Full Judgment Text
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PETITIONER:
MARIYAPPA & OTHERS
Vs.
RESPONDENT:
STATE OF KARNATAKA & OTHERS
DATE OF JUDGMENT: 19/02/1998
BENCH:
S.B. MAJMUDAR, M. JAGANNADHA RAO
ACT:
HEADNOTE:
JUDGMENT:
J U D G M E N T
M.JAGANNADHA RAO.J.
Leave granted.
The appellants have filed this appeal against the
judgment of the High Court of Karnataka in Writ Appeal Nos.
8451-53 of 1996 dated 11.6.1997 by which, the High Court
dismissed the Writ appeals and confirmed the judgment of the
learned Single Judge in Writ Petition Nos. 23657 to 23659 of
1992 dated 23.7.1996. In so doing, the High Court followed
the judgment of a Division Bench in Writ Appeal No. 1821 of
1995 dated 10.6.1997 (Iswarappa & Another Vs. The Deputy
Commissioner, Dharwar & Others) whereby the judgment in Writ
petition No. 16302 of 1987 dated 23.3.1995 was affirmed.
The point concerns the applicability of Section 11-A of
the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (hereinafter called the
Central Act, 1984) for the purposes of the Karnataka
Acquisition of land for House Sites Act, 1972 (hereinafter
called the Karnataka Act, 1972) (Act 18 of 1973). Appellants
contend that the new Section 11-A is attracted to
proceedings for land acquisition under the Karnataka Act,
1972 while the respondents contend that the Section 11-A is
not so attracted. The High Court has held, in the above
decisions that Section 11-A is not attracted to the
karnataka Act, 1972.
Facts:
We shall refer to the facts. The appellants claim to be
tenants in regard to Survey No. 11, Thyamagondalu village,
Nelamangala Taluk, of an extent of 10 acres 27 guntas. The
said land was endowed to Sri Rama Devaru. Under Section 5 of
the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, 1961, the Land Tribunal is
said to have conferred occupancy rights on the appellants on
27.8.1975, Some issues regarding cancellation of the 3rd
appellant’s right are said to be still pending. Notification
dated 19.12.83 under section 3(1) of the Karnataka Act, 1972
was published in the gazette on 9.2.84. Thereafter
notification under section 3(4) was published in the gazette
on 14.3.85. On 17.6.85, the 3rd appellant filed Writ
Petition No. 9079 of 1985 and stay of dispossession was
granted on 1.7.1985. Appellants 1 & 2 filed Writ Petitions
and similar orders were passed on 8.7.85 and 9.7.1985. On
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31.7.90, Writ petition of 3rd appellant was dismissed. On
1.2.91, Writ petitions of appellants 1 & 2 were also
dismissed. Thereafter, fresh Writ Petition Nos. 23657 to 59
of 1992 were filed on 10.1.1992 and stay of dispossession
was again granted on 1.2.1992 provided that possession was
not taken. On 23.7.96, the said writ petitions were
dismissed by the learned Single Judge. In the Writ Appeals
Nos. 8451-53, the Court again ordered on 30.9.96 stay of
dispossession. On 11.6.1997, the Writ appeals were
dismissed. In case it is to be held that Section 11-A of the
Central Act, 1894 is to be applied to the Karnataka Act,
1972, even if the period of stay orders is excluded. the
position is that the 2 years period specified in Section 11-
A has expired inasmuch as till now no award has been passed.
The appellants are said to be in possession still.
The High Court holds section 11-A not applicable because
of doctrine of incorporation’ :
The acquisition here is under the karnataka Act, 1972.
The contention of the appellants in the High Court is that,
because of section 5 of the karnataka Act adopting the
Central Act of 1984 in certain respects, section 11-A
introduced in the Central Act in 1984 is applicable and the
proceedings must be deemed to have lapsed.
The Division Bench of the High Court has followed its
earlier Judgment in Iswarappa & Another Vs. Deputy
Commissioner & others (W.A. No. 1821 of 1995) dated
10.6.1997 and held that section 11-A of the Central Act,
1894 cannot be read into the Karnataka Act, 1972, even if
the award was not passed within 2 years as stipulated in
section 11-A. The High Court, after referring to sections 3
and 4 of the Karnataka Act, 1972 observed :
"The provisions of sections 3 and r
appear to be self-contained so far
as the procedure for acquisition of
the land is concerned. The
provisions of the Central Act 1 of
1894 have been made applicable
apparently for the purpose of
determination of the amount payable
in respect of the land acquire
under the provisions of the Act and
for making reference to the Court."
