Karnataka High Court
Chirasthaayee Sourya Limited vs The State Of Karnataka on 19 July, 2019
Author: S G Pandit
Bench: S.G. Pandit
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA,
DHARWAD BENCH
DATED THIS THE 19 T H DAY OF JULY, 2019
BEFORE
THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE S.G. PANDIT
WRIT PETI TION NO.110100/2019 (KLR-CON)
BETWEEN:
CHIRASTHAAYEE S OURYA LIMITED
PLOT NO.78, ELECTRONIC CITY ,
HOSUR ROAD, BENGALURU-560100,
REP.BY ITS AUTHO RISED REPRESENTA TIVE
RAMANAGOUDA S/O PRAHLADGOUDA SINNUR,
AGE: 53 YEARS , R/O: HANUMASAGAR,
TQ: KUSTAGI, D IST: KOPPAL.
... PETITIONER
(BY SRI. K.L.PA TIL &
SRI S .S.BETU RMAT, ADVOCA TES)
AND
1. THE S TA TE OF KA RNATAKA
REP.BY ITS REVENUE SECRETARY ,
DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE,
M.S.BUILDING, AMBEDKAR VEEDHI,
BENGALURU.
2. THE DEPU TY COMMISSIONER
KOPPAL DIS TRICT, KOPPAL.
... RESPONDENTS
(BY SRI. RAVI V.HOSAMANI, AGA)
THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES
226 AND 227 OF THE CONS TITUTION OF INDIA
PRAYING TO ISSU E A WRIT, ORDER OR DIRECTION IN
2
THE NA TURE OF MANDAMUS, DIRECTING THE
RESPONDENT NO.2 TO CONSIDER THE
REPRESENTA TION DATED 09.07.2018 AT ANNEXURE- B
AND CONVERT THE AFORESAID LANDS IN TO NON-
AGRICULTURAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW AND ETC.
THIS WRIT PETITION COMING ON FOR HEARING
I.A. THIS DAY, THE COURT MADE THE FOLLOWING:
ORDER
The petitioner is before this Court praying for a writ of mandamus directing the 2nd respondent to consider the representation dated 09.07.2018 at Annexure-B and convert the aforesaid lands into non-agricultural, in accordance with law.
2. Under Annexure-B, the petitioner sought for conversion of land stating that the permission is granted under Section 109 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961 (for short 'the Reforms Act') by order dated 09.08.2007.
3. The petitioner is a company registered under the Companies Act. The object of the 3 company as stated in the writ petition is to establish Solar Power Projects in Karnataka State. For establishing a 20 MV solar project in Kanakagiri of Gangavathi Taluk, the petitioner intended to purchase certain lands. As such, the petitioner made an application dated 27.12.2016 under Section 109 of the Reforms Act seeking permission to purchase the lands to the Deputy Commissioner. As there was delay in considering the application filed by the petitioner under Section 109 of the Reforms Act, the petitioner approached this Court in W.P.No.107032/2017. This Court by order dated 12.07.2017 disposed off the writ petition directing the respondent- Deputy Commissioner, Koppal to dispose off the application within twenty days. In compliance of the order dated 12.07.2017, the Deputy Commissioner, Koppal accorded permission to purchase the lands to the petitioner-company as 4 per Section 109 of the Reforms Act. Subsequent to permission, it is stated that the petitioner- company purchased the lands on 15.11.2017 through registered sale deed. The petitioner further states that subsequent to purchase of the land, they made representation dated 09.07.2018 requesting the 2nd respondent- Deputy Commissioner to convert the land into non-agricultural as per Section 95(8) of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 (for short 'the Revenue Act') and it is stated that the application is pending consideration.
4. On appearance, the respondents have filed their statement of objection stating that the petitioner's application is kept pending, in view of the pendency of the proceedings before the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, New 5 Delhi, is pending in respect of the lands in question.
5. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and learned AGA for the respondents. Perused the writ petition papers.
