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1999 DIGILAW 246 (KAR)

KANIYANAHUNDI MILK PRODUCERS CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LTD. v. CO-OPERATION DEPT. BY ITS SECRETARY BANGALORE

1999-05-21

CHIDANANDA ULLAL

body1999
CHIDANANDA ULLAL, J. ( 1 ) THE petitioner herein being the Milk Producers' Co-operative society, Heggadadevanakote had filed the instant writ petition with a prayer that this Court be pleased to issue a writ of certiorari or any other appropriate writ, order or direction to quash the calendar of events dated 6. 5. 1999 issued by the respondent No. 4 the Returning Officer, copy at annexure 'd' to writ petition and further for issue of Writ of Mandamus directing the second respondent to amend the bye law on disposal of an earlier writ petition filed by non-party Director of respondent No. 3 Society and further to hold the election in accordance with Section 28-A of the Karnataka co-operative Societies Act. ( 2 ) I heard the learned counsel for the petitioner Sri K. L. Manjunath and sri Jayakumar S. Patil appearing for the contesting respondent No. 3. The learned additional Government Advocate Sri M. N. Ramanjaneyagowda represented the respondent No. 1 State, the respondent No. 2 the Registrar of Co-operative societies and the respondent No. 4 the Headquarters Assistant to the Deputy commissioner, Mysore and the Returning Officer. Hence, Rule is issued. I have also perused the case papers. ( 3 ) I feel it appropriate to advert to the facts of the case in brief. They are as hereunder : that, two of the Directors of the respondent No. 3 Mysore District co-operative Milk Producers' Union Ltd. , had earlier filed W. P. No. 14037/99 with a prayer to quash the order dated 18. 12. 1998 passed by the Registrar of co-operative Societies (respondent No. 2 in that writ petition), whereby the said co-operative authority had passed an order under Section 12 (6) of the co-operative Societies Act to amend the bye law of the respondent No. 3 Society. That, this Court while issuing Rule in the said writ petition stayed the said order of the non-party Registrar of Co-operative Societies, amending the bye law under Section 12 (6) of the Co-operative Societies Act. ( 4 ) THAT, subsequently, the respondent No. 4 came to be appointed as the Returning Officer to hold the election to the respondent No. 8 District Co-operative milk Producers' Union, and upon his appointment, the respondent no. 4 had issued a calendar of events dated 6. 5. ( 4 ) THAT, subsequently, the respondent No. 4 came to be appointed as the Returning Officer to hold the election to the respondent No. 8 District Co-operative milk Producers' Union, and upon his appointment, the respondent no. 4 had issued a calendar of events dated 6. 5. 1999, copy at Annexure 'd' to writ petition, by issuing whereof, he had moved the process of holding the election to the committee of the respondent No. 3 and he further fixed the poll date as 27. 5. 1999. That the petitioner herein had challenged the said calendar of events on the ground that the said election could not be held by the returning Officer since the co-operative sub-divisions came to be changed with the bifurcation of the original Mysore district into Mysore district and chamrajnagar district and further more, the co-operative sub- division called nanjangud sub-division came to be abolished. ( 5 ) THE contesting respondent No. 3 in filing a detailed objection statement had challenged the contention of the petitioner herein, for according to it, the election was proposed to be held by issuance of calendar of events at Annexure 'd' as per the existing bye law and that the earving out of the chamrajnagar district out of the Mysore district and further the abolition of the co-operative sub-division called Nanjangud sub-division and further creation of Chamrajnagar sub-division were of no consequence. It was also the contention of the respondent No. 3 Society that the formation of the revenue divisions was nothing to do with the co-operative divisions and further that the co-operative divisions were formed by the respondent No. 3 Society with reference to the area of operation as contemplated under Rule 13 of the co-operative Societies Rules. ( 6 ) WHEN the matter was before this Court, one Ramakrishna Gowda and 7 others filed I. A. No. 1 to implead themselves as necessary parties to the instant writ petition. When the matter was heard, the said application had not been considered by this Court