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2012 Supreme(MP) 416
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Sujoy Paul, J.
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Aseem Vaishya v. Union of India and Others
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fu.khZr fnukad 25-7-2012A
Writ Petition No. 7147 of 2011 (Gwalior);
Decided on 25.7.2012.
ds-,l- rksej vkj-Ogh-‘kekZ lfgr ;kph dh vksj ls( Jherh laxhrk ipkSjh] mi- ljdkjh vf/koDrk jkT; dh vksj lsA
K.S. Tomar with R.V. Sharma for petitioner; Smt. Sangita Pachauri, Dy. Government Advocate for State.
Headnote:¼1½ Hkw&jktLo lafgrk] 1959 ¼e-iz-½ & /kkjk 1¼2½] 57 rFkk 264& mica/kksa dk ykxw gksuk & Hkkjrh; ou vf/kfu;e] 1927 ds varxZr vkjf{kr rFkk lajf{kr Hkwfe & Hkw&jktLo ds Hkqxrku ds fy,] Hkw&jktLo ds fu/kkZj.k] Hkw&jktLo olwy djus rFkk mlds leLr vkuq”kafxd mica/kksa ds fya, &1959 dh lafgrk ds moca/k ykxw gksaxsA ¼2006½A ,l-lh-lh-1 izHksfnrA ¼iSjk 8
¼2½ Hkw&jktLo lafgrk] 1959 ¼e-iz-½ & /kkjk 2¼u½] 59 rFkk 181 & iSVªksy iai LFkkfir djus ds fy, ou Hkwfe dk iêk iznku fd;k x;k& iêsnkj ljdkjh iêsnkj gS & og Hkwfe Lokeh ugha gS & ml ij iêk HkkVd rFkk izhfe;e vf/kjksfir fd;k tk ldrk gSA ¼iSjk 8
¼3½ Hkw&jktLo lafgrk] 1959 ¼e-iz-½ & /kkjk 58& Hkw&jktLo & ls vfHkizsr & blesa Hkwfe;ksa ds fy, jkT; ljdkj dks Hkqxrku ;ksX; leLr /ku lfEefyr gSa & bl izdkj izhfe;e] iêk HkkVd] izeqfDr&HkkVd vFkok fdlh vf/kfu;fefr] fu;e] lafonk ;k foys[k ls mRiUu dksbZ vU; /ku Hkh Hkw&jktLo esa lfEefyr gSa & iêk HkkVd rFkk izhfe;e vf/kjksi.k ds fo”k; esa ‘krZ Ø-5 & vf/kdkfjrk jfgr ugha gSA ¼iSjk 8
¼4½ Hkw&jktLo lafgrk] 1959 ¼e-iz-½ & /kkjk 264 & ou ¼laj{k.k½ vf/kfu;e] 1980 & /kkjk 2 & ou Hkwfe & dsanzh; ljdkj ds iwoZ vuqeksnu ds i’pkr~ iV~Vk iznku fd;k x;k & ,slh Hkwfe dsanzh; ljkdkj dh Hkwfe gksuk ugha ekuk tk ldrk & lafgrk dh /kkjk 264 ds mica/k vkdf”kZr ugha gksrs & 1980 ds vf/kfu;e rFkk e-iz- Hkw&jktLo lafgrk ds e/; esa dksbZ fojks/kkHkk”k ugha & fo’ks”k vf/kfu;e dk lkekU; ij vfeHkkoh gksus dk iz’u & mRiUu ugha gksrkA 2012 ¼4½ ,l-lh-lh- 148 izesfnrA ¼iSjk 9 rFkk 10
¼5½ Hkw&jktLo lafgrk] 1959 ¼e-iz-½ & /kkjk 2¼u½] 58 rFkk 59¼5½ & Hkwfe dk iV~Vk & iV~Vk HkkVd rFkk izhfe;e Hkqxrku djus dk nkf;Ro & iV~Vsnkj fodykax & og iV~Vk HkkVd rFkk izhfe;e dk Hkqxrku djus ls foHkqDr ugha gSA ¼iSjk 11
¼6½ Hkkjr dk lafo/kku & vuq- 14 & lekurk & dk udkjkRed nkok ugha fd;k tk ldrk &;fn fdlh O;fDr dks dksbZ voS/k fj;k;r ;k Qk;nk iznku fd;k x;k gS & U;k;ky; }kjk vuqlfjr djus ds fy, ;g mnkgj.k ugha gks ldrk & voS/krk dks dk;e j[kuk vuqer ugha fd;k tk ldrkA ¼iSjk 11
(1) Land Revenue Code, 1959 (M.P.) -- Ss.1(2), 57 and 264 -- applicability of provisions - reserved and protected forest land under Indian Forest Act, 1927 -- for payment of land revenue, assessment of land revenue, realisation of land revenue and all provisions ancillary thereto -- provisions of Code of 1959 will be applicable. (2006)1 SCC1 distinguished. [Para 8
(2) Land Revenue Code, 1959 (M.P.) -- Ss.2(t),59 and 181 -- lease of forest land granted to establishment of petrol pump - lessee is a Government lessee -- he is not Bhumiswami -- lease rent and premium can be imposed upon him. [Para 8
(3) Land Revenue Code, 1959 (M.P.) -- S. 58 -- land revenue -- means of -- it includes all moneys payable to State Government for lands -- thus premium, lease rent, quit-rent or any other money arising out of any enactment, rule, contract or deed are also included in land revenue -- condition No.5 about imposition of lease rent and premium -- is not without jurisdiction. [Para 8
(4) Land Revenue Code, 1959 (M.P.) -- S.264 -- Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 -- S.2 -- forest land -- lease granted after prior approval of Central Government -- such land cannot be treated to be land of Central Government -- provisions of section 264 of Code not attracted -- no conflict between Act of 1980 and M.P. Land Revenue Code -- question of prevailing of Special Act over General Act -- does not arise. (2012) 4 SCC 148 distinguished. [Paras 9 and 10
(5) Land Revenue Code, 1959 (M.P.) -- Ss.2(t), 58 and 59(5) -- lease of land -- liability of payment of lease rent and premium -- lessee handicapped -- he is not exempted from payment of lease rent and premium. [Para 11