The High Court referred to section 5 of the Karnataka
Act of 1972, which stated that the procedure of the Central
Act in respect of inquiry and award by the Dy. Commissioner,
the reference to Court, the apportionment of amount and the
payment of amount, applied. Then the High Court observed:
"Such an adoption in the legal
sense of the term is known as
legislation by referential
incorporation.... Perusal of
Section 5 however does not show
that the Central Act was adopted
generally with respect to a subject
as genus. As already held, the said
act was adopted by reference to the
statute as it existed at the time
of incorporation. The Central Act
was adopted, as noted earlier, upto
1961 and not onwards. Section 11-A
of the Act was admittedly
incorporated vide Act No. 69 of
1984, much less after the adoption
of the Central Act No. 1/1984".
The High Court then observed that this aspect is
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covered by a decision rendered by the same Court under the
Karnataka Development Act, 1976 in Krishna Moorthy Vs.
Bangalore Development Authority (ILR 1996 Karn. 1258)
wherein after referring to the principle of incorporation,
it was held that section 11-A was not attracted to the
acquisition under that Act. The high Court has applied that
judgment to the present case which has arisen under the
Karnataka Act, 1972. In Iswarappa’s case, the High Court has
also held that the purposes of the Karnataka Act, 1972 and
the Central Act, 1894 are different, they are meant to deal
with different situations and they have provided different
modes of vesting of the acquired land in the State. Under
the Karnataka Act, a house site vests in the State on the
publication of the notification under Section 3(5) of that
Act whereas land acquired under Central Act, 1894 vests only
when the Collector makes an award under Section 11 and not
otherwise. The provisions of the special law i.e. Karnataka
Act, 1972 prevail over provisions of a general law on the
subject the Central Act. 1894. On the above reasoning, the
High Court in Iswarappa’s case has held that the principle
of incorporation’ applies and that section 11-A of the
Central Act, 1894 cannot be read into the Karnataka Act,
1972. The said judgment under appeal. It is the correctness
of the above view that falls for consideration before us.
Contentions of parties in this Court :
Learned counsel for the respondents-State contends that
the Karnataka Act being an Act of 1972, the applicability of
the provisions of the Central Act, 1894 as modified by the
Land Acquisition (Karnataka Extension and Amendment) Act,
1961 (hereinafter called the Karnataka Act, 1961) is
restricted to what is specifically stated in the body of
Section 5 of the Karnataka Act, 1972 and, therefore
amendments to the Central Act of 1894 subsequent to 1961,
such as Section 11-A introduced in 1984 are not attracted to
the Karnataka Act. 1972.
On the other hand, learned counsel for the appellants
contends that Section 11-A introduced into the Central Act,
1894 in 1984 has also to be read into the Karnataka Act,
1972 for the following reasons :
(i) the words ‘mutatis mutatis’ in section 5 of the
Karnataka Act, 1972 have the effect of bringing in
subsequent changes of the Central Act, 1894 into the
karnataka Act, 1972.
(ii) the Central Act, 1894 is not merely "incorporated" but
it is referred to in section 5 as a piece of
referential legislation.
(iii) even assuming that the Central Act was "incorporated"
into the Karnataka Act, 1972, the case on hand would
fall within the following well known exceptions to the
said principle, namely,
(a) Karnataka Act, 1972 does not contain the full
machinery for being treated as a complete code and has
to depend on the Central Act, 1894 for being
functional, so far as (i) inquiry, (ii) award, (iii)
reference (iv) appointment and (v) payment of
compensation, are concerned. The provisions of the 1972
act and the Amendments introduced by the 1961 Act are
not sufficient to make the 1972 Act a complete code by
itself.
(b) Karnataka Act, 1972 and the Central Act, 1894 are
supplemental to each other.
(c) Both the Acts are pari materia inasmuch as the
subject matter of 1972 Act could have otherwise come
within the ambit of the Central Act. 1894 and the
Karnataka Act, 1972 does not deal with any subject
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other than acquisition of land.
The Karnataka Act, 1972: contains only seven sections
and no machinery for inquiry etc:
We shall initially refer to the provisions contained in
the karnataka Act, 1972.
It is an Act "to provide for acquisition of lands for
grant of house sites to weaker sections of the people of the
State". The preamble says: "whereas it is expedient to
provide for the acquisition of lands for the public purposes
of granting house sites to weaker sections of the people in
the State and for purposes connected therewith". Section
2(2) defines notification’ as the notification published
in the gazette. Section 2(3) defines weaker sections’ as
belonging to scheduled Castes and Tribes, ‘landless
labourers’ and such other classes of persons to be notified
depending on their economic backwardness. Section 2(4)
defines land’ and person interested’ as having the
same meaning given to those words in the Central Act, 1894
as amended by the Land Acquisition (Karnataka Extension and
Amendment) Act, 1961.