6. The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that, respondents vide order dated 09.08.2017 granted permission under Section 109 of the Reforms Act for purchase of the lands in Sy.Nos.29/A 17-25 acres, 29/B 17-26 acres, 35/1 16-13 acres, 35/1-2 16-00 acres, 35/2 00- 20 acres, 36 10-35 acres, 36/P1 13-00 acres. He invites attention to condition No.3 in the said order which states that, on payment of fees, the Government would convert the land. The learned counsel also invites attention of this Court to sub-section (8) of Section 95 of the Revenue Act to contend that, when the Government grants 6 permission under Section 109 of the Reforms Act, permission under Section 95 of the Revenue Act is deemed to have been granted. The learned counsel for the petitioner also brought to the notice of this Court to Annexure-R5 filed along with the statement of objections of the respondents, the reports sent to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes by the Deputy Commissioner.
7. Per contra, the learned AGA submits that, certain scheduled caste persons are claiming over the lands in question that they are in occupation and they have made petition to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, New Delhi. Notice from the National Commission is received by the Deputy Commissioner for enquiry. In that regard, the Deputy Commissioner has sent his report vide 7 Annexure-R5. The pendency of the petition before the National Commission for Scheduled Castes in respect of the very same land is the reason for not considering the representation of the petitioner at Annexure-B.
8. In the light of the above submissions of the parties, the only question which arises for consideration is:
"Whether the petitioner is entitled for a mandamus as sought f or by him in this writ petition."
The answer to the said question is in the affirmative.
9. The petitioner is a incorporated under the Companies Act, filed application under Section 109 of the Reforms Act seeking permission to purchase the lands for the 8 purpose of establishing a Solar Power Project which comes under the definition of Industrial Development. The Deputy Commissioner on consideration of the petitioner's request, by order dated 09.08.2017 accorded permission to the petitioner under Section 109 of the Reforms Act on certain conditions. The order portion of the order dated 09.08.2017 reads as under:
"¥À æ ¸ ÁÛ ª À £ É A iÀ Ä °è «ªÀ j ¹zÀ A vÉ , PÀ £ ÁðlPÀ ¨s À Æ ¸À Ä zs Á gÀ u É Ã PÁAiÉ Ä Ý, 1961 gÀ PÀ ® A 63, 79(J), 79(©) ªÀ Ä vÀ Ä Û 80 PÉ Ì «£ÁAiÀ Ä w ¤Ãr UÀ A UÁªÀ w vÁ®Æè Q £À w¥À à £ Á¼À UÁæ ª À Ä zÀ ¸À . £À A . 29J, «: 17-25 JPÀ g É ¸À . £À A .29 ©, «: 17-26, JPÀ g É , ¸À . £À A . 35/1, «: 16- 13 JPÀ g É , ¸À . tªÀ Ä . 35/1/2, «: 16-00 JPÀ g É , ¸À . £À A .35/2, «: 00-20 JPÀ g É , ¸À . £À A . 36/*, «: 10- 35 JPÀ g É , ¸À . £À A .36/¦1, «: 13-00 MlÄÖ «¹Û à tð:
91-39 JPÀ g É d«ÄãÀ £ À Ä ß CHIRASTHAAYEE SAURYA L IM ITED EªÀ j UÉ PÉ Ê UÁjPÉ (¸ËgÀ 9 «zÀ Ä åvï WÀ l PÀ ¸ÁÜ¥À £ É ) GzÉ Ý Ã±À P ÁÌV Rjâ¸À ® Ä PÀ £ ÁðlPÀ ¨s À Æ ¸À Ä zs Á gÀ u É PÁAiÉ Ä Ý 1961 gÀ PÀ ® A 109(1) gÀ r AiÀ Ä °è F PÉ ¼ À P Át ¹ zÀ µÀ g À v À Ä Û U À ½ UÉ Æ ¼À ¥ À l ÄÖ «£ÁAiÀ Ä w ¥À g À ª Á¤UÉ ¤Ãr DzÉ Ã ²¸À ¯ ÁVzÉ .
µÀ g À v À Ä Û U À ¼ À Ä :-
1. AiÀ i ÁªÀ GzÉ Ý Ã±À P ÁÌV d«ÄãÀ £ À Ä ß Rjâ¸À ® Ä C£À Ä ªÀ Ä w ¤ÃqÀ ¯ ÁVzÉ A iÉ Æ Ã CzÉ GzÉ Ý Ã±À P ÁÌV ¸À z À j d«ÄãÀ £ À Ä ß JgÀ q À Ä (2) ªÀ µ À ð UÀ ¼ É Æ ¼À U ÁV G¥À A iÉ Æ ÃV¸À v À P À Ì zÀ Ä Ý ªÀ Ä vÀ Ä Û F PÁAiÀ i Áð®AiÀ Ä PÉ Ì °TvÀ ªÀ i Á»w ¤ÃqÀ v À P À Ì zÀ Ä Ý.
