2007 Supreme(Raj) 1171
(Rajasthan High Court)
Honble DINESH MAHESHWARI, J.
Rajasthan Mahila Parishad - Appellant
Versus
Appellate Rent Tribunal & Ors. - Respondents
S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 4265 of 2006
Decided On : September 03, 2007
Manish Shishodia, for Petitioner;
Headnote:Rajasthan Rent Control Act, 2001, Sec. 3, 6 – Application of exclusion clauses – Petitioner is a registered society and public trust and 90% aided educational institution – Landlord filed application u/S. 6 for revision of rent of the premises let to it – Claimed exclusion of Chapter II and III of the Act with reference to clauses (viii) and (iv) of Sec. 3 – Held – Chapters II and III do not apply when premises are let to the entities mentioned in clause (x) and (xi) – Clause (viii) has no application – The premises in question belong to private individuals, the landlord is entitled to receive the rent – The expression ``belonging to in Sec. 3 does not refer to tenant but refers only to landlord.(Paras 15 to 17, 20 to 24) Writ petition dismissed.
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(2). The learned Rent Tribunal by its order dated 09.02.2004 (Annex.10) considered and rejected the basic submission of the petitioner about exclusion of Chapters II and III of the Act with reference to clauses (viii) and (iv) of Section 3 of the Act with the finding that the premises in question belong to the private persons and the provisions referred by the petitioner apply in relation to the premises belonging to or of the ownership of certain trusts or bodies; and the petitioner being only a tenant, exclusion clauses do not apply.
(3). Thereafter, by its order dated 29.07.2004 (Annex.12) the Tribunal proceeded to revise the rent taking the basic rent at Rs.800/- per month as on 15.07.1982 and determined the same as per the provisions of Section 6 of the Act at Rs.2]634/- per month as on 15.07.2003 and directed payment of revised rent from the date of filing of the application i.e., 18.08.2003.
(4). Taking an appeal, the petitioner contended before the Appellate Rent Tribunal, Udaipur that it being 90% aided institution, for all practical purposes the enhanced rate shall be payable by the State Government; and that as per Section 3 of the Act, the petitioner being an educational institution, the provisions of Chapters II and III are not applicable to it. The learned Appellate Rent Tribunal has observed that the solitary question was as to whether or not the exclusion provisions are applicable where the individuals rented out the premises to such educational institutions. The Appellate Rent Tribunal has referred to the relevant clauses of Section 3 of the Act and has rejected the contention of the petitioner with the observation that various clauses of Section 3 use different expressions, namely belonging to, let out by and let to; and that, for the context, meaning of these words is clear; that the phrase belonging to denotes something more than simple tenancy and somewhat towards ownership; that let out means the persons who created tenancy; and that the phrase let to refers to the tenant. The Appellate Tribunal has observed that the premises let to the appellant are not covered under Section 3 of the Act; and, while endorsing the decision of the Rent Tribunal, has dismissed the appeal. Hence this writ petition.
(5). Learned counsel Mr.Manish Shishodia appearing for the petitioner-tenant has strenuously contended that the concept of ownership cannot be imported into the words belonging to as used in various clauses of Section 3 of the Act; and that, in their context, words are required to be given wide meaning and when the premises are let to the Trust or the Institution like the petitioner, the provisions contained in Chapters II and III would not apply for such exclusion clauses as contained in Section 3 of the Act. Learned counsel submitted that the petitioner is a notified Trust and in the circumstances of the case, no application for revision of r