Section 3 deals with acquisition of land’ and
corresponds to section 4(1) of the Central Act, 1894. Under
Section 3(1) if the State Government is of opinion that any
land is required for the purpose of providing house sites to
the weaker sections of people who are house-less, that State
Government may, by notification give notice of its intention
to acquire such land. Section 3(2) requires the State
Government to serve notice on the owner or occupier or
persons known to be interested in the land, to show cause,
within 30 days of service, why the land should not be
acquired. Section 3(3) states that after considering the
causes, if any, shown and after giving an opportunity to be
heard, the Government may pass such order as it deems fit.
Section 3(4) which corresponds to section 6(1) of the
Central Act, 1894 states that the Government shall, in case
it decides to acquire, issue a declaration by notification.
Under Section 3(5), on such declaration being published
under Section 3(4) the land shall vest absolutely in the
State Government free from all encumbrances. Under Section
3(6), once the land is so vested under Section 3(5), the
Government may, by notice in writing, order any person who
may be in possession to surrender or deliver possession
thereof to the Government or any person duly authorized
within 30 days. Section 3(7) permits possession to be taken
by Government, if the occupant does not surrender the land.
Section 4 of the Act deals with "Amount payable". It will be
noticed that to some extent the above provisions deviate
from the corresponding provisions of the Central Act, 1894.
We are mainly concerned with Section 5. It deals with
"Application of Central Act 1 of 1894" and reads as follows:
"Section 5: Application of Central
Act 1 of 1894: The provisions of
the Land Acquisition Act, 1894
(Central Act 1 of 1894) as amended
by the land Acquisition (Karnataka
Extension and Amendment) Act, 1961
shall, mutatis mutatis apply in
respect of enquiry and award by the
Deputy Commissioner, the reference
to Court, the apportionment of
amount and the payment in respect
of Land acquisition under this
Act."
Section 6 deals with power of State Government to
delegate its powers (except those under Section 7). Section
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7 deals with rule making power and laying the same before
the legislative.
From the above, it will be seen that the Karnataka Act,
1972 contains only seven sections and that it does not
contain any independent machinery or provisions for the
purpose of inquiry, reference, award and apportionment and
payment of compensation.
Section 5 of Karnataka Act, 1972 speaks of amendments to the
Central Act, 1894 by the Karnataka Act 1961:
Section 5 of the Karnataka Act, 1972 refer to the
application of the Central Act, 1894 as amended by the
Karnataka Act, 1961. These amendments concern the following
section of the Central Act, 1894 - Sections 1(2), Section 3
(aa), (d), (e), (ee), (f), proviso (iii) (g), (b); (1)
4(1A), 4(2), (3) (4, 5-5A(1), (2), (6) (1A), (2) - (Section
8 is omitted), 9(2), (3),(4), 10(1), addition of proviso to
11, 12(1) (2), 12-A, 15-a, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23,
24, 25, 26(2), 27(2), 28, 30-A, 34, 35 (1A) (1B) (ii),
35(2), 37-A, 45, 46, 50, 54. We are not referring to the
details of these amendments except to say that the Dy.
Commissioner replaces the Collector, certain extra details
are to be given in Sections 4, 6 notifications, the Section
4(1) notification has also be served on the owner or
occupier, report on Section 5-A inquiry is to be approved by
the Government, the State Government may revise the Dy.
Commissioner’s orders, application for reference to Court is
to be made within 90 days of service of notice under section
12(2) and the Dy. Commissioner is to make a reference to the
Civil Court in 90 days failing which the affected party can
directly move the civil Court. In Section 24 certain other
factors are introduced for determining market value. Section
28 and 34 are amended fixing a rate of interest of 5% rather
than 6%. There are a few other amendments which are not
material in the present context.
It will be noticed that for purposes of the Karnataka
Act, 1972 the provisions in the Central Act (as amended by
the Karnataka Act, 1961) apply in respect of inquiry, award
by the Dy. Commissioner, in respect of the procedure for
reference to a Civil Court and an adjudication by the Civil
Court on the question of compensation and apportionment. On
these aspects, there are - as pointed out earlier, no
provisions in the Karnataka Act, 1972.
Do the words mutatis mutatis’ in Section 5 bring in the
latter Central amendments into the Karnataka Act. 1972?
One of the submissions for the appellant was that
Section 5 of the Karnataka Act, 1972 states that the Central
Act, 1894 (as amended by Karnataka Act, 1961) shall, mutatis
mutatis, apply in respect of enquiry and award by the Dy.
Commissioner, the reference to Court, the apportionment of
amount and the payment of amount and that therefore the
subsequent amendments in 1984 to the Central Act, 1894 have
to be read into the Karnataka Act, 1972.