2. ªÀ i Á£À å GZÀ Ò £ÁåAiÀ i Á®AiÀ Ä , ¨É A UÀ ¼ À Æ gÀ Ä £À ° è zÁR¯ÁVgÀ Ä ªÀ jmï Cfð ¸À A SÉ å : 2417-
2419/2017 (GM-RES) gÀ ° è ªÀ i Á£À å £ÁåAiÀ i Á®AiÀ Ä ªÀ Å ¢£ÁAPÀ 27.02.2017gÀ DzÉ Ã ±À z À ªÀ Ä Æ®PÀ PÀ £ ÁðlPÀ C£À Ä ¸À Æ avÀ eÁw ºÁUÀ Æ C£À ¸ À Æ avÀ §ÄqÀ P À l ÄÖ U À ¼ À DAiÉ Æ ÃUÀ , ¨É A UÀ ¼ À Æ j£À ° è zÁR¯ÁVgÀ Ä ªÀ ¥À æ P À g À t ¸À A SÉ å : 664/2016 (d«ÄãÀ Ä ) «ZÁgÀ u É U É vÀ q É A iÀ i ÁeÉ Õ A iÀ Ä £À Ä ß ¤ÃrgÀ Ä vÀ Û z É . ¸À z À j jmï CfðAiÀ Ä DzÉ Ã ±À ª À £ À Ä ß ¥Á°¸À Ä ªÀ µÀ g À w Û U É Æ ¼À ¥ À l ÄÖ «£ÁAiÀ Ä w ¥À g À ª Á¤UÉ ¤ÃqÀ ¯ ÁVgÀ Ä vÀ Û z É .
3. «£ÁAiÀ Ä w ¥À g À ª Á¤UÉ ¥À q É ¢ gÀ Ä ªÀ d«ÄãÀ Ä UÀ ¼ À £ À Ä ß PÀ A ¥À ¤ AiÀ Ä ºÉ ¸ À j UÉ £É Æ AzÀ t  A iÀ i ÁX PÀ A zÁAiÀ Ä zÁR¯É U À ¼ À ° è PÁ¯É Æ ÃavÀ U É Æ ½¹zÀ vÀ g À Ä ªÁAiÀ Ä ¤UÀ ¢ vÀ ±À Ä ®ÌªÀ £ À Ä ß ¸À P ÁðgÀ P É Ì ¨s À g À t ªÀ i ÁrzÀ £À A vÀ g À 10 ¨s À Æ ¥À j ªÀ v À ð £Á DzÉ Ã ±À ª À £ À Ä ß ¤ÃqÀ ¯ ÁUÀ Ä ªÀ Å zÀ Ä .
4. ¨s À Æ ¥À j ¨s Á «vÀ ¥À j ªÀ v À ð £É ¤ÃqÀ Ä ªÀ ¥À Æ ªÀ ð zÀ ° è £À U À g À ªÀ Ä vÀ Ä Û UÁæ ª À i ÁAvÀ g À AiÉ Æ Ãd£Á E¯ÁSÉ ¬ ÄAzÀ ªÀ ® AiÀ Ä ¤AiÀ Ä ªÀ i ÁªÀ ½ UÀ ¼ À §UÉ Î ºÁUÀ Æ vÁAwæ P À C©ü ¥ Áæ A iÀ Ä zÀ ªÀ g À ¢ AiÀ Ä £À Ä ß F PÁAiÀ i Áð®AiÀ Ä PÉ Ì ¸À ° è ¸ À v À P À Ì zÀ Ä Ý.