(6) Constitution of India -- Art. 14 -- equality -- cannot be claimed negative -- if some illegal concession or benefit is granted to somebody -- it cannot become example to be followed by Courts of law -- illegality cannot be permitted to be perpetuated. [Para 11
1. In this petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution, the petitioner has challenged the condition No.5 mentioned in Annexure P-2 dated 11.5.2011. Pursuant to an application submitted by the petitioner for providing him the land for use for establishment of a petrol pump, Ministry of Environment and forest (for brevity ‘Ministry’) issued the order dated 25.4.2011, whereby a conditional approval was given for establishment of petroleum outlet on the land in question. In clause 5 of the letter of the said Ministry, Annexure P-1, it is mentioned that the State Government may impose any other condition on petitioner. In turn, by Annexure P-2 dated 11.5.2011 the State Government directed the petitioner to pay permium and lease rent before transfer of the revenue forest land. This condition of Annexure P-2 is under challenge in this petition.
2. Brief facts necessary for adjudication of this matter are as under :-
The petitioner, a handicapped person, submitted an application for allotment of forest land at Survey No.1 Village Dongarpur, District Gwalior on 22.4.2006. The stand of the petitioner is that the said land is a forest land in the revenue record since Samvat 1997. The respondent No.8 by communication dated 6.5.2006 intimated that the above land is a Nazul forest land and petitioner was asked to submit proposal on specific format under Forest Conservation Act, 1980 (for brevity ‘Act of 1980’). The petitioner, in turn, submitted the proposal (Annexure P-8) and deposited the registration and processing fees. The registration was done under the Act of 1980 for diversion of 0.720 hectares of land and Registration no.25/06 was given to the petitioner. In turn, the petitioner’s proposal was sent to Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Land Management) by Forest Conservation (respondent No.8) on 28.3.2007. The Collector, Gwalior issued a certificate of non-availability of revenue land elsewhere vide Annexure P-12. The petitioner’s proposal was sent by Chief Forest Conservator (respondent No.6) to the Ministry for approval vide Annexure P-13. The Ministry, in turn, declined the proposal for the reasons stated in Annexure P-14. Subsequently, the petitioner’s proposal was approved as Site Specific and sent again to respondent No.1 by Upper Chief Forest Conservator (Land Management) by communication dated 8-6-2010. The proposal met first stage sanction of Ministry by communication dated 6.7.2010 (Annexure P-16). It was made clear that the nature of forest land shall remain unaltered. Thereafter, a letter dated 7.10.2010 was issued by Upper Chief Conservator of Forest to CCFm Gwalior to get diverted land evaluated on market rates from Collector, Gwalior and to take consent of petitioner to deposit the whole amount. The petitioner submits that this is a fresh condition which was totally impermissible. It is the case of the petitioner that he obtained certain information through his counsel under the RTI Act, which shows that the land in question is a forest land not a revenue land and, therefore, the condition imposed in Annexure P-17 dated 7-10-2010 is contrary to law. By placing reliance on Annexures P/21, P/22 and P/23 to P/26, it is stated that in similar cases no such condition has been imposed by the respondents.
The petitioner submitted his objection to the aforesaid new condition imposed vide Annexure P-28. The petitioner was required to transfer the land situated at village Singhpur for compensatory afforestation in obedience of approval letter of respondent No.1. Subsequently, a land admeasuring 0.720 Hect. at village Aron, Survey No.2035/3/2 was demarcated and handed over to Forest Department for compensatory afforestation by the petitioner on 27.11.2010 and ‘Panchaama’ spot map and demarcation panchnama were prepared and signed by both the parties (Annexure P-30). The aforesaid land of Aron was transferred to Forest Department by registered transfer deed dated 2.12.2010 (Annexure P-31) and it was handed over
