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1991 JLJ 101
Dr. T.N. Singh and Shacheendra Dwivedi, JJ.
Mahesh Chandra Gupta v. State of M.P. and others
M.P. No. 1493 of 1990;
Decided on 21.9.1990.
(2) Inherent Powers --- cannot be exercised to nullify express statutory provisions to the contrary. AIR 1962 SC 527 followed. [Para 5
(3) Madhyastham Adhikaran Adhiniyam, 1983 (M.P.) --- Ss. 7(3), 8 and 16 --- reference not accompanied by prescribed fee --- no steps under S. 8 can be taken --- no award can be passed under S. 16. [Para 6
(4) Civil P.C., 1908 --- S. 151 --- inherent powers under --- cannot be exercised by overlooking statutory provisions. AIR 1962 SC 527 followed. [Para 6
(5) Jurisdiction --- is legislative in character --- no Court or Tribunal can confer jurisdiction in itself which is not provided in law. AIR 1986 SC 157 followed. [Para 7
(6) Jurisdiction --- conferred to act in particular manner --- exercise of jurisdiction or powers will involve acting in that manner only. 1988 MPLJ 407 (SC) followed. [Para 7
(7) Madhyastham Adhikaran Adhiniyam, 1983 (M.P.) --- Ss. 7, 8, 10 and 11 --- no regulation can be made and no procedure can be prescribed by Tribunal to nullify S. 7 or S. 8 --- inherent powers can also be not exercised in opposition. 1988 MPLJ 371 relied on. [Para 9
(8) Madhyastham Adhikaran Adhiniyam, 1983 (M.P.) --- Ss. 18 and 24 --- legal fiction created under --- is restrictive --- S. 18 avoids use of inherent powers by the Tribunal. AIR 1956 SC 614 distinguished. AIR 1955 SC 661 and AIR 1973 SC 1016 followed. [Para 11
(9) Words and Phrases --- word "adjudication" --- means "formal giving or pronouncing a judgment or decree". [Para 13
(10) Words and Phrases --- word "arbitration" --- connotes "the reference of a dispute to an impartial person chosen by parties to the dispute to agree in advance to abide by the arbitrator‘s award issued after a hearing at which both parties have an opportunity to be heard." [Para 13
(11) Madhyastham Adhikaran Adhiniyam, 1983 (M.P.) --- Ss. 16 and 19 --Tribunal is not required to pass judgment or give reasons for award --- requirements of S. 16 satisfied --- no revision lies under S. 19. [Para 14
(12) Arbitration Act, 1940 --- S. 30 --- award without reasons --- not assailable on that ground. AIR 1923 PC 66, AIR 1965 SC 219, AIR 1988 SC 1340 and AIR 1988 SC 1198 relied on. [Para 15
(13) Civil P.C., 1908 --- O. 33 --- Tribunal --- has no jurisdiction to examine indigence of any party --- it possesses no inherent powers to grant exemption from payment of court-fees. AIR 1988 SC 752 followed. [Para 20
¼1½ ek/;LFke~ vf/kdj.k vf/kfu;e] 1983 ¼e-iz-½ && /kkjk 3 && blds v/khu xfBr vf/kdj.k && flfoy U;k;ky; ugha gS && flfoy U;k;ky;dh varfuZfgr ‘kfDr;k¡ mls izkIr ugha gSaA 1990 ts ,y ts 386 ¼iw.kZ ihB½ izHksfnrA ¿ iSjk 5 ¼2½ varfuZfgr ‘kfDr;k¡ && izfrdwy dkuwuh mica/kksa dks vd`r djus ds fy, iz;qDr ugha dh tk ldrhaA , vkb vkj 1962 ,l lh 527 vuqlfjrA ¿ iSjk 5 ¼3½ ek/;LFke~ vf/kdj.k vf/kfu;e] 1983 ¼e-iz-½ && /kkjk 7¼3½] 8 ,oa 16 && funsZ‘k fofgr Qhl ds lkFk ugha && /kkjk 8 ds v/khu dkjZokbZ ugha dh tk ldrh && /kkjk 16 ds v/khu vf/kfu.kZ; ikfjr ugha fd;k tk ldrkA ¿ iSjk 6 ¼4½ flfoy