The words mutatis mutatis’ have been explained by
this Court in M/s Ashok Service Centre Vs. State of Orissa-
1983 (2) SCC 82. It was stated by Venkataramiah, J, (as he
then was):
"Ear 1 Jowitt’s The Dictionary of
English Law (1959) defines mutat
is mutatis’ as with necessary
changes in points in detail,
meaning that matters or things are
generally the same, but to be
altered when necessary, as to
names, offices and the like.....
Extension of an earlier Act mutatis
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mutatis to a later Act, brings in
the idea of adaptations, but so for
only as it is necessary for the
purpose making an change without
altering the essential nature of
the things changed subject of
course to express provisions made
in the later Act".
If, therefore, the words mutatis mutatis’ merely
permit the application of the Central Act, 1894 (as modified
by Karnataka Act, 1961) with necessary changes and without
altering the essential nature of the thing changed then the
said principle is applicable to the Central Act, 1894 as it
stood in 1972 with the amendments brought about the
Karnataka Act, 1961. Therefore the contention for the
appellant that subsequent changes made in the Central Act
after 1972 also get into the karnataka Act, 1972, cannot be
accepted. That question again depends upon whether the
Central Act, 1894 has been incorporated’ into the
Karnataka Act, 1972 or falls within the exceptions to the
said principle or whether Section 5 is to be treated as a
pice of referential legislation’.
Incorporation of referential legislation and exceptions to
Incorporation - supplemental legislation-’
As the case before us, as we shall presently show,
falls within the exception’ to the rule of incorporat
ion’, we shall refer to the relevant rulings in this behalf.
The leading case in which the broad principles were
laid down is the one in State of M.P. Vs. M.V. Narasimhan -
1975 (2) SCC 377. On a consideration of the case-law, it was
stated by Fazal Ali, J. as follows:
"Where a subsequent Act
incorporates provisions of a
previous Act, then the borrowed
provisions become an integral and
independent part of the subsequent
Act and are totally unaffected by
any repeal or amendment in the
previous Act. This principle,
however, will not apply in the
following cases:
(a) Where the subsequent Act and
the previous Act are supplemental
to each other.
(b) Where the two Acts are in pari
materia.
(c) Where the amendment in the
previous Act, is not imparted into
the subsequent Act also, would
render the subsequent Act wholly
unworkable and ineffectual; and
(d) Where the amendment of the
previous Act, either expressly or
by necessary intendment, applies
the said provisions to the
subsequent Act."
In that case, the position was that the Prevention of
Corruption Act, 1947 adopted the definition of public
servant from Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code , Question
was whether the subsequent amendments made in 1958 and 1964
to section 21 of the Penal Code enlarging the definition of
public servant’, could be read into the Prevention of
Corruption Act, 1947. Though it was held that the 1947 Act
dealt with a specific offence of criminal misconduct, while
the Penal Code dealt with bribery’ and were not in pari
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materia still, it was held that having regard to the
preamble and object of the prevention of Corruption Act,
1947 and the Penal code, there could be no doubt that the
former Act was undoubtedly a statute supplemental to the
latter. hence it was held that the amendments of 1958 and
1964 in the I.P.C. should be read into the Prevention of
Corruption Act, 1947, as the case fell within one of the
exceptions to the principle of incorporation’.
Similarly, in Western Coalfields Ltd. Vs. S.A.D.
Authority [1982 (1) SCC 125], Section 69(d) of the Madhya
Pradesh Nagar Tatha Gram Nivesh Adhiniyam (Act 23/73) stated
that the special Area Development Authority under that Act
would, for the purpose of taxation have the powers which a
Municipal Corporation or a Municipal Council has under the
M.P. Municipal Corporation Act, 1956 or the M.P.
Municipalities Act, 1961, as the case may be. Chandrachud,
C.J. gave two reasons as to why the subsequent amendments
made in the 1956 and 1961 Acts could be read into the 1973
Act. One reason was that the Act of 1973 did not, in
Section 69(d), incorporate any particular provision of the
1956 and 1961 Act but said that for the purposes of
taxation’ the Authority shall have the powers which a
Municipal Corporation or a Municipal Council would have
under the 1956 and 1961 Acts respectively. It was not
therefore a case where merely some provisions of one Act
were bodily lifted into another. The other reason was that
the 1973 Act did not provide for any independent power of
taxation or any machinery of its own for the exercise of the
power of taxation. Further, the three Acts were supplemental
to each other.