5. «£ÁAiÀ Ä w ¥À q É z À ª À g À Ä ¸À g À P ÁgÀ CxÀ ª Á AiÀ i ÁªÀ Å zÉ Ã ±À q À Æ å¯ï ¨ÁåAPï CxÀ ª Á ¸À º À P Áj, PÀ È ¶ UÁæ « ÄÃt C©ü ª À È ¢Þ ¨ÁåAPï MAzÀ P É Ì CxÀ ª Á PÀ A ¥À ¤ §AqÀ ª Á¼À ºÉ Æ A¢zÀ gÁdå ¸À g À P ÁgÀ CxÀ ª Á PÉ Ã AzÀ æ ¸À g À P ÁgÀ CxÀ ª Á gÁdå ¸À A ¸É Ü MAzÀ P É Ì SÁvÀ j ¤Ãr CqÀ ª À i Á£À CxÀ ª Á EvÀ g É ºÉ Æ uÉ ªÀ i Ár ¸Á® ¥À q É A iÀ Ä ÄªÀ Å zÀ £ À Ä ß ºÉ Æ gÀ v À Ä ¥À r ¹, ¸À ¢ æ d«ÄãÀ £ À Ä ß ¤UÀ ¢ vÀ GzÉ Ý Ã±À ª À ® è z É Ã ¨É à gÉ GzÉ Ý Ã±À P É Ì §¼À ¸ À v À P À Ì zÀ Ý ®è .
6. ¸À z À j d«ÄãÀ Ä £À U À g À AiÉ Æ Ãd£Á ¹.r.¦/Nr¦ ªÁå¦Û A iÉ Æ ¼À U É §AzÀ g É CzÀ g À C£À Ä ªÀ Ä w ¥À q É z À Ä G¥À A iÉ Æ ÃV¹PÉ Æ ¼À î v À P À Ì zÀ Ä Ý.
7. F C£À Ä ªÀ Ä wAiÀ Ä Ä PÀ £ ÁðlPÀ ¨s À Æ ¸À Ä zs Á gÀ u É PÁAiÉ Ä Ý 1961gÀ PÀ ® A 109(1) gÀ £ À é A iÀ Ä «£ÁAiÀ Ä w ªÀ i ÁvÀ æ ª ÁVgÀ Ä vÀ Û z É . ¨É à gÉ PÁ£À Æ £À Ä UÀ ¼ À G®è A WÀ £ É A iÀ i ÁVzÀ Ý °è ¸À A §A¢ü ¹ zÀ PÁAiÉ Ä ÝAiÀ Ä r CUÀ v À å PÀ æ ª À Ä dgÀ Ä V¸À ® Ä CªÀ P Á±À « gÀ Ä vÀ Û z É .
8. «£ÁAiÀ Ä w ¥À g À ª Á¤UÉ ¥À q É z À d«ÄãÀ Ä UÀ ¼ À £ À Ä ß PÀ A ¥À ¤ / ¸À A ¸É Ü AiÀ Ä ºÉ ¸ À j UÉ £É Æ ÃAzÀ t  A iÀ i ÁzÀ £À A vÀ g À ºÀ P À Ä Ì ±À Ä ®ÌªÀ £ À Ä ß ¥ÁªÀ w ¹PÉ Æ AqÀ Ä PÀ ® A 95gÀ £ À é A iÀ Ä PÀ È ¶AiÉ Ä ÃvÀ g À GzÉ Ý Ã±À P ÁÌV 11 ¨s À Æ ¥À j ªÀ v À ð £É DzÉ Ã ±À ª À £ À Ä ß ¤ÃqÀ ¯ ÁUÀ Ä ªÀ Å zÀ Ä .
9. ¸À A ¸É Ü £À q É ¸ À Ä ªÀ ZÀ l ĪÀ n PÉ U À ¼ À Ä ¸À Ü ½ÃAiÀ Ä PÁ£À Æ £À Ä , PÀ £ ÁðlPÀ gÁdå ªÀ Ä vÀ Ä Û ¨s Á gÀ v À zÉ Ã ±À z À PÁ£À Æ £À Ä UÀ ¼ À £ À Ä ß ¥Á°¸À v À P À Ì zÀ Ä Ý.
10. ¥À æ ¸ ÁÛ ¦ vÀ d«ÄãÀ Ä UÀ ¼ À ° è AiÀ i ÁªÀ Å zÉ Ã C©ü ª À È ¢Ý PÁAiÀ Ä ð PÉ Ê UÉ Æ ¼À Ä î ª À ªÉ Æ zÀ ® Ä d«Ää£À «£Áå¸À P É Ì CªÀ ± À å «zÀ Ý °è £À U À g À AiÉ Æ Ãd£É E¯ÁSÉ / C©ü ª À È zÀ Ý ¥Áæ ¢ ü P ÁgÀ / ¸À Ü ½ÃAiÀ Ä ¥Áæ ¢ ü P ÁgÀ ¢ AzÀ C£À Ä ªÉ Æ ÃzÀ £ É ¥À q É A iÀ Ä vÀ P À Ì zÀ Ä Ý.