and the same was lying over. The matter was heard finally by me. That I did, as I thought that the consideration of that I. A. was of no consequence to the final result of the writ petition. When the matter was heard, the said application had not been considered by this Court and the same was lying over. The matter was heard finally by me. That I did, as I thought that the consideration of that I. A. was of no consequence to the final result of the writ petition. ( 7 ) IN the light of the above contentions by the contending parties before me, the sole question that arose for my consideration was as to whether, the election proposed to be held by the respondent No. 4 the Returning Officer could be held in pursuance of the calendar of events, copy at Annexure 'd' to writ petition, issued as per the old bye law, in view of the circumstances that this court had granted interim order in W. P. No. 14037/99, staying the operation of the amended bye law. ( 8 ) THE learned counsel for the petitioner Sri. Manjunath in his argument submitted at the outset that the respondent No. 1 State had passed an order dated 30. 12. 1998, copy at annexure 'f' to rejoinder to the objection statement filed by the respondent No. 3, and that, as per the said Government Order, the original co-operative sub-divisions by name Mysore sub-division, Nanjangud sub-division and Hunsur sub-division came to be re-organised in view of the bifurcation of the original Mysore district and further formation of 2 independent districts by name Mysore district and Chamrajnagar district and that in the place of the above three co-operative sub-divisions in the Mysore District, there came to be formed Mysore co-operative sub-division, consisting of mysore Taluk, Nanjangud Taluk and T. Narasipur Taluk, Hunsur sub-division having Hunsur Taluk. H. D. Kote Taluk, K. R. Nagar Taluk and Periyapatna Taluk and further Chamrajnagar sub-division consisting of Chamrajnagar Taluk, kollegal Taluk, Gundlupet Taluk Yelandur Taluk in Chamrajnagar district. That submission Sri. Manjunath made with reference to Schedule IV to annexure 'f' adverted to above. Further more, he had also pointed out that nanjangud Taluk came to be included now in the Mysore sub-division, when in original Nanjangud sub-division in Mysore Dist. was totally (sic ). ( 9 ) WITH this background. Sri Manjunath had taken me through the bye law No. 19 (l) (i) of the respondent No. 3 Society at Annexure R. 2 to the objection statement. was totally (sic ). ( 9 ) WITH this background. Sri Manjunath had taken me through the bye law No. 19 (l) (i) of the respondent No. 3 Society at Annexure R. 2 to the objection statement. He had pointedly drawn my attention to the said provision of the bye law, wherein it is clearly mentioned therein that 4 members were to be elected from the Nanjungud sub-division out of the total number of members to be elected i. e. 4 members each from Mysore sub-division, Hunsur sub-division and Nanjangud sub-division. ( 10 ) IN continuation of his submission, Sri Manjunath had also argued that when the Nanjangud sub-division came to be abolished totally with the re-organisation of the co-operative divisions, question of election of 4 members from Nanjangud sub-division as now proposed to be elected by the respondent no. 4 in issuance of the calendar of events at Annexure 'd' to writ petition did not arise at all. Therefore,e he submitted tht it was totally impermissible for the respondent No. 4 Returning Officer to hold the election in pursuance of the calendar of events issued by him. ( 11 ) YET another aspect of the case Sri Manjunath highlighted before me in this context is that the Managing Director of the respondent No. 3 Society himself had opined tht, in view of the division of thee Mysore District as Mysore district and Chamrajnagar District and with the formation of the new co-operative divisions, it was not technically feasible to hold election to the respondent no. 3 Society as per bye-law No. 19 (l) (i) of the Society. It was further argued by Sri Manjunath that as a matter of fact, in issuance of calendar of events, the Returning Officer at page No. 1 thereof had set out that 4 members each had to be elected to the three divisions including the Nanjangud sub-division. Therefore, he submitted that the instant writ petition is liable to be allowed by quashing the calendar of events at Annexure 'd' to writ petition. ( 12 ) THE learned counsel appearing for the contesting respondent No. 3, sri