Full Judgment Text
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 1 of 10
PETITIONER:
RAMCHANDRA
Vs.
RESPONDENT:
TUKARAM AND ORS.
DATE OF JUDGMENT:
24/08/1965
BENCH:
SHAH, J.C.
BENCH:
SHAH, J.C.
GAJENDRAGADKAR, P.B. (CJ)
WANCHOO, K.N.
HIDAYATULLAH, M.
SIKRI, S.M.
CITATION:
1966 AIR 557 1966 SCR (1) 594
CITATOR INFO :
E&D 1971 SC 281 (6,22)
ACT:
Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands, (Vidarbha region
and Kutch Area) Act (99 of 1958), ss. 38 and 132(2) and (3)-
Scope of.
HEADNOTE:
The land in dispute as in the Vidarbha region originally
forming part of the State of Madhya Pradesh, to which the
Berar Regulation of Agricultural Leases Act, 1951 (Berar
Act) applied. Under the Act, a landlord requiring land for
personal cultivation, could terminate a lease by issuing a
notice to the lessee under s. 9, and obtaining an order in
that behalf from the Revenue Officer under s. 8(1)(g) and
then, applying to the Revenue Officer for ejectment of the
lessee. On the landlord’s application, the Officer, after
making such summary enquiry as he deems fit, may pass an
order restoring possession to the landlord. After the
merger of the Vidarbha region with the State of Bombay, the
Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands (Vidarbha region and
Kutch Area) Act (Tenancy Act) was passed on December 30,
1958 repealing, the Berar Act. Section 36 of the Tenancy
Act set up a procedure for obtaining possession from a
tenant and provided that the landlord may apply to the
Tahsildar who, after holding an enquiry, may pass such order
as he deems fit. Section 38(1) authorised the landlord to
obtain possession of land from a tenant, if the landlord,
bona fide required the land for personal cultivation and in
order to efecetuate that right, the landlord must give a
notice of one year’s duration in writing and make an
application for possession under s. 36, within the
prescribed period. By s. 38(3) it was provided that the
right of a landlord to terminate a tenancy under s. 38(1)
shall be subject to the conditions contained in cls. (a) to
(e) of sub-s. (3) and sub-,S. (4) imposed certain
restrictions on the right of the landlord to terminate a
tenancy. By s. 132(2) any right already acquired before
30th December 1958 remained enforceable. and any legal
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 2 of 10
proceeding in respect of such right, could be instituted,
continued and disposed of as if the Tenancy Act had not been
passed. But to this reservation an exception was made by s.
132(3) that a proceeding pending on 30th December 1958, was
to be deemed to have been instituted and pending before the
corresponding authority tinder the Tenancy Act, and was to
be disposed of in accordance with its provisions.
The appellant had obtained from the Revenue Officer
concerned an order, determining the tenancy of the
respondent under s. 8(1)(g) of the Berar Act. effective from
1st April 1958. On 15th May 1959 after the Tenancy Act had
come into force the appellant applied to the Tahsildar under
s. 36 for an order for restoration of possession. The
Tahsildar ordered restoration of possession. but on appeal
the Sub-Divisional Officer set aside the order on the ground
that the appellant failed to comply with the requirements of
s. 38 of the Tenancy Act. and the Revenue Tribunal confirmed
the order of the Sub-Divisional Officer. In a petition for
the issue of a writ, the High Court set aside all the orders
of the subordinate tribunals and remanded the case to the
Tahsildar for dealing with the application in the light of
directions given in its judgment. The High Court
595
held that though s. 36(1) of the Tenancy Act did not apply
to the appellant’s application, by vitrue of s. 132(3) the
provision of s. 38(3) and (4) were applicable to it.
In his appeal to the Supreme Court, the appellant contended
that the High Court had not correctly interpreted s. 132(3)
and that it should have restored the order passed by the
Tahsildar Direct should not have reopened the enquiry.
