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1957 Supreme(MP) 140

High Court Of Madhya Pradesh
M. Hidayatullah, C. J. , V. R. Sen and B. K. Choudhuri, JJ.
NATHULAL - Appellant
Versus
RATANSI - Respondents
Second Appeal 800 Of 1954
Decided On : 08/20/1957

Advocates Appeared:
D.L.JAYAVANT, J.P.SANGHI, V.K.SANGHI

Sub-clause (8) of Clause 13 of the House Rent Control Order is a valid exercise of the State Legislature's power to regulate accommodation and does not conflict with the Transfer of Property Act.

Headnote:

LETTING OF HOUSES AND RENT CONTROL ORDER - VALIDITY - C. P. AND BERAR REGULATION OF LETTING OF ACCOMMODATION ACT, 1946 - TRANSFER OF PROPERTY ACT - SPLITTING OF TENANCY - SUB-CLAUSE (8) OF CLAUSE 13 OF THE HOUSE RENT CONTROL ORDER - INTERPRETATION - VALIDITY OF NOTICE TO EVICT TENANT FROM PORTION OF PREMISES.

Fact of the Case:

Tenant challenged the validity of a notice to evict him from a portion of the premises, arguing that it resulted in a splitting of tenancy and was contrary to the Transfer of Property Act. The tenant also contended that the C. P. and Berar Regulation of Letting of Accommodation Act, 1946, and the House Rent Control Order were ultra vires.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the House Rent Control Order was effective notwithstanding the Transfer of Property Act or any other existing law. The court found that Sub-clause (8) of Clause 13 of the House Rent Control Order did not go beyond the provisions of Section 2 of the C. P. and Berar Regulation of Letting of Accommodation Act and was a valid exercise of the State Legislature's power to regulate accommodation.

Issues: 1. Whether the notice to evict the tenant from a portion of the premises was valid. 2. Whether the C. P. and Berar Regulation of Letting of Accommodation Act, 1946, and the House Rent Control Order were ultra vires.

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court interpreted Sub-clause (8) of Clause 13 of the House Rent Control Order as allowing the Rent Controller to permit the landlord to evict the tenant from a portion of the premises, even if the landlord wanted the entire portion. 2. The court held that the C. P. and Berar Regulation of Letting of Accommodation Act, 1946, and the House Rent Control Order were intra vires the provincial legislature and did not conflict with the Transfer of Property Act.

Final Decision: The court answered the questions against the tenant and remanded the case to the Single Judge for a decision on the merits.

( 1 ) THIS case comes before the Full Bench on a reference by Choudhuri J. The appeal arises out of a civil suit filed after notice with the permission of the Rent controller, and the dispute is as to the validity of the notice which has been served upon the tenant. Admittedly, the tenant was asked to be evicted from only a portion of the house, and the contention of the tenant is that the notice served on him, was invalid and further that if the notice were held to flow from the C. P. and berar Letting of Houses and Rent Control Order, 1949, the C. P. and Berar regulation of Letting of Accommodation Act, 1946, and the House Rent Control order are ultra vires in material particulars.

( 2 ) THE case was sent to this Full Bench for final decision, but we think it better that we should express ourselves only on the questions of Law which have been raised before us and leave the matter to the learned Single Judge. Fortunately the referring Judge is with us and he agrees that this is the best course.

( 3 ) THE first contention of the tenant is that under the Transfer of Property Act, there can be no splitting up of a tenancy, and either the tenancy has to continue as a whole or has to be terminated in its entirety. By giving permission to the landlord to evict the tenant from a portion of the premises there is a splitting up of tenancy and a new tenancy in respect of the portion retained by the tenant will emerge. According to the tenant, this is not possible under the Transfer of property Act and therefore, the order made by the Rent Controller was illegal and cannot be given effect to. In the alternative, the tenant asks that if such a permission naturally flows from sub-clause (8) of clause 13 of the Rent Control Order, then the clause itself is ultra vires being in conflict not only with the general scheme of the C. P. and Berar regulation of Letting of Accommodation Act, but also in conflict with the Transfer of Property Act. The learned Counsel for the tenant contends that if the clause be effective and valid under the Act, then the Act itself is illegal and ultra vires.

( 4 ) BEGINNING with the last argument first, it has been laid down in a Full Bench decision of the Nagpur High Court reported in Balkishan,' v. Totaldas, (S) AIR 1955 Nag 246 (A) that the Act is intra vires the provincial legislature. Indeed, the same result follows on analogy from a decision of their Lordships of the Supreme court reported in Harishankar Bagla v. State of Madhya Pradesh, 1958 SCR 380 : (AIR 1954 SC 465) (B ). Section G of the C. P. and Berar Regulation of Letting of accommodation Act was impugned before the Full Bench of the Nagpur High Court and was held to be valid and effective. As a consequence of the validity of section 6 of the Act, the House Rent Control Order, which has been made, makes room in the existing law for the rules contained in that Order- Those rules therefore become paramount, and though they do not abrogate or repeal the existing law, they have to be enforced without the bar of the ordinary existing law. The result thus reached is that the Rent Control Order is effective notwithstanding the transfer of Property Act or any other law that may be in existence for the time being.

( 5 ) IT was contended that Sub-clause (8) of clause 13 of the House Rent Control order does not flow naturally from the C. P. and Berar Regulation of Letting of accommodation Act, and it is argued that that merely envisages the regulating of accommodation as laid down in Section 2 of the Act. The opeing portion of section 2 clearly envisages the regulating of accommodation, and the rule which has been enacted in the House Rent Control Order does not more than that. The power to control or regulate accommodation is a power conceded to the State Legislature by the State List. It is so not only now but was so even under the Government of India Act, 1935. The power, therefore, was properly exercised and Sub-clause (8) does no more than regulate the oc






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