Jayakumar S. Patil on the other side argued that the formation of the co-operative societies was totally within the domain of the Society and as such, it had got nothing to do with the bifurcation of the co-operative sub-divisions. ( 12 ) THE learned counsel appearing for the contesting respondent No. 3, sri Jayakumar S. Patil on the other side argued that the formation of the co-operative societies was totally within the domain of the Society and as such, it had got nothing to do with the bifurcation of the co-operative sub-divisions. To sustain that argument of his, Sri Patil had also drawn my attention to sub-rule (1) of Rule 13 of the Co-operative Societies Rules, according to which, a co-operative society may for the purpose of election of the members of its committee, divide its membership into different groups on a territorial or any other basis. It was also argued by Sri Patil that such a situation could very well b appreciated by this Court while advertising to sub-rule (2) of Rule 13, wherein it is stated tht the bye-laws of such a society may specify the number or proportion of the members of the committee, who may be elected to represent each such group or the committee and may specify further that such representative may be elected. In substance, it was the argument of Sri Patil in this regard that bifurcation of the Mysore District into Mysore District and chamrajnagar District and further the re- organisation of the co-operative divisions as pointed out by him would not come in the way of the respondent no. 3 society to hold the election as per the original bye-law. Sri Patil had also posed a question before the Court as to whether election to the committee of the petitioner society had to be held up from being arranged, just because an interim order came to be granted by this Court in an earlier writ petition staying the operation of the amended bye-law. In posing the said question, Sri patil had also answered the same himself in the negative. ( 13 ) THE other points Sri Jayakumar S. Patil canvassed before me are, firstly that the instant writ petition was filed belatedly in view of the fact that the calendar of events had already been published by the Returning Officer and secondly that the petitioner herein had no locus standi to maintain the instant writ petition before this Court, since one, B. Boregowda was authorised to contest for and on behalf of the petitioner society. According to him, it was totally untenable on thee part of the petitioner herein to resort to the instant writ petition. To demonstrate before this Court that the above said Boregowda was authorised to contest on behalf of the petitioner society, he had also adverted to Annexure R. 1 to the objection statement filed by the respondent no. 3. ( 14 ) IN reply Sri Manjunath had referred to Annexure 'e' to the rejoinder he filed, wherein the petitioner herein was authorised to file the instant writ petition before this Court. I do not think it is necessary for me to go into that minor issue before me, for according tome, they are all sub-issues having no bearing on the main issue before me. The main issue is whether the proposed election to the respondent No. 3 society could be held in view of the twin reasons, firstly that the original Mysore District came to be bifurcated into mysore District and Chamrajnagar District and that the co-operative divisions came to be re-organised and further more, more importantly, the Nanjangud sub-division came to be abolished. ( 15 ) IN this context, I feel it appropriate to st out the sub-division as it stood when the Mysore District was a composite District. As I was given to understand, in the original Mysore District, there were three co-operative sub-division. They were Mysore sub-division, Hunsur sub-division and Nanjangud sub-division. Those sub-divisions in fact were referred to in bye-law 19 (l) (i) and further more in page (1) of the calendar of events at Annexure 'd' to writ petition. ( 16 ) NOW with the re-organisation of the districts, there came to be two divisions in Mysore district and one Division in Chamrajnagar district. The original co-operative subdivisions in Mysore district are as follows : (i) Mysore sub-division consisting of Mysore taluk, Kollegal taluk and T. Narasipur taluk. (ii) Hunsur sub-division consisting of Hunsur taluk, K. R. Nagar taluk, Periyapatna taluk and H. D. Kote taluk. (iii) Nanjangud sub-division consisting of Nanjangud taluk, Chamrajnagar taluk, Yelandur taluk and