Ram Ugrah and another v. State of U. P. and others
2012-01-04
A.P.SAHI
body2012
DigiLaw.ai
Amreshwar Pratap Sahi, J.;— Heard Sri Rishikesh Tripathi, learned counsel for the petitioners and Sri A.K. Singh, learned counsel for the heirs of respondent no. 5 and the respondent nos. 6 and 7 and the learned Standing Counsel for the respondent nos. 1 to 4. This petition came to be filed assailing the proceedings undertaken by the Assistant Consolidation Officer for measurement of a Chakroad over plot no. 673 in village and post Baurawa, Pargana Saidpur, District Ghazipur. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that the said proceedings are without jurisdiction and even otherwise, the alleged demarcation which has been carried out, has been done ignoring the order of the Deputy Director of Consolidation dated 30th of June, 2003. It is further submitted that no such demarcation could have been conducted at the instance of the respondent no. 5-Sudarshan on the basis of a miscellaneous application on a Tehsil Divas. This Court entertained the petition and the following interim order was passed on 19.02.2010: "Heard learned counsel for the petitioners. Notice on behalf of respondents no.1 to 4 has already been accepted by learned Standing Counsel. Issue notice to the respondents no.5 to 7 returnable at an early date. The respondents are directed to file counter affidavit within four weeks. The petitioners shall have three weeks thereafter to file rejoinder affidavit. List thereafter. Till the next date of listing, the paimaise done by Consolidation Officer on 31.12.2009 shall not be given effect to." Subsequently, it appears that the matter was again argued on 29.08.2011 and this Court had passed the following order: "Raising a short controversy with regard to location of tube well, the present writ petition which arises out of proceedings of demarcation has been filed. Admittedly, Plot No. 672 has been allotted to the petitioners. He has also admitted that Plot No.673 is a Chak Road. The contention of the petitioners is that there is a tube well which lies in his plot No. 672 but on the application filed by the contesting respondent, measurement done in the absence of the petitioners and the said tube well has been shown beyond Plot No.672. The learned counsel for the parties jointly prayed that let there be a demarcation of Plot No. 672 and Plot No.673.
The learned counsel for the parties jointly prayed that let there be a demarcation of Plot No. 672 and Plot No.673. By way of an interim measure, it is therefore, provided that the parties may file an application before the Consolidation Officer along with the certified copy of this order who will fix a date for demarcation and the demarcation shall be carried by Lekh Pal under his supervision after giving prior notice to the parties concerned. It is expected that the entire exercise shall be completed within a period of one month. List after one month. The interim order is extended till the next date of listing." When the matter was heard today Sri A.K. Singh, learned counsel for the contesting respondents on the basis of instructions received has stated at the bar that the village has not yet been denotified under Section 52 of the Uttar Pradesh Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1953 (hereinafter referred to as 'the 1953 Act'). The dispute apparently appears to be a contest with regard to the location of the chakroad over plot no. 673. After the matter was heard at length, Sri A.K. Singh on the basis of the averments made in paragraph 6 of the counter affidavit, conceded to this position that no party can be permitted to encroach upon the chakroad and if the contention is that the tube-well or the pumping set of the respondents is over the said plot no. 673 then the same can also be removed. The petitioners contend that so far as plot no. 672 is concerned, the same is the holding of the petitioners and the chakroad does not pass through their holding. The contention, therefore, is that the chakroad should be demarcated and also the area of plot no. 672 which is the holding of the petitioners. In view of this position that has emerged, needless to mention that since there are no regular proceedings pending before any authority, there was no occasion for the respondent no. 5 to have moved any application on Tehsil Divas to be entertained by the Assistant Consolidation Officer or either by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate or the District Magistrate on the administrative side.
5 to have moved any application on Tehsil Divas to be entertained by the Assistant Consolidation Officer or either by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate or the District Magistrate on the administrative side. If the village has not yet been denotified, and there is any request for demarcation, then the same entirely falls within the jurisdiction of the consolidation authorities for which an application has to be filed before the Deputy Director of Consolidation and he can take suo motu action and proceed to pass a judicial order if required in exercise of his powers under Section 48 of the 1953 Act. This misdirected exercise on an application during Tehsil Divas, therefore, was patently without jurisdiction, inasmuch as, neither the Sub-Divisional Magistrate nor the Collector has power to create a jurisdiction or forum for deciding such a dispute. The admitted position is that the village has not been denotified and if there is any dispute, the matter ought to have been brought to the notice of the Deputy Director of Consolidation through an application or an appropriate objection in accordance with the provisions of Section 48 of the 1953 Act. In my opinion, therefore, any exercise of measurement or any step being taken by any authority was without following the correct procedure of law. Accordingly, the proceedings of measurement as undertaken and which are under challenge are all set aside. The interim orders passed by this Court are all discharged. The writ petition is disposed of with a direction to the Deputy Director of Consolidation of the area concerned to summon the records and register the case under Section 48 of the 1953 Act and thereafter invite objections from the parties concerned and proceed to decide the same within a period of three months from the date of presentation of a certified copy of this order before him after carrying out a spot inspection himself and then get the demarcation carried out. _____________