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2023 Supreme(All) 2497

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
CHANDRA KUMAR RAI, J.
Rajendar Prasad - Petitioner
Versus
Deputy Director of Consolidation, Varanasi and 3 ors. - Respondents
WRIT - B NO. -1212 OF 2020.
Decided On : 27-03-2023

Advocates appeared:
For the Petitioner: Suresh Chandra Pandey.
For the Respondent: C.S.C., Bhupendra Kumar Tripathi, Sunil Kumar Singh.

Headnote:(A) U.P. Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1953 - Section 21(1), Section 48 - Jurisdiction of Consolidation authorities - The Deputy Director of Consolidation cannot exercise review jurisdiction to set aside interim orders in a pending case. (Paras 4, 10, 16, 17)

(B) Principles of Natural Justice - The need for providing opportunity of hearing is a vital component of fairness in proceedings, implicitly relying on relevant case law. (Paras 2, 5, 12)

Facts of the case:
The petitioner challenged the order of the Deputy Director of Consolidation related to plot allotments and jurisdiction over review of orders, citing lack of opportunity for hearing.

Findings of Court:
The Deputy Director's actions did not constitute a review as the revision was still pending, so the full Bench ruling on review applicability was deemed not applicable.

Issues: Whether the Deputy Director of Consolidation had jurisdiction to review interim orders in the context of a pending revision case.

Ratio Decidendi: The court determined that interim orders can be called for in the interest of justice and that the principles governing the exercise of jurisdiction must be adhered to.

Result: Writ petition dismissed.

Table of Content
1. petitioner's plot exchange and order details. (Para 2)
2. arguments on review jurisdiction by deputy director. (Para 4 , 5 , 6)
3. pending status of revision and analysis of orders. (Para 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13)
4. deputy director cannot review final orders. (Para 14 , 15)
5. writ petition dismissed; no interference justified. (Para 17 , 18)

JUDGMENT

Chandra Kumar Rai, J.

Heard Sri Suresh Chandra Pandey, learned counsel for the petitioner, learned Standing Counsel for the State-respondents and Sri Bhupendra Kumar Tripathi, learned counsel for the Gaon Sabha.

2. Briefs facts of the case are that Plot No. 526/15 which originally belongs to petitioner was exchanged by the order of Assistant Consolidation Officer and petitioner was allotted Plot No. 526/29 area 4.5 air (!"#) in lieu of his Plot No. 526/15 in the proceeding under Section 21 (1) of U.P. Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1953, and order dated 13.06.2008 was passed by the respondent no.3/Consolidation Officer Pindra, Varansi, allotting Plot No. 557 area 112 air (!"#) without giving opportunity of hearing to the petitioner as the petitioner was not impleaded in the proceeding. Petitioner filed an appeal no. 62/110/182 on 18.04.2011 challenging the order dated 13.06.2008 passed by the respondent no.3/Consolidation Officer Pindra, Varansi. The appeal was accompanied by application under Section 5 of the LIMITATION ACT . Respondent no.2/Settlement Officer of Consolidation, Varanasi, vide order dated 13.02.2014 condoned delay in filing the appeal as well as partly allowed the appeal and modified the order of Consolidation Officer dated 13.06.2008 resulting into the allotment of Plot No. 526/28 area 0.074 air (!"#) to the petitioner. Petitioner challenged the appellate order dated 13.02.2014 through revision under Section 48 of U.P. Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1953 along with the application for condonation of delay in filing the revision. In revision the prayer was made for allotment of Plot No. 150/7 and 150/8 as Plot No. 526/28 which was allotted to the petitioner by appellate Court, was already allotted to some other tenure holder. The revision was numbered as Revision No. 847 of 2020. In the aforementioned revision on 23.06.2020, respondent no.1/Deputy Director, Consolidation, Varanasi called for report and 1.07.2020 was fixed for orders. In pursuance of the order dated 23.06.2020, a report was submitted on 27.06.2020 by the Assistant Consolidation Officer, alongwith the Chak amendment table mentioning the Plot No. 150/7 and 150/8 should be allotted to the petitioner. On 01.07.2020 next date 14.07.2020 was fixed. On 14.07.2020 record of Gaon Sabha was summoned and next date was fixed on which date the Deputy Director of Consolidation seen the record and fixed 04.08.2020 in the revision. On 17.08.2020, Deputy Director of Consolidation passed an order calling for another Chak amendment table alongwith record in order to decide the dispute in proper manner and 18.08.2020 was fixed. Petitioner filed an application to recall the order dated 17.08.2020. The Deputy Director of Consolidation vide order dated 20.08.2020 set aside the orders dated 20.03.2020 and 17.08.2020 and summoned the original file of the courts below to decide the matter afresh and also cancelled the earlier Chak amendment table fixing 27.08.2000 in the matter. Hence, this writ petition.

3. This Court on 21.10.2020 entertained the writ petition and granted the interim order staying the further proceeding of Revision No. 847 of 2020. In pursuance of the order dated 21.10.2020 the State has filed his counter affidavit alongwith stay vacation application and petitioner has filed rejoinder affidavit also.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that Deputy Director of Consolidation has actually exercised the jurisdiction of review while passing the order dated 20.08.2020 in setting aside the earlier orders dated 23.06.2020 in 17.08.2020 by which the Chak amendment table/report were

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