Gundlupet taluk. The original co-operative subdivisions in Mysore district are as follows : (i) Mysore sub-division consisting of Mysore taluk, Kollegal taluk and T. Narasipur taluk. (ii) Hunsur sub-division consisting of Hunsur taluk, K. R. Nagar taluk, Periyapatna taluk and H. D. Kote taluk. (iii) Nanjangud sub-division consisting of Nanjangud taluk, Chamrajnagar taluk, Yelandur taluk and Gundlupet taluk. ( 17 ) NOW if we correlate the original co-operative divisions as it stood in the composite Mysore district as above with reference to the new co-operative sub-divisions that came to be re-organised with the bifurcation of the two districts in original Mysore district as above, it is clear therefrom that the co-operative sub-division called 'nanjangud division' came to be abolished and the original taluks corning under that sub-division were bifurcated and added to the recognised sub-divisions and more particularly, Nanjangud taluk came to be included in the Mysore sub-division. ( 18 ) IF the above was the position in the matter of re- organisation of the co-operative sub-divisions and further in the matter of abolition of one of the sub-divisions i. e. Nanjangud sub-division, it was crystal clear that the Returning officer could not hold the election to represent the four taluks in the nanjangud sub-division in the original composite Mysore district. ( 19 ) THAT being so, it is difficult for me to accept the argument of Sri. Patil that under the original bye law, the respondent No. 3 could hold the election to elect the new body of committee of Management for the respondent No. 3 society and that there was every justification on the part of the res- pondent no. 4 Returning Officer in issuing the calendar of events, copy at Annexure 'd' to writ petition for holding the election. 4 Returning Officer in issuing the calendar of events, copy at Annexure 'd' to writ petition for holding the election. The further argument of Sri Patil that under Rule 13 of the Co-operative Societies Rules, it was well within the authority of the respondent No. 3 Society to organise its area of operation could not be acceptable, for it was not the case that with reference to the re-organised co-operative divisions on the bifurcation of the original Mysore district, the proposed election was arranged to be held by the respondent No. 4; let apart, as I see, the co- operative divisions provided for in bye-law 19 (l) (i) was with reference to the original co-operative divisions as they stood in the composite Mysore district and if one could not overlook that circumstances, I was riot left with any doubt that the respondent No. . 4 Returning Officer could not hold the proposed election as it stood in bye-law 19 (l) (i ). As a matter of fact, as pointed out by the learned counsel for the petitioner, the respondent no. 4 Returning Officer had raised that genuine doubt at the meeting held by the Managing Director of the respondent No. 3 Society, as per Annexure c' to writ petition, a meeting note to which Sri Manjunath had also drawn my attention. Para (5) of Annexure 'c' reads as hereunder ; (Vernacular matter omitted. . . . . . . . Ed.) ( 20 ) THAT being the position. I find every merit in the instant writ petition. ( 21 ) IN that view of the matter, I pass the following : the impugned calendar of events dated 6. 5. 1999, copy at Annexure 'd' to writ petition iss. ued by the respondent No. 4 Returning Officer to hold the election to the respondent No. 3 Society is quashed. ( 22 ) THE respondent No. 4 as well as the respondent No. 3 Society are hereby directed to hold the General Body only on disposal of W. P. No. 14037/99, now on the file of this Court. ( 23 ) IN view of the above conclusion I have reached, I. A. No. 1 filed by certain applicants to implead themselves as parties does not survive for consideration. Accordingly, the said application stands disposed of. ( 23 ) IN view of the above conclusion I have reached, I. A. No. 1 filed by certain applicants to implead themselves as parties does not survive for consideration. Accordingly, the said application stands disposed of. ( 24 ) THE Registry is directed to post the said writ petition for regular hearing in the second week of July, 1999, provided the pleadings in that are complete. ( 25 ) THE other writ petition in No. 14037/99 tagged on to this writ petition stands delinked. ( 26 ) THE writ petition succeeds and accordingly stands allowed. Rule issued made absolute. No costs. Petition allowed.