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2008(2) JLJ 364
(SUPREME COURT)
S.B. Sinha and V.S. Sirpurkar, JJ.
State of M.P. and another v. Anshuman Shukla
Civil Appeal No.3498 of 2008 : against the order of M.P. High Court, Jabalpur passed by Full Bench in Civil Revision No. 1330; Decided on 12.5.2008.
Held : The Tribunal is not one which can be said to be a domestic Tribunal. The members of the Tribunal are not nominated by the parties. The disputants do not have any control over their appointment. The Tribunal may reject a reference at the threshold. It has the power to summon records. It has the power to record evidence. Its functions are not limited to one Bench. The Chairman of the Tribunal can refer the disputes to another Bench. Its decision is final. It can award costs. It can award interests. The finality of the decision is fortified by a legal fiction created by making an award a decree of a civil Court. It is executable as a decree of a civil Court. The award of the Arbitral Tribunal is not subject to the provisions of the Arbitration Act, 1940 and the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1944. The provisions of the said Acts have no application.
We are, therefore, of the opinion that the Tribunal for all intent and purport is a Court. The Tribunal has to determine a lis. There are two parties before it. Its proceedings are judicial proceedings subject to the revisional order which may be passed by the High Court.
If the Tribunal is a Court, a fortiori sub-section (2) of section 29 would apply. As it is a Court it was not necessary for the legislature to confer power under section 5 of the 1963 Act specifically. In that view of matter, an application under section 5 of the Limitation Act would be maintainable. 2003(11) MPWN 152 (DB) and 2005(2) JLJ 316 (FB) reversed. (2003)2 SCC 577 and (2001)8 SCC 470 distinguished. ILR (4) Cal. 483 (FB), AIR 1954 Pat. 289, AIR 1976 A.P. 270, AIR 1967 All. LJ 5, 71 Bom. LR 732 approved. AIR 1956 SC 66, (1981) 1 SCC 436 and AIR 1967 SC 1494 relied on. [Paras 22, 23 & 27
ek/;LFke~ vf/kdj.k vf/kfu;e] 1983 ¼e-iz-½ && /kkjk 19 && ifjlhek vf/kfu;e] 1963 && /kkjk 5 rFkk 29¼2½ && 1983 ds vf/kfu;e ds v/khu vf/kdj.k leLr vk‘k; vkSj rkRi;Z ds fy, U;k;ky; gS && /kkjk 29¼2½ mldh dk;Zokfg;ksa dks ykxw gksrh gS && 1983 ds vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 19 ds v/khu mPp U;k;ky; ds le{k iqujh{k.k && /kkjk 5 ykxw gksrh gS && mPp U;k;ky; }kjk foyac ekQ fd;k tk ldrk gSA
vfHkfu/kkZfjr % vf/kdj.k ,slk ugha ftls foHkkxh; vf/kdj.k dgk tk ldrkA vf/kdj.k ds lnL; i{kdkjksa }kjk ukefufnZ"V ugha gSaA fooknhx.k dk mudh fu;qfDr ij dksbZ fu;a=.k ugha gSA vf/kdj.k fdlh funsZ‘k ds vkjaHk esa gh [kkfjt dj ldrk gSA mls vfHkys[k ek¡xus dh ‘kfDr gSA mls lk{; vfHkfyf[kr djus dh ‘kfDr gSA mlds d`R; ,d U;k;ihB rd lhfer ugha gSaA vf/kdj.k dk ihBklhu vf/kdkjh fookn vU; U;k;ihB dks funsZf‘kr dj ldrk gSA mldk fofu‘p; vafre gSA mlds }kjk [kpZ vf/kfu.khZr fd;k tk ldrk gSA mlds }kjk C;kt vf/kfu.khZr fd;k tk ldrk gSA fofu‘p; dh vafrerk vf/kfu.kZ; dks flfoy U;k;ky; dh fMØh cukus dks l`ftr fof/kd dYiuk ls n`<+ dh xbZ gSA og flfoy U;k;ky; dh fMØh dh Hkk¡fr fu‘ik| gSA ek/;LFke~ vf/kdj.k dk vf/kfu.kZ; ek/;LFke~ vf/kfu;e] 1940 rFkk ek/;LFke~ vkSj lqyg vf/kfu;e] 1944 ds mica/kksa ds v/;/khu ugha gSA mDr vf/kfu;eksa ds mica/k ykxw ugha gksrsA
vr% gekjh jk; gS fd vf/kdj.k leLr vk‘k; vkSj rkRi;Z ds fy, U;k;ky; gSA vf/kdj.k dks eqdnes dk vo/kkj.k djuk gksrk gSA mlds le{k nks i{k gksrs gSaA mldh dk;Zokfg;k¡ U;kf;d dk;Zokfg;k¡ gksrh gSa tks mPp U;k;ky; }kjk ikfjr fd, tkus okys iqujh{k.k vkns‘k ds v/;/khu gksrh gSaA
vf/kdj.k U;k;ky; gS] lqrjke~ /kkjk 29 dh mi/kkjk ¼2½ ykxw gksxhA D;ksafd og U;k;ky; gS] fo/kku eaMy }kjk 1963 ds vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 5 ds v/khu fofufnZ"Vr% ‘kfDr iznÙk dh tkus dh vko‘;drk ugha FkhA bl n`f"V ls] ifjlhek vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 5 ds v/khu vkosnu pykus ;ksX; gksxkA 2003¼2½ e-iz- ohDyh uksV~l 152 ¼[kaM U;k;ihB½ rFkk 2005¼2½ ts ,y ts 316 ¼iw.kZ U;k;ihB½ myVs x,A ¼2003½2 ,l lh lh 577 rFkk ¼2001½8 ,l lh lh 470 izHksfnrA vkb ,y vkj ¼4½ dy- 483 ¼iw.kZ U;k;ihB½] , vkb vkj 1954 iVuk 289] , vkb vkj 1976 vka/kz izns‘k 270] , vkb vkj 1967 byk- ,y ts 5] 71 cacbZ ,y vkj 732 vuqeksfnrA , vkb vkj 1956 ,l lh 66] ¼1981½1 ,l lh lh 436 rFkk , vkb vkj 1967 ,l lh 1494 voyafcrA ¼iSjk 22] 23 ,oa 27