HELD : The Tahsildar was competent to entertain the
appellant’s application for recovery of possession. Once an
order was passed under s. 8(1)(g) of the Berar Act by the
Revenue Officer, the only enquiry contemplated to be made on
an application under s. 19 of the Act, was a summary enquiry
before an order for possession was made in favour of the
landlord. At that stage there was no scope for the
application of the conditions and restrictions prescribed by
s. 38(3) and (4), for those provisions do not apply to
proceedings to enforce rights acquired when the Berar Act
was in operation. Therefore the Tahsildar should deal with
the application on the footing that it was an application to
enforce right conferred by ss. 8 and of the Berar Act and
that the provisions of s. 38 of the Tenancy Act have no
application thereto. [604 F-H; 605 A-B]
The appellant had acquired a right to obtain possession of
the land on the determination made by the Revenue Officer
under s. 8(1)(g) of the Berar Act. An order made under s. 8
or s. 9 of the Berar Act relating to termination of a lease
does not terminate the proceeding it comes to an end only
when an order under s. 19 of the Act is made. Therefore,
the application filed by the appellant purporting to be
under s. 36(2) of the Tenancy Act must be regarded its an
application under s. 19 of the Berar Act, and deemed to be
a Continuation of the application under ss. 8 and 9 of the
Berar Act and pending at the date when the Tenancy Act was
brought into force. Since the repeal of the Berar Act the
proceeding would stand transferred to the Tahsildar, who was
bound to give effect to the rights already acquired before
the Tenancy Act was enacted under s. 132(2), and in doing
so, under s. 132(3) he bad to follow the procedure
prescribed by the Tenancy Act, But the exception made in s.
132(3) is limited in its content. By the use of the
expression ’shall be disposed of in accordance with the
provisions of this Act’. the legislature intended to attract
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 3 of 10
the procedural provisions of the Tenancy Act and not the
conditions precedent to the institution of fresh
proceedings. Therefore, a pending proceeding in respect of
a right acquired before the Act, had to be continued and
disposed of as if the Tenancy Act had not been passed,
subject to the reservation in respect of two matters
relating to the competence of the officers to try the
proceedings and to the procedure in respect of the trial.
Between s. 19(3) of the Berar Act and s. 36(3) of the
Tenancy Act in the matter of procedure there is no
substantial difference. But to the trial of the application
for enforcement of the right acquired trader the Berar Act,
s. 38 of the Tenancy Act could not be attracted. Section
38(1) is in terms prospective and does not purport to affect
rights acquired before the Tenancy Act was brought into
force. Section 38(3) and (4) do not apply to an application
filed or deemed to be filed under s. 19 of the Berar Act.
Section 38(3) in term makes the right of the landlord to
terminate a tenancy under sub-s. (1). subject to conditions
mentioned therein. The words of s. 38(4). are undoubtedly
general, but the setting in which the sub-section occurs
indicating that it is also intended to apply to tenancies
determined under s. 38(1). Therefore where the
determination of the tenancy is not under 38(1), sub-ss. (3)
and (4) have no application. [601. D, E, 60- A, B. F. G-H,
603 B, E, F-H]
596
Jayantraj Kanakanial Zambad v. Hari Dagdu, I.L.R. [1962]
Bom. 42 (F.B.), approved.
JUDGMENT:
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 616 of 1963.
Appeal from the judgment and order dated September 21, 1961
of the Bombay High Court (Nagpur Bench) at Nagpur in Special
Civil Application No. 2 of 1961.
S. G. Patwardhan, G. L. Sanghi, J. B. Dadabhanji, O. C.
Mathur and Ravinder Narain, for the appellant.