Ujagar Prints Vs. Union of India [1989 (3) SCC 488] is
again a similar case. Under Section 3(3) of the Additional
Duties of Excise (Goods of Special Importance) Act, 1957 it
was said that the provisions of the Central Excise and salt
Act, 1944 and rules made thereunder - including those
relating to refunds and exemptions from duty - shall, so far
as may be, apply in relation to the levy and collection of
the additional duties as they apply in relation to the levy
and collocating of the duties of excise on the goods
specified in sub-section (1). Now section 3(1) provided for
levy and collection of additional duties in respect of goods
described in the First Schedule to the 1957 Act which were
produced or manufactured’ in India. It was held that the
definition of the term manufacture’ enacted in the Central
Excise and Salt Act, 1944 - as enlarged by Amendment Act 6
of 1980 - had to be read into the 1957 Act. It was observed
that the Additional Duties Act, 1957 was merely supplemental
to the 1944 Act. While the 1944 Act imposed a general levy
of excise duty on all goods manufactured and produced, the
aim of the 1957 Act was to supplement the levy by an
additional duty of the same nature on certain goods. Unlike
the Finance Act, the 1957 Act was incomplete as to the basis
of the charge and its provisions would become totally
unworkable unless the concepts of manufacture’ and asses
sable’ value as determined under the 1944 Act were carried
into it.
Yet another case where the legislation was held by
itself to be unworkable’ and supplemental to another Act
is the one in State of Kerala Vs. M/s. Attesee [1989 suppl.
(1) SCC 733]. It was there held that the scope of exemption
under the head cotton fabrics’ in schedule III item 7
of the Kerala General Sales Tax Act, 1963 would depend upon
the definition in item 19 of Schedule I to Central Excise
and Salt Act, 1944 with reference to its amendments upto the
relevant date. hence it was held that the amendments to the
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Central Act were to be read into the Kerala Act.
Two other rulings of this Court relating to land
acquisition and which arose from Karnataka are relevant in
this context. In the State of Karnataka, there are two
statutes,- the Mysore Improvement Act, 1903 and the City of
Bangalore Improvement Act, 1945. In each of these Acts there
is a provision (Section 23 in the former and Section 27 in
the latter) stating that the acquisition under the Act
"shall be regulated by the provisions, so far as they are
applicable, of the Mysore Land Acquisition Act, 1894" and
also by certain other provisions of these Acts. (The Mysore
Act of 1894 and the Central Act 1894 are almost identical).
Now both these Acts of 1903 and 1945 contained provisions
which require compensation to be paid with reference to the
second notification which publishes the declaration’
(i.e. corresponding to Section 6 of the Central Act, 1894)
and not the one which corresponds to Section 4 of the
Central Act. However in 1927, the Mysore Land Acquisition
Act, 1894 was amended by directing compensation to be paid
with reference to the first notification (corresponding to
Section 4 (1) of the Central Act). Question arose in two
cases, one under each of these Acts, as to whether the said
amendment of 1927 would have to be read into the said Acts.
Now so far as the Bangalore Act of 1945 is concerned,
the case was decided in Land Acquisition Officer Vs.
H.Narayaniah [1976 (4) SCC 9]. This case presents no
difficulty because the said Act was passed in 1945 and by
that, the Mysore Land Acquisition Act, 1894 already stood
amended in 1927. The reference in Section 27 of the 1945 Act
to the Mysore Act of 1894 therefore obviously included all
the amendments made to the Mysore Land Acquisition 1894 by
1945 including the one made in 1927 and, therefore,
compensation was to paid only as per the first notification
(i.e. the one corresponding to Section 4(1) of the Central
Act).
The case more in point is the one in Special Land
Acquisition Officer Vs. P. Govindan [1976 (4) SCC 697] which
dealt with the Mysore Act of 1903 because the question there
was whether the subsequent amendment of 1927 to the Mysore
Land Acquisition Act, 1894 shifting the relevant date for
fixing compensation from the corresponding Section 6
notification to Section 4(1) notification, would have to be
read into the Mysore Act, 1903. It was held that it should -
notwithstanding certain obiter observation to the contrary
in Naravanaih’s case. The provision in section 23 of the
Mysore Act, 1903 read as follows:
"Section 23 The acquisition,
otherwise than by agreement of land
within or without the city under
this Act, shall be regulated by the
provisions, so far as they are
applicable, of the Mysore Land
Acquisition Act 1894 and by the
following further provisions,
namely,....."
It was held by this Court that the amendments in 1927
to the Mysore Land Acquisition Act, 1894 have to be read
into the Mysore Act, 1903. The decision of the Full Bench of
the Mysore High Court to the contrary in Venkatamma Vs.
Special Land Acquisition Officer, [AIR 1972 Mysore 193] was
overruled. In that context Beg J. (as he then was) observed:
"If Section 23(1) of the (Mysore)
Acquisition Act (1903) lays down,
as we think it does, the only
procedure for award of compensation
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it has to be followed as it exists
at the time of acquisition
proceedings. No one has a vented
right in a particular procedure. It
is a fair interpretation of Section
23 of the Mysore Act of 1903 to
hold that it means that whichever
may be the procedure there, with
regard to matters regulating
compensation under the (Mysore)
Acquisition Act (1894) at the time
of acquisition proceedings, will
apply to acquisition under the
Mysore Act, (1903)"....