11. F DzÉ Ã ±À ª À Å DzÉ Ã ±À ª ÁzÀ ¢£ÁAPÀ ¢ AzÀ JgÀ q À Ä (2) ªÀ µ À ð zÀ ª À g É U É eÁjAiÀ Ä °è g À Ä vÀ Û z É .
12. ªÉ Ä Ã°£À µÀ g À v À Ä Û U À ¼ À Ä G®è A WÀ £ É A iÀ i ÁzÀ ° è FUÀ ¤ÃqÀ ¯ ÁVgÀ Ä ªÀ C£À Ä ªÀ Ä wAiÀ Ä £À Ä ß PÁ£À Æ £À Ä jÃvÁå gÀ z À Ä Ý¥À r ¸À ¯ ÁUÀ Ä ªÀ Å zÀ Ä ªÀ Ä vÀ Ä Û ¥À æ ¸ ÁÛ ¦ vÀ ¨s À Æ «ÄAiÀ Ä £À Ä ß IÄtªÀ Ä ÄPÀ Û ª ÁV ¸À g À P ÁgÀ z À ° è ¤»vÀ U É Æ ½¹ DzÉ Ã ±À ºÉ Æ gÀ r ¸À ¯ ÁUÀ Ä ªÀ Å zÀ Ä ."
10. A reading of condition No.3 of the above order makes it clear that, on according permission under Section 109 of the Reforms Act, immediately on registration of the land in favour of the company and mutated in favour of the company on payment of prescribed fees, conversion order would be issued. 12
11. Section 95(8) of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 reads as follows:
"Section 95(8) The per miss ion f or d ivers io n of agricul tur al land f or indus tr ial development, educatio nal ins titu tions , places of worship a Hous ing Pro jec t approved by the S tate Governme nt, or f or purpose of Hor ticul ture unde r this sec tion s hall be dee med to hav e been granted when per miss ion f or purchase of agr icultur al land is accorded und er Sectio n 109 of the Karnataka Land Ref orms Act, 1961 (Karnataka Ac t 10 of 1962), f or indus tr ial development, educatio nal ins titu tions , places of worship, a Hous ing Pro jec t approved by the S tate Governme nt, or f or purpose of Hor ticul ture as the case may be subject to the payment of f ees as may be prescr ibed. "
12. The above provision makes it clear that permission for conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural land shall be deemed to have been granted when permission for purchase of agricultural land is accorded under Section 109 of the Reforms Act for industrial 13 development. When such being the provision, respondent No.2-Deputy Commissioner has no option but to proceed in accordance with sub- section (8) of Section 95 of the Revenue Act. Mere pendency of a complaint before the National Commission for Scheduled Castes cannot be a ground to deny conversion that too when the Deputy Commissioner forwards reports to the National Commission on 02.04.2018. A portion of the report, which reads as below:
"If the co mplainants/Applicants have been in possess io n of the s aid lands they could have f iled the application in Fo r m-7 or For m-7A as prov id ed under the Prov is ions of Karnataka Land Ref orms Ac t, 1961, wh ich is no t f iled. Itse lf ind icates that they ar e no t in possession of the said lands. Even the co mplainan ts/ Applican ts have no t f iled For m-50 or For m-53 as prov ided under the prov is ions of Karnataka Land Revenue Ac t, 1964 (Ame nd me nt Act 1997) f or regular iz atio n of above lands. Absolu te ly there are no documen ts to suppor t the claim 14 of the Applicants /Co mplainan ts over the above said lands."
13. The portion of the report makes it very clear that the complainants are not in possession of the lands and they are in no way concerned with the lands in question. For the reasons stated above, the petitioner is entitled for a direction as sought in the writ petition. Hence, the following:
ORDER Respondent No.2-Deputy Commissioner is directed to consider the representation dated 09.07.2018 at Annexure-B submitted by the petitioner and pass appropriate order, in accordance with law in the light of the observations made above in the course of the order within a period of 15 four weeks from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order.
With the above, the writ petition is disposed of.
Sd/-
JUDGE CL K / M BS