A. G. Ratnaparkhi, for the respondents.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
Shah, J. The first respondent Tukaram was a protected lessee
within the meaning of that expression in the Berar
Regulation of Agricultural Leases Act 24 of 1951-hereinafter
called "the Berar Act" in respect of certain land at Monza
Karwand in the Vidarbha Region (now in the State of
Maharashtra). The appellant-who is the owner of the land-
served a notice under S. 9(1) of the Berar Act terminating
the tenancy on the ground that he required the land for
personal cultivation, and submitted an application to the
Revenue Officer under S. 8(1)(g) of the Berar Act for an
order determining the tenancy. The Revenue Officer
determined the tenancy by order dated July 2, 1957 and made
it effective from April 1, 1958. In the meantime the
Governor of the State of Bombay (the Vidarbha region having
been incorporated within the State of Bombay by the States
Reorganisation Act 1956) issued Ordinance 4 of 1957 which
was later replaced by Act 9 of 1958 known as the Bombay
Vidarbha Region Agricultural Tenants (Prosection from
Eviction and Amendment of Tenancy Laws) Act, 1957. By S. 3
of Act 9 of 1958 a ban was imposed against eviction of
tenants, and by s. 4 all proceedings pending at the date of
the commencement of the Act, or which may be instituted
during the period the Act remained in force, for termination
of any tenancy and for eviction of tenants were to be stayed
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 4 of 10
on certain conditions set out in that section. Bombay Act 9
of 1958 and the Berar Act 24 of 1951 were repealed by the
Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands (Vidarbha Region and
Kutch Area) Act, 99 of 1958, which may hereinafter be
referred to as "the Tenancy Act". The appellant applied on
May 15, 1958 to the Naib Tahsildar, Chikhli for an order for
"restoration of possession" of the land. By order dated
August 2, 1960 the Naib Tahsildar ordered "restoration of
possession of the land" to the appellant.
597
In appeal the Sub-Divisional Officer, Buldana set aside the
order of the Naib Tahsildar because in his view the
application was not maintainable in that the appellant had
failed to comply with the requirements of s. 38 of the
Tenancy Act. The Revenue Tribunal confirmed the order of
the Sub-Divisional Officer. The appellant then moved the
High Court of Judicature at Bombay praying for a writ or
direction quashing the order of the Sub-Divisional Officer,
Buldana and of the Revenue Tribunal and for an order for
restoration of possession of the land in pursuance of the
order of Naib Tahsildar. The High Court set aside the order
of the Naib Tahsildar, the Sub-Divisional Officer and the
Revenue Tribunal and remanded the case to the Tahsildar for
dealing with the application made by the appellant in the
light of the directions given in the judgment. The
appellant appeals to this Court, with certificate under Art.
133 (1)(c) of the Constitution -ranted by the High Court.
The contention urged on behalf of the appellant is that the
High Court should have restored the order passed by the Naib
Tahsildar and should not have reopened the inquiry as
directed in its judgment. It is necessary in the first
instance to make a brief survey of the diverse statutory
provisions in their relation to the progress of the dispute,
which have a bearing on the question which falls to be
determined. The land was originally in the Vidharbha region
which before the Bombay Reorganisation, Act, 1956 was a part
of the State of Madhya Pradesh, and the tenancy of the land
was governed by the Berar Act. The first respondent was a
protected lessee in respect of the land under s. 3 of the
Berar Act. Section 8 of the Act imposed restrictions. on
termination of protected leases. It was provided that
notwithstanding any agreement, usage, decree or order of a
court of law, the lease of any land held by a protected
lessee shall not be terminated except under orders of a
Revenue Officer made on any of the grounds contained
therein. Even if the landlord desired to obtain possession
of the land for bona fide personal cultivation, he had to
obtain an order in that behalf under s. 8(1)(g). Section 9
enabled the landlord to terminate the lease of a protected
lessee if he required the land for personal cultivation by
giving notice of the prescribed duration and setting out the
reasons for determination of the tenancy. A tenant served
with the notice under sub-s. (1) could under sub-s. (3)
apply to the Revenue Officer for a declaration that the
notice shall have no effect or for permission to give up
some other land of the same landholder in lieu of the land
mentioned in the notice. Sub-sections (4), (5), (6), (7)
and (8) dealt with the proce-
598
dure and powers of the Revenue Officer. The landlord had,
after serving a notice under S. 9 (1), to obtain an order
under S. 8 (1) (g) that possession was required by him
bonafide for personal cultivation. Section 1 9 of the Berar
Act prescribed the procedure for ejectment of a protected
lessee. Sub-section (1) provided:
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 5 of 10
" A landholder may apply to the Revenue
Officer to eject a protected lessee against
whom an order for the termination of the lease
has been passed under sections 8 or 9."