"It was enough to lay down, as
Section 23 of the Mysore Act (1903)
does, that the general procedure
found in the Acquisition Act (1894)
will apply except to the extent it
was inapplicable. This means that
amendments of the procedure in the
Acquisition Act, (1894) will apply
if it is capable of application"
(words in brackets supplied).
From the above passage (words in brackets supplied) is
clear that when the mysore act, 19903 adopted the procedure
under the Mysore Act, 1894, the provisions of the latter Act
as they stood "at the time of acquisition" had to be applied
for regulating’ the acquisition of land under the Mysore
Act, 1903. This was because the Mysore Act, 1903 said that
the "general procedure" under the Mysore Act, 1894 applied
except to the extent it was inapplicable.
In our view, the above rulings of this Court are more
in point and are directly applicable to the Karnataka Act,
1972. But, before we draw our final conclusions, it is
necessary to refer to three more rulings, one decided by the
Privy Council and two decided by this Court recently and
state why, in our opinion, those decisions are
distinguishable.
The decision of the Privy Council is the one in
Secretary of State Vs. Hindustan Coop. Society Ltd. [AIR
1931 PC 148]. There the provisions of the Calcutta
Improvement Act, 1911 (Act 13/1911) fell for consideration.
That Act coupled with its schedule contained provisions not
only for issuing relevant notification in regard to
acquisition but also for reference to a Tribunal for passing
an award relating to compensation. By Act 18 of 1911 a right
of appeal was given to the High Court against the Award of
the Tribunal. Under the Act, there was no further right of
appeal to the Privy Council. In 1921, the Central Act, 1894
was amended in two respects, one by introducing Section
26(2) which deemed the award of the reference Court a
decree’ and the reasons a Judgment’ and the other an
amendment in Section 54 of the Central Act, 1894 giving a
right of appeal to the Privy Council from any decree passed
by the High Court from an award of the reference Court. Now
the Calcutta Act, 1911 contained a provision in Section 69
that the "Board may acquire land under the Land Acquisition
Act, 1894 for carrying out the purposes of the Act". Section
70 related to the constitution of a Tribunal - as detailed
in Section 72 - for the purpose of performing the functions
of the Court in reference to the acquisition of land for the
Board under the land Acquisition Act, 1894. However, Section
71 modified the Central Act, 1894 as follows:
"Section 71: Modification of Land
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Act, 1894: For the purpose of
acquiring land under the said Act
for the Board -
(a) the Tribunal shall (except for
the purpose of Section 54 of that
Act) be deemed to be the Court, and
the President of the Tribunal shall
be deemed to be the Judge, under
the said Act.
(b) the said act shall be subject
to the further modifications
indicated in the schedule.
(c).....
(d) the award of the Tribunal shall
be deemed to be the award of the
Court under the Land Acquisition
Act, 1894."
The modification made by section 71 (a) was crucial to the
case.
Section 77 referred to the passing of the award’ by
the Tribunal under the provisions of the Land Acquisition
Act 1894, for determining the compensation, apportionment,
etc.
The appellant, the Secretary of State, contended that
the appeal to the Privy Council lay because the amendment to
the Central Act in 1921 by substituting Section 26(2) which
deemed the award’ a decree’ had to be read into the Calcutta
Act, 1911 and if that was done, then an appeal would lie,
under Section 54 of the Central Act, 1894 to the Privy
Council. The respondents contended that such a telescoping
of Section 26(2) of the Central Act, 1894 into the Calcutta
Act, 1911 would be repugnant to the express words in Section
71(a): "except for the purposes of Section 54 of the Act".
The said contention of the respondents was accepted by the
privy Council. Their Lordships also Lord Wrenbury in Ex
parte St. Sepulchre (1864) [33 L.J. Ch. 372] to the effect
that it will not be possible to read the provisions of an
earlier Act into a latter Act, if the earlier Act
"gives in itself a complete rule on
the subject matter"
It was also observed that the provision in Section
70(a) of the Calcutta Act, 1911 deliberately excluding
Section 54 of the Central Act, 1894 was
"an indication of the local
legislature’s intention that there
should be, under the special Code
applicable to the Improvement
Trust, no appeals beyond the High
Court".