izfØ;k lafgrk] 1908 && /kkjk 151 && varfuZfgr ‘kfDr;k¡ && dkuwuh mica/kksa dh mis{kk djrs gq, iz;qDr ugha dh tk ldrhaA 1962 ,l lh 527 vuqlfjrA ¿ iSjk 6 ¼5½ vf/kdkfjrk && izd`fr ls fo/kk;h gS && dksbZ U;k;ky; vFkok vf/kdj.k Lo;a dks ,slh vf/kdkfjrk iznku ugha dj ldrk tks fof/k esa micaf/kr ugha gksA , vkb vkj 1986 ,l lh 157 vuqlfjrA ¿ iSjk 7 ¼6½ vf/kdkfjrk && fof‘k"V jhfr esa dk;Z djus dks iznÙk && vf/kdkfjrk vFkok ‘kfDr;ksa dks iz;ksx esa dsoy mlh jhfr esa dk;Z djuk varoZfyr gksxkA 1988 ,e ih ,y ts 407 ¼mPpre U;k-½ vuqlfjrA ¿ iSjk 7 ¼7½ ek/;LFke~ vf/kdj.k vf/kfu;e] 1983 ¼e-iz-½ && /kkj 7] 8] 10 ,oa 11 && /kkjk 7 vFkok /kkjk 8 dks vd`r djus ds fy, vf/kdj.k }kjk u dksbZ fofu;e cuk;k tk ldrk gS] u dksbZ izfØ;k gh fofgr dh tk ldrh gS && fojks/k esa varfuZfgr ‘kfDr;k¡ Hkh iz;qDr ugha dh tk ldrhaA 1988 ,e ih ,y ts 371 voyafcrA ¿ iSjk 9 ¼8½ ek/;LFke~ vf/kdj.k vf/kfu;e] 1983 ¼e-iz-½ && /kkjk 18 ,oa 24 && ds v/khu l`ftr fof/kd dYiuk && fucZa/kukRed gS && /kkjk 18 vf/kdj.k dks varfuZfgr ‘kfDr;ksa ds iz;ksx ls ifjoftZr djrh gSA , vkb vkj 1956 ,l lh 614 izHksfnrA , vkb vkj 1955 ,l lh 661 ,oa , vkb vkj 1973 ,l lh 1016 vuqlfjrA ¿ iSjk 11 ¼9½ ‘‘kCn vkSj okD; && ‘‘kCn ^^U;k; fu.kZ;u** && rkRi;Z ^^vkSipkfjd :i ls fu.kZ; vFkok fMØh iznku djus vFkok lqukus** ls gSA ¿ iSjk 13 ¼10½ ‘‘kCn vkSj okD; && ‘‘kCn ^^ek/;LFke~** && rkRi;Z gS ^^fookn ds i{kdkjksa }kjk p;u fd, x, fu"i{k O;fDr dks fookn dk funsZ‘k fd, tkus ls gS ftlesa ,slh lquokbZ ds i‘pkr~] ftlesa nksuksa i{kdkjksa dks lquokbZ dk volj gks] e/;LFk ds vf/kfu.kZ; dk ikyu djus ds fy, nksuksa i{kdkj iwoZ ls gh lger gks x, gksaA** ¿ iSjk 13 ¼11½ ek/;LFke~ vf/kdj.k vf/kfu;e] 1983 ¼e-iz-½ && /kkjk 16 rFkk 19 && vf/kdj.k }kjk vf/kfu.kZ; gsrq fu.kZ; ikfjr djuk vFkok dkj.k fn, tkuk visf{kr ugha gS && /kkjk 16 dh vis{kk,¡ rq"V gksus ij && /kkjk 19 ds v/khu iqujh{k.k ugha gksxkA ¿ iSjk 14 ¼12½ ek/;LFke~ vf/kfu;e] 1940 && /kkjk 30 && dkj.k jfgr vf/kfu.kZ; && bl vk/kkj ij vk{ksi ;ksX; ugha gSA , vkb vkj 1923 ih lh 66] , vkb vkj 1965 ,l lh 219] , vkb vkj 1988 ,l lh 1340 ,oa , vkb vkj 1988 ,l lh 1198 voyafcrA ¿ iSjk 15 ¼13½ flfoy izfØ;k lafgrk] 1908 && vk- 33 && vf/kdj.k && fdlh Hkh i{k dh fu/kZurk ds ijh{k.k dh vf/kdkfjrk ugha gS && mls U;k;ky; Qhl ds Hkqxrku ls NwV iznku djus dh varfuZfgr vf/kdkfjrk izkIr ugha gSA , vkb vkj 1988 ,l lh 752 vuqlfjrA ¿ iSjk 20
Dr. T.N. Singh, J. -- 1. Petitioner was registered as A-II Class Contractor in the Irrigation Department on 4.10.1985. His registration is valid for five years. He had done some work for the Department and in that connection, he raised a "dispute" claiming Rs.3,60,214/- from the Department by way of a reference made to the Tribunal constituted under the Madhya Pradesh Madhyastham Adhikaran Adhiniyam, 1983, for short, 'the Adhiniyam'. He did not pay the requisite court-fee, but made an application that he be treated as an indigent person and allowed to pursue the reference application without payment of court-fee. By order dated 10.7.1990, his prayer being rejected by the Tribunal, he has challenged that order before us on the writ side.