Sub-section (2) enabled a tenant dispossessed
of land otherwise than in accordance with the
provisions of the Act to apply to the Revenue
Officer for restoration of the possession. By
sub-s. (3) it was provided :
"On receipt of an application under sub-
section (1) or (2), the Revenue Officer may,
after making such summary enquiry as he deems
fit, pass an order for restoring possession of
the land to the landholder or the protected
lessee as the case may be and may take such
steps as may be necessary to give effect to
his order."
The appellant had obtained from the Revenue Officer
concerned -an order tinder s. 8 ( 1) (g) determining the
tenancy effective from April 1, 1958. But before that date
Ordinance 4 of 1957 was promulgated. This Ordinance was
later replaced by Bombay Act 9 of 1958. By s. 4 of Bombay
Act 9 of 1958 all proceedings either pending at the date of
commencement of the Act or which may be instituted (during
the period the Act remained in force) for termination of the
tenancies were Stayed.
The Tenancy Act (Bombay Act 99 of 1958) which was brought
into force on December 30, 1958 repealed Bombay Act 9 of
1958 and the Berar Act and made diverse provisions with
regard to protection of tenants. By S. 9 of the Tenancy Act
it was provided that no tenancy of any land shall be
terminated merely on the -round that the period fixed for
its duration whether by agreement or otherwise had expired,
and by S. 19 it was provided that notwithstanding any
agreement, usage, decree or order of a court of law, the
tenancy of any land held by a tenant shall not be terminated
unless certain conditions specified therein were fulfilled.
Section 36 of the Tenancy Act set up the procedure to be
followed, inter alia, for obtaining possession from a tenant
after determination of the tenancy, and sub-s. (2) enacted
that no landlord shall obtain possession of any ]an(],
dwelling house
599
or site used for any allied pursuit held by a tenant except
under an order of the Tahsildar. By sub-s. (3) it was
provided that on receipt of an application under sub-s. (1)
the Tahsildar shall, after holding an inquiry, pass such
order thereon as he deems fit provided that where an
application under sub-s. (2) is made by a landlord in
pursuance of the right conferred on him under s. 38, the
Tahsildar may first decide as preliminary issue, whether the
conditions specified in cls. (c) and (d) of sub-s. (3), and
cls. (b), (c) and (d) of sub-s. (4) of that section are
satisfied. That takes us to s. 38. By the first sub-
section, as it was originally enacted, it was provided :
" Notwithstanding anything contained in
section 9 or 19 but subject to the provisions
of sub-sections (2) to (5), a landlord may
after giving to the tenant one year’s notice
in writing at any time within two years from
the commencement of this Act and making an
application for possession under sub-section
(2) of section 36, terminate the tenancy of
the land held by a tenant other than an
occupancy tenant if he bona fide requires the
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 6 of 10
land for cultivating it personally :"
(Amendment of this sub-section by Maharashtra Act 5 of 1961
is not material for the purpose of this appeal.) By sub-s.
(3) it was provided that the right of a landlord to
terminate a tenancy under sub-s. (1) shall be subject to the
conditions contained in cls. (a) to (e) (which need not, for
the purpose of this appeal, be set out). Sub-section (4)
imposed on the right of the landlord certain restrictions in
terminating the tenancy. A landlord may not terminate a
tenancy (a) so as to reduce the area with the tenant below a
certain limit, or (b) contravene the provisions of the
Bombay Prevention of Fragmentation Act, or (c) where the
tenant is a member of a co-operative farming society, or (d)
where the tenant is a co-operative farming society. Sub-
section (4A) dealt with the special case of a member of
armed forces ceasing to be a member of the serving force.
Sub-sections (5), (6) and (7) made certain incidental
provisions. By sub-s. (1) of s. 132, amongst others, the
Berar Act and Bombay Act 9 of 1958 were repealed. By sub-s.