In other words, two reasons were given by their
lordships as to why section 26(2) of the Central Act, 1894
could not be read into the Calcutta Act, 1911. One was that
reading Section 26(2) of the Central Act, 1894 into the
Calcutta Act, 1911 would be repugnant to Section 70(a) of
the Calcutta Act, 1911 which expressly excluded Section 54
of the Central Act, 1894 from the purview of the Calcutta
Act. The other was that such telescoping would not be
permissible if the latter statute which, in certain
respects, referred to an earlier statute, was otherwise a
complete Code by itself. This is clear from the fact that
the Calcutta Act, 1911 Contains 177 sections and a schedule,
Chapter III relates to schemes and publication of
notifications in that behalf and Chapter IV deals with
acquisition and disposal of land containing sections 68 to
81; among these, section 70 deals with reference to the
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Tribunal: Section 77 deals with passing of award by the
Tribunal; Section 71(b) and the Schedule to the Act (which
contains 14 clauses) deals with various matters relating to
notifications as well as fixation of market value. On the
other hand, we have no such elaborate machinery provided in
the Karnataka Act, 1972 and the Act has only seven sections.
The Karnataka Act does not contain any separate procedure
for inquiry, award not does it constitute a Tribunal in the
place of the reference Court as done by the Calcutta Act of
1911. That is why we are of the view that the Privy Council
decision is clearly distinguishable.
The other two recent decisions of this Court in Gauri
Shankar Vs. State of up [1994 (1) 92] and UP Avas Vikas
Parishad Vs. Jainul Islam [1998 (1) Scale 185], both relate
to acquisition under the UP Avas Vikas Parishad Adhinyam
1965. We shall refer to the scheme of the UP Act, 1965
Chapter III of that Act deals with formulation of schemes
and issue of notifications (sections 15 to 49); Chapter V
deals with land acquisition etc. Sections 55 to 63, Chapter
VI with constitution of Tribunal and its purposes, section
55 of the Act reads as follows:
"Section 55(1): Any land or any
interest therein required by the
Board for any of the purposes of
this Act, may be acquired under the
provisions of the Land Acquisition
Act, 1894 (Act No. 1 of 1894) as
amended in its application to Utter
Pradesh, which for the purpose
shall be subject to the
modifications specified in the
schedule to this Act".
Section 64 (1) says that the Tribunal shall perform the
functions of the reference Court under the Central Act, 1894
as modified by the Schedule, in the matter of determining
the compensation. Section 66 says that the Award of the
Tribunal shall, in case of land acquisition under Central
Act, 1894 as modified by the Schedule, be deemed to be an
award of the Court under the Central Act and shall, subject
to section 54 of that Act, be final. Section 67 says award
of the Tribunal shall be deemed to be a decree and the UP
Act, 1965 contains an elaborate machinery like the Calcutta
Act, 1911.
In Gauri Shankar’s case, decided by K.Ramaswamy &
Sahai, JJ. the notifications for acquisition under Section
28 (1) were of the year 1973 while the notifications under
Section 32 (1) were of 1977. Before 1948, the Allahabad High
Court had taken the view that the notification under Section
32 (1) corresponding to declaration under Section 6 (1) of
the Central Act need not be issued within 3 years of the
notification under Section 28(1) corresponding to section
4(1) of the Central Act. In cases arising after 1948, it was
also held by the Allahabad High Court that Section 11-A was
not applicable to the UP Act. Gauri Shankar’s case related
to the 3 year rule in the proviso to Section 6 of the
Central Act. K.Ramaswamy, J. held (para 8) that the
principle of incorporation’ applied and that the
provisions of Section 28, 32 of the UP Act, 1965 were a
separate and complete code, that Section 55 read with clause
(2) of the Schedule, which contained the need for issuing
the preliminary and final notification under sections 28 and
32 of the UP Act, formed an integral scheme (para 25). The
Schedule amended Sections 4, 6, 17 and 23 of the Central
Act, 1894. It was pointed out that Section 28(2) and Section
32 (1) related to the publication of notifications without
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prescribing any limitation and that the UP Act 1965 was "a
complete code in itself". It was also held that the Act was
not otherwise unworkable or ineffectual, though it may be
incompatible with the provisos to Section 6(1) of L.A. Act
(para 33). On the other hand, sahai, J. held that the
principle of incorporation’ did not apply but that of
facts, it was not a fit case for interference inasmuch as
the Parishad had already taken possession. In that view of
the matter, both the learned Judges directed compensation as
on the date when the notification corresponding to Section 6
declaration was issued. We shall next to refer to the recent
judgment in Jainul Islam’s case where the opinion of
K.Ramaswamy, J. was accepted.
The question which arose in Jainul Islam’s case [1998
(1) SCALE 185] under the same UP Act. 1965 was whether
Section 23(1-A), Section 23(2) and Section 28 of the Central
Act, 1894 as amended in 1984, were attracted to the UP Act.
Approving the view of K.Ramaswamy, J. in Gauri Shankar’s
case [1994 (1) SCC 92], Agrawal, J. held that the principle
of incorporation’ applied and therefore the above
amendments of 1948 to the Central Act, 1894 did not apply.
