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1996 Supreme(Raj) 634

Rajasthan High Court
Honble R.R. YADAV, J.
Shri Paresar - Appellant
Versus
Municipal Board, Mount Abu - Respondents
S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 4430 of 1991
Decided On : October 29, 1996

Advocates Appeared:
Prakash Tatia, for Petitioner Bheem Arora, for Respondent

Headnote:(a) Rajasthan Municipalities (Disposal of Urban Land) Rules, 1974, Rule 3, Rule 31 (Added on 11.2.82) and Contract Act Sec. 23 – State Government taken a decision to regularise the encroachment over the land belonging to Municipal Board upto 1.1.81 – Possession holder (Tresspasser) instead of getting regularised in his favour, transfered the land in favour of petitioner through a registered sale-deed – Tresspasser was not entitled to transfer the land even after regularisation in his favour for a period of ten years according to the policy decision taken by the State Govt. – Held – Registered sale deed (Transfer) is void ab-initio within the meaning of Sec. 23 of the Contract Act. (Para 12 & 13)(b) Rajasthan Municipalities (Disposal of Urban Land) Rules, 1974, Rule 3, Rule 31 (Added on 11.2.82) – Regularisation of land in possession – Held – Embargo of not alienating such land for a period of ten years envisaged in the policy decision of the State Government is legal and valid.

       The alleged registered sale-deed dated 2.12.86, Anx. 2, is ab- initio void within the meaning of Section 23 of the Indian Contract Act. Section 23 of the Indian Contract Act covers cases in which the consideration or object of an agreement is forbidden by law or a public policy at the time when the agreement is entered into or is of such a nature that if the contract is permitted it would defeat the provisions of any existing statute, public policy or any existing policy decision taken by the State. (Para 13)

       It is true that expressions `public policy or `opposed to public policy are not defined under Indian Contract Act. To my mind, expression `public policy connotes some matter which concerns the public good and the public interests. Hence, policy decision taken by the State can also said to be synonymous to public policy provided such policy decisions taken by State are legal and valid. (Para 14)

       State Government has taken a policy decision on 21.1.82, Anx. 3, that a dweller of `Kachchi Basti is entitled to get regularisation of his land in his possession upto 1.1.81 but after regularisation, he will not be entitled to alienate such land for a period of ten years. The aforesaid embargo envisaged in the policy decision of the State Government is perfectly legal and valid for the reason that an absolute restrain to transfer such land is not perpetual but for a fix period of ten years. Had it been perpetual, the court would have refused to recognize it? But since it is for a reasonable period of only ten years with an object that persons may not indulge in land grabing belonging to State or Municipal Boards, therefore, an embargo of ten years has been created by the State in its aforesaid policy decision which perfectly legal and valid. (Para 15)

Honble YADAV, J. – Instant writ petition has been filed by the petitioner for quashing the order dated 15.3.91, order dated 15.12.89 and order dated 25.11.89, Annex. 7 to the writ petition. It is further prayed by the petitioner that construction in question over the land in dispute may be regularised in the terms and conditions stipulated in circular dated 21.1.82, Anx. 3 to the writ petition issued by the State Government.

(2). It is shocking to note that irrespective of due service upon sole respondent, Municipal Board, Mount Abu, no reply has been filed on the specious plea that the record relating to the land in question and constructions raised thereon are missing from the office of the Board. In the present case sole respondent Municipal Board, Mount Abu is being represented by learned counsel Shri Bheem Arora.

(3). The acts, omissions and commissions of the Municipal Board, Mount Abu in the instant case speak louder than the words. Suffice it to say that under Section 68 of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 1959 (hereinafter referred as `the Act of 1959), the Executive Officer, Municipal Board, Mount Abu is accountable and res- ponsible for the custody of records of the Board including all papers and documents communicated with the proceedings of the Board and all the committees.

(4). The present writ petition is a classic example of travesty of justice and unique tacit support extended to the petitioner by the Municipal Board, Mount Abu. It is well to remember that in State of Rajasthan except Mount Abu there is no Hill Station. It is a matter of common knowledge that now-a-days moss-rose growth of unplanned and illegal constructions against the bye-laws of the Board are being raised and in process of raising unplanned and illegal constructions green trees are being indiscriminately cut away disturbing the ecological order at Mount Abu. A most inconvenient moot question in the present writ petition can be raised as to where the Municipal Board, Mount Abu and its officers remain busy when illegal and unplanned constructions against the bye-laws start coming into existence?

(5). Mr. Arthur Schafer, Director of Centre for Provisional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba (Canada), has given a correct answer to the aforesaid question posed by the Court which reads thus :–

``As a national all our focus is of government deficits but we are also running a very significant moral deficit and I think its much more threatening to our society than the financial one.

(6). It is to be remembered that in transitional period of our democratic polity this Court is expected to send necessary message to the effect that laissez faire me- thods being adopted by the Municipal Board, Mount Abu and its officers on rule of law flouting policy decisions taken by the State Government would be viewed seriously and would always be castigated as an assault on the rule of law. It is to be imbibed that this Court are not only guardians of rule of law but its trumpeter also and are ever ready to confront those who would make an attempt to under- mine the rule of law. It is made clear that this Court would always endeavour to see that Enactments, Statutory Rules and policy decisions taken by elected representatives of people i.e. legislative and political executive which are constitutional are complied with faithfully by all bureaucrats including local bodies. Protection of people is possible only when governance is impartial and law is not `held in abe- yance.

(7). The State Government in exercise of its power conferred under sub-sec. (1) of Sec. 279 of the Act of 1959 read with Sections 80 and 90 thereof and Section 102-A of the Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956 (hereinafter referred as `Act No. 15 of 1956) has made Rules, which may be called `Rajasthan Municipalities (Disposal of Urban Land) Rules, 1974 (hereinafter referred to as `the Rules of 1974) regula- ting disposal of land belonging to Municipal Board within its municipal limits. Rule 3 o

































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