(2) it was provided that nothing in sub-s. (1) shall, save
as expressly provided in the Act, affect or be deemed to
affect (i) any right, title, interest, obligation or
liability already acquired, accrued before the commencement
of the Act or (ii) any legal proceeding or remedy in respect
of any, such right, title, interest, obligation or liability
or anything done or suffered before the commencement of the
Act, and any such
7Sup./65-10
600
proceedings shall be instituted, continued and disposed of,
as if Act 99 of 1958 had not been passed. Sub-section (3)
provided :
"Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-
section (1)-
(a) all proceedings for the termination of
the tenancy and ejectment of a tenant or for
the recovery or restoration of the possession
of the land under the provisions of the
enactments so repealed, pending on the date of
the commencement of this Act before a Revenue
Officer or in appeal or revision before any
appellate or revising authority shall be
deemed to have been instituted and pending
before the corresponding authority under this
Act and shall be disposed of in accordance
with the provisions of this Act, and
(b).................
As from December 30, 1958 the Berar Act ceased to be in
operation. But by sub-s. (2) of s. 132 any right, title,
interest, obligation or liability already acquired before
the commencement of the Tenancy Act remained enforceable and
any legal proceedings in respect of such right, title,
interest, obligation or liability could be instituted,
continued and disposed of as if Bombay Act 99 of 1958 had
not been passed. But to this reservation an exception was
made by sub-s. (3) that a proceeding for termination of
tenancy and ejectment of the tenant or for recovery or
restoration of possession of the land under any repealed
provisions, pending on the date of the commencement of Act
99 of 1958 before a Revenue Officer. was to be deemed to
have been instituted and pending before the corresponding
authority under the Tenancy Act and was to be disposed of in
accordance with the provisions of that Act. Therefore when
a proceeding was pending for termination ’of the tenancy and
ejectment of a tenant the proceeding had to be disposed of
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 7 of 10
in accordance with the provisions of the Tenancy Act,
notwithstanding anything contained in sub-s. (2). If the
expression "proceedings pending on the date of commencement
of this Act" in s. 132(3)(a) be literally interpreted, a
somewhat anomalous situation may result. An application
under s. 19 of the Berar Act pursuant to an order under ss.
8 and 9, instituted before the Tenancy Act was enacted, will
have to be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of
the Tenancy Act, but if no proceeding under S. 19 be
commenced the proceeding would not be governed in terms by
sub-s. (3) and would by the operation of sub-s. (2) be
instituted and continued as if the Tenancy Act was not
passed. This problem engaged
601
the attention of the Bombay High Court in Jayantraj Kanakmal
Zambad and Another v. Hari Dagdu and Others(1), in which the
facts were closely parallel to the facts in the present
case. An order determining the lease under ss. 8 & 9 of the
Berar Act was obtained by the landlord before the Tenancy
Act was enacted, and at a time when Bombay Act 9 of 1958 was
in force, and proceedings were started by the landlord for
obtaining possession from the tenant, after the Tenancy Act
was brought into force. The High Court held that the
application by the landlord for possession against the
tenant whose tenancy was determined by an order under the
Berar Act has, if instituted after the Tenancy Act was
brought into force, to be decided according to the provi-
sions of the latter Act by virtue of s. 132(3) and not under
the Berar Act, and that an order for termination of the
lease under s. 8 does not come to an end until an order is
made under sub-s.(3) of s. 19. The Court therefore in
that case avoided the anomaly arising from the words of sub-
s. (3) by holding that an order made under s. 8 or under s.
9 of the Berar Act relating to termination of a lease does
not terminate the proceeding, and it comes to an end when an
order under s. 19 of the Act is made.
The High Court in the judgment under appeal, following the
decision in Jayantroj Kanakmal Zambad’s case(1) held that
the application filed by the appellant purporting to be
under s. 36(7) of the Tenancy Act must be regarded as an
application under s. 19 of the Berar Act and therefore be
deemed to ’be a continuation of the application under ss. 8
& 9 of the Berar Act. which was pending at the date when the
Tenancy Act was brought into force, and to such an
application s. 38 (1) did not apply, but by virtue of sub-s.
