of Article 227 of the Constitution of India and the authority of the Sub Divisional Officer to rectify mistakes in land records.
The proceedings under Section 136 of the Act of 1956 are summary in nature and cannot be treated as a suit, thus the application under Order 7 Rule 11 CPC is not maintainable.
Clerical errors in land revenue records can be corrected to reflect true ownership, and such corrections should not be interfered with if substantiated.
The court upheld the Board of Revenue's decision that the petitioner was neither a necessary nor a proper party to the proceedings, affirming the dismissal of his application.
The main legal point established in the judgment is the right of a party to seek correction of entries in revenue records under Section 136 of the Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956.
The authority of the Land Record Officer to correct errors in the revenue record during settlement operations and the inability to change the nature of the land through such corrections.
Ownership of land recorded under a deity cannot be transferred; any attempts to do so result in void transactions, reaffirming perpetual minor status of deities.
The court upheld the concurrent findings of the revenue Courts and emphasized the limited jurisdiction of the court in issuing directions under a writ petition.
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