2. Although in the impugned order, the Tribunal has found that the applicant/petitioner was possessed of sufficient means to pay the requisite court-fee of Rs.11,942/-, in this Court, the legal plea forcefully pressed by Government Advocate, Shri S.B. Mishra, is that provisions of order 33, CPC being not applicable to the proceedings before the Tribunal and otherwise too, there being no inherent jurisdiction vested in that forum to entertain a reference under section 7 of the Adhiniyam without payment of court-fee, the petitioner can have no grievance and on that ground, the impugned order ought to be maintained. Being required, therefore, to examine the important question of law which Shri Mishra has raised, we requested Shri R.D. Jain to act as amicus curiae as the petitioner appeared in person and addressed us himself from which we found no assistance. The matter was first heard on 27.8.1990, but Shri R.D. Jain addressed us on 4.9.1990, as amicus curiae.
3. Before we proceed to deal with the arguments advanced by Shri Jain, we would like to refer to salient features of the Adhiniyam. In the long title the object of the Adhiniyam stated is "to arbitrate in disputes to which the State Government or a Public Undertaking owned or controlled by the State Government, is a party, and for matters incidental there or connected therewith." The term "dispute" defined in section 2(d), "means any difference relating to any claim valued at Rs.50,000/- or more, arising out of the execution or non-execution of a works contract or part thereof"; sub-section (2) contemplates that words and expressions used but not defined in the Adhiniyam, would have the meaning assigned to them in the Arbitration Act, 1940. The Tribunal is constituted with the Chairman who must be or had been Judge of a High Court and with other members who may be a District Judge of seven years standing or a person holding for not less than five years the post of Revenue Commissioner or other post of equivalent rank and indeed, he may also be a Chief Engineer in the Public Works, Irrigation or Public Health Engineering Department, holding that post for not less than five years. Chapter III deals with commencement of proceeding before Tribunal and procedure of Tribunal, containing sections 8 to 15; Chapter IV is concerned with award and orders of Tribunal or its Benches, embracing sections 16 to 18. High Court's power of revision, contemplated under section 19 is provided in Chapter V. Miscellaneous provisions are made in Chapter VI which contains sections 22 to 29.
4. Some of the relevant provisions, crucial to the decision of the question agitated, we extract below:
"7. Reference to Tribunal : (1) Either party to a works contract shall irrespective of, the fact whether the agreement contains an arbitration clause or not, refer in writing the dispute to the Tribunal.
(2) Such reference shall be drawn up in such form as may be prescribed and shall be supported by an affidavit verifying the averments.
(3) The reference shall be accompanied by such fee as may be prescribed."
"16. Award : (1) The Tribunal shall after recording evidence, if necessary and after perusing the material on record and on affording opportunity to parties to submi
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