(3) cl. (a) of s. 132 the application had to be disposed of
in accordance with the provisions of the Tenancy Act,
thereby making the provisions of s. 38(3) and s. 38(4)
applicable thereto. Mr. Patwardhan for the appellant has,
for the purpose of this appeal, not sought to canvass the
correctness of the view of the judgment in Jayantraj
Kanakmal Zambad’s case, but has submitted that the High
Court has not correctly interpreted s. 132(3) of the Tenancy
Act.
The appellant had acquired a right to obtain possession of
the land on determination made by the Revenue Officer by
order dated July 2, 1957 and a legal proceeding in respect
thereof could be instituted or continued by virtue of sub-s.
(2) of s. 132 as if the Tenancy Act had not been passed.
The exception made
(1) I.L.R. [1962] Bom. 42 F.B.
602
by sub-s. (3) of S. 132 in respect of proceedings for
termination of the tenancy and ejectment of a tenant which
are pending on the date of the commencement of the Tenancy
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 8 of 10
Act is limited in its content. Proceedings which are
pending are to be deemed to have been instituted and pending
before the corresponding authority under the Act and must be
disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the Tenancy
Act. By the use of the expression " shall be disposed of in
accordance with the provisions of this Act" apparently the
Legislature intended to attract the procedural provisions of
the Tenancy Act, and not the conditions precedent to the
institution of fresh proceedings. To hold otherwise would
be to make a large inroad upon sub-s. (2) of s. 132 which
made the right, title or interest already acquired by virtue
of any previous order passed by competent authority
unenforceable, even though it was expressly declared
enforceable as if the Tenancy Act had not been passed.
The High Court was, in our judgment, right in holding that
the application filed by the appellant for obtaining an
order for possession against the first respondent must be
treated as one under s. 19 of the Berar Act, and must be
tried before the corresponding authority. Being a pending
proceeding in respect of a right acquired before the Act, it
had to be continued and disposed of as if the Tenancy Act
had not been passed [sub-s. (2)], subject to the reservation
in respect of two matters relating to the competence of the
officers to try the proceeding and to the procedure in
respect of the trial. The appellant had obtained an order
determining the tenancy of the first respondent. That order
had to be enforced in the manner provided by s. 19(1) i.e.
the Revenue Officer had to make such summary inquiry as be
deemed fit, and had to pass an order for restoring
possession of the land to the landholder and to take such
steps as may be necessary to give effect to his order.
Since the repeal of the Berar Act the proceeding pending
before the Revenue Officer would stand transferred to the
Tahsildar. The Tahsildar was bound to give effect to the
rights already acquired before the Tenancy Act was enacted,
and in giving effect to those rights he had to follow the
procedure prescribed by the Tenancy Act. Between ss. 19(3)
of the Berar Act and 36(3) of the Tenancy Act in the matter
of procedure there does not appear to us any substantial
difference. Under the Berar Act a summary inquiry has to be
made by the Revenue Officer, whereas under the Tenancy Act
the Tahsildar must hold an inquiry and pass such order
(consistently with the rights of the parties) as he deems
fit. But to the trial of the application for enforcement of
the right acquired under the
603
Berar Act, s. 38 of the Tenancy Act could not be attracted.
Section 38 authorises the landlord to obtain possession of
the land from a tenant, if the landlord bona fide required
the land for cultivating it personally. In order to
effectuate that right, the landlord must give a notice of
one year’s duration in writing and make an application for
possession under s. 36 within the prescribed period. The
section is in terms prospective and does not purport to
affect rights acquired before the date on which the Tenancy
Act was brought into force. The High Court was therefore
also right in observing
"The notice referred to in sub-s. (1) of s. 38
could not obviously have been given in respect
of proceedings which were pending or which are
deemed to have been pending on the date of the
commencement of this Act. It does not also
appear that it was the intention of the
Legislature that such proceedings should be
kept pending for a further period until a
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 9 of 10
fresh notice as required by sub-s. (1) of s.
38 had been given. . . . For the same reasons,
the proviso to sub-s. (2) of s. 36 will not
apply in such cases."