Sinha, J. -- 1. Leave granted.
2. Applicability of section 5 of the. Limitation Ad, 1963 (for short the 1963 Act) in the matter of entertaining a revision application before the High Court in terms of section 19 of the Madhya Pradesh Madhyastharn Adhikaran Adhiniyam, 1983 (for short the Act) is involved in this appeal which arises out of a judgment and order dated 30th June, 2005 passed by a Full Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur in Civil Revision No. 1330 of 2003 { See M.P. State Electricity Board, Jabalpur v. M/s. Pandey Construction Co. [2005(2) JLJ 316]}.
3. Before embarking on the said question we may notice the statutory provisions of the Act for resolution of the legal issue. The Act carne into force with effect from 1st March, 1985. It was enacted to provide for the establishment of a Tribunal to arbitrate on disputes to which the State Government or a Public Undertaking (wholly or substantially owned or controlled by the State Government), is a party, and for matters incidental thereto or connected therewith. The Arbitral Tribunal is constituted in terms of section 3 of the Act for resolving all disputes and differences pertaining to works contract or arising out of or connected with execution, discharge or satisfaction of any such works contract. Section 7 provides for reference to Tribunal. Such reference may be made irrespective of the fact as to whether the agreement contains an arbitration clause or not. Section 7 A provides for the particulars on the basis whereof the reference petition is to be filed. Section 7B provides for limitation for filing an application, which is in the following terms :
"7B. Limitation -- (1) The Tribunal shall not admit a reference petition unless --
(a) the dispute is first referred for the decision of the final authority under the terms of the works contract; and
(b) the petition to the Tribunal is made within one year from the date of communication of the decision of the final authority:
Provided that if the final authority fails to decide the dispute within a period of six months from the date of reference to it, the petition to the Tribunal shall be made within one year of the expiry of the said period of six months.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where no proceeding has been commenced at all before any Court preceding the date of commencement of this Act or after such commencement but before the commencement of the Madhya Pradesh Madhyastham Adhikaran (Sanshodhan) Adhiniyam, 1990, a reference petition shall be entertained within one year of the date of commencement of Madhya Pradesh Madhyastham Adhikaran (Sanshodhan) Adhiniyam, 1990 irrespective of the fact whether a decision has or has not been made by the final authority under the agreement.
(2A) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the Tribunal shall not admit a reference petition unless it is made within three years from the date on which the works contract is terminated, foreclosed, abandoned or comes to an end in any other manner or when a dispute arises during the pendency of the works contract :
Provided that if a reference petition is filed by the State Government, such period shall be thirty years."
4. Chapter IV of the Act contains sections 16 to 18. Section 16 deals with passing of an award by the Tribunal and/or its Benches. Section 17 gives finality to the award made thereunder. Such awards made, in terms of section 18 would be deemed to be a decree which the meaning of section 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. Section 19 confers a power of revision on the High Court, sub-section (1) whereof reads as under:
"19. High Court/'s power of revision. -- (1) The High Court may suo motu at any time or on an application for revision made to it within three months of the award by an aggrieved party, call for the record of any case in which an award has been made under this Act by issuing a requisition to the Tribunal and upon receipt of such requisition, the Tribuna
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