Reference was also made to the Privy Council Judgment in
Secretary of State Vs. Hindustan Cooperative Insurance
Society Ltd. [AIR 1931 PC 149]. After considering the
various provisions of the UP Act, 1965, it was held
(para 21), that provisions of Section 55 and Schedule to the
Act were "on the same lines" as the provisions of the
Calcutta Improvement Act, 1911 and that the principles laid
down by the Privy Council were equally applicable. Adverting
to the exceptions referred to in State of M.P. Vs. M.V.
Narasimhan [1975 (2) SCC 377], it was observed that the UP
Act, 1965 and the Central Act, 1894 did not come within the
exceptions and that the provisions of the UP Act, 1965 were
not supplemental’ to each other, nor was the UP Act in pari
materia with the Central Act because it dealt with other
matters which did not fall within the ambit of the Central
Act. The UP Act was self contained and complete . Agrawal,
J. observed (para 23) as follows:
"the Adhinyam and the L.A. Act
cannot be regarded supplemental to
each other. The Adhinyam contains
provisions regarding acquisition of
land which are complete and self-
contained. Nor can the provisions
in the Adhinyam be said to be in
pari materia with the L.A. Act
because the Adhinyam also deals
with matters which do not fall
within the ambit of the L.A. Act".
In our view, these three rulings, namely Secretary of
State Vs. Hindustan Cooperative Society Ltd. [AIR 1931 PC
149], Gauri Shankar’s case [1994 (1) SCC 92] and Jainul
Islam’s case [1998 (1) Scale 185], are clearly
distinguishable. As pointed out earlier the Karnataka Act,
1972 has only 7 Sections which deal with the issuance of
notification corresponding to Sections 4 and 6, and 9 of
Central Act and certain other minor modification relating to
acquisition and payment of compensation. The Act has no
provision for a separate inquiry or award or reference to a
Tribunal, or a machinery for payment of compensation of
apportionment. The Central Act, 1894 alone is to apply in so
far as it related to inquiry and award, the reference to
Court, the apportionment of amount and the payment of amount
in respect of lands acquired under the Act’. There are no
detailed provisions as in the Calcutta Act, 1911 or as in
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the UP Act, 1965.
We are of the view that the Karnataka Act, 1972 clearly
comes within the exceptions stated in M.V. Narasimhan’s case
for the following reasons:
Firstly there being no detailed machinery whatsoever
in the Karnataka Act, 1972, that Act cannot be treated as
a self-contained or complete Code. Secondly, the Karnataka
Act, 1972 and the Central Act, 1894 (as amended by the
Karnataka Act, 1961) are supplemental to each other for
unless the Central Act supplements the karnataka Act, the
latter cannot function. Thirdly, these acts are in pari
materia because the karnataka Act, 1972 - unlike the
Calcutta Act, 1911 and the UP Act, 1965 - does not deal with
any other subject but deals with the same subject of land
acquisition which otherwise would have fallen within the
ambit of the Central Act, 1894. For the aforesaid reasons,
we are of the view that the amendments made in 1948 to the
Central Act, 1894 including Section 11-A have to be read
into the Karnataka Act, 1972, so far as enquiry, award,
reference to Court, apportionment of amount and the payment
of amount in respect of land acquired under the Act.
Admittedly, the prescribed period under section 11-A
has elapsed and it is stated that even now, the award is not
passed. Therefore, it is clear that the conditions of
section 11-A are violated, and accordingly, the entire land
acquisition proceedings including the notifications under
section 3(1) and 3(4) of the Karnataka Act, 1972 lapse. We
declare accordingly.
Before parting with the case, we may say that in this
appeal we are concerned only with the question whether
section 11-A as introduced by the Amendment in 1984 to the
Central Act 1894 could be read into the Karnataka Act, 1972
and we have held that it should be read into the Karnataka
Act, 1972 because there is not such provision in the
Karnataka Act, 1972 as amended by the Karnataka Act, 1961.
The question as to the telescoping of other amendments
brought to the Central Act, 1894 by the 1984 amendment and
the consequential impact thereof is not before us and we
should not be understood as deciding any such matter. If the
question of applicability of any other amendment brought by
the Central Act in 1984 to the Karnataka Act, 1972 arises in
Karnataka, such a question may have to be decided
separately.
Further, in the impugned Judgment, certain rulings
under the Bangalore Development Act, 1976 have been
followed. We have gone by the provisions of the Karnataka
Act, 1972. We are not to be understood as having said
anything with regard to the Bangalore Development Act, 1976.
We are in fact told that some that some appeals are pending
in this Court in regard to the said Act of 1976.
In the result, the appeals are allowed and it is declared
that the notifications issued under the Act under Section
3(1) and Section 3(4) have lapsed.