But we are unable to agree with the High Court that sub-ss.
(3) and (4) of s. 38 apply to an application filed or deemed
to be filed under s. 19 of the Berar Act. The High Court
appears to be of the view that by the use of the expression
"shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of
this Act" it was intended that "all the provisions of the
Act, which would apply to an application made under sub-s.
(2) of s. 36, would also apply to application which are
deemed to have been made under this section", and therefore
it followed that sub-ss. (3) and (4) of s. 38 applied to all
applications for obtaining possession of the land for
personal cultivation made under s. 19 of the Berar Act which
were pending or which were deemed to have been pending on
the date of the commencement of the Tenancy Act. It may be
noticed that sub-s. (3) of s. 38 in terms makes the right of
the landlord to terminate a tenancy under sub-s. (1),
subject to conditions mentioned therein. If there be no
determination of the tenancy by notice in writing under sub-
s. (1), sub-s. (3) could have no application.
The words of sub-s. (4) are undoubtedly general. But the
setting in which the sub-section occurs clearly indicates
that it is intended to apply to tenancies determined under
s. 38(1). Large protection which was granted by s. 19 of
the Tenancy Act
604
has been withdrawn from tenants who may be regarded as con-
tumacious. By s. 38(1) a landlord desiring to cultivate the
land personally is given the right to terminate the tenancy,
but the right is made subject to the conditions prescribed
in sub-s. (3) and the legislature has by sub-s. (4) (a)
sought to make an equitable adjustments between the claims
of the landlord and the tenant. If sub-s. (4) be read as
imposing a restriction on the determination of all
tenancies, it would imply grant of projection to a
contumacious tenant as well. The Legislature could not have
intended that in making equitable adjustments between the
rights of landlords and tenants contumacious tenants who
have disentitled themselves otherwise to the protection of
s. 19 should still be benefited. Again if sub-s. (4) be
read as applying to determination of every agricultural
tenancy, its proper place would have been in sub-s. (3) of
s. 36, and the proviso thereto would riot have been drafted
in the manner it is found in the Act. By cls. (c) & (d) of
sub-s. (4) tenants who are cooperative societies or members
of cooperative societies are not liable to be evicted, and
if the opening words of sub-s. (4) are intended to be read
as applicable to termination of all tenancies, whatever the
reason, we would have expected some indication to that
effect in s. 19 of the tenancy Act. Again inclusion of sub-
ss. (2) to (5) in the non-obstante clause in sub-s. (1)
supports the view that the expression "In no case a tenancy
shall be terminated" being. part, of an integrated scheme
means that a tenancy determined "or reasons and in the
manner set out in sub-s. (1) of s. 38 must be determined
consistently with sub-s. (4), but where the determination of
the tenancy is not under sub-s. (1) of s. 38, sub-s. (4) has
no application.
The application made by the appellant is undoubtedly one for
ejectment of the tenant and for recovery of possession. The
Naib Tahsildar was competent to entertain the application.
It is true that the application was orginally filed under
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 10 of 10
ss. 8 & 9 of the Berar Act on the ground that the, landlord
required the land bona fide for his personal cultivation,
but once an order was passed under s. 8 (1) (g) by the
Revenue Officer, the only inquiry contemplated to be made on
an application under s. 19 was a summary inquiry before an
order for possession was made in favour of the landlord. At
that stage, there was no scope for the application of the
conditions and restrictions prescribed by sub-ss. (3) & (4)
of s. 38, for, in our view, those provisions do not apply to
proceedings to enforce rights acquired when the Berar Act
was in operation.
605
We therefore modify the order passed by the High Court and
direct that the orders passed by the Tahsildar and the
Revenue Tribunal will be set aside and the matter will be
remanded to the Tahsildar for dealing with the application
on the footing that it is an application to enforce the
right conferred by ss. 8 & 9 of the Berar Regulation of
Agricultural Leases Act, 1951 and the provisions of s. 38 of
the Bombay Act 99 of 1958 have no application thereto.
There will be no order as to costs in this appeal.
Order modified and case remanded.
606