Full Judgment Text
NON-REPORTABLE
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 7384 OF 2013
(Arising out of SLP (C) No.24415 of 2009)
Delhi Union of Journalist Cooperative
House Building Society Ltd. and others …Appellants
versus
Union of India and others …Respondents
J U D G M E N T
G.S. SINGHVI, J.
1. Leave granted.
JUDGMENT
2. Whether the amendment made in the Master Plan of Delhi vide
Notification dated 20.9.1995 permitting utilization of the sites earmarked for
Nursery Schools for other purposes is ultra vires the provisions of the Delhi
Development Authority Act, 1957 (for short, ‘the Act’) or is otherwise
arbitrary and whether allotment of 1000 sq. yards (in some paragraphs of
the special leave petition and the documents annexed with it the size of the
plot has also been mentioned as 1200 sq. yards) of land earmarked in
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Gulmohar Park for Nursery School to respondent No.4 – Kala Ashram,
School of Dance and Drama, New Delhi is violative of the provisions of the
Constitution and/or the Act are the questions which arise for consideration
in this appeal filed against judgment dated 24.10.2008 of the Division
Bench of the Delhi High Court.
3. Appellant No.1 is a cooperative housing society, appellant No.2 is a
body representing four cooperative house building societies which have
land in and around the area known as ‘Gulmohar Park’ and appellant No.3
is a society formed for establishing a Nursery School in Gulmohar Park.
4. The site in question was initially allotted to Bethal Education Society
for construction of a Nursery School but the same was not utilized for long
time. In 1989, the appellants made representations to the DDA for allotment
of the land in question, but could not persuade the concerned authorities to
entertain their prayer. Therefore, they filed CWP No.1185/1998 for issue of
JUDGMENT
a mandamus to the Delhi Development Authority (for short, ‘the DDA’) to
allot the site to them for establishing a Nursery School. When the writ
petition was taken up for hearing, it was noticed that the appellants had not
challenged the notification by which the Master Plan had been amended.
Faced with the possibility of dismissal of the writ petition on that ground,
learned counsel for the appellants made a request for permission to
withdraw the same with liberty to file a fresh one. The learned Single Judge
accepted the request and passed order dated 27.1.2000, the relevant
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portions of which are extracted below:
“I have perused the contents of the aforesaid amendment
application. It transpires therefrom that the petitioner seeks to
make the said petition, a public interest litigation. In that view of
the matter, the petition would be required to be heard by the
Division Bench, if the said amendment is allowed.
Counsel for the petitioner seeks permission to withdraw the
present petition in order to enable the petitioner to file a
consolidated writ petition before the Division Bench with a
further order that the interim order passed on 9.3.1998 be
continued for another ten days. Permission granted.
The petition stands dismissed as withdrawn with a liberty to the
petitioner to file a consolidated petition before the Division
Bench. Pending applications stand disposed of accordingly. The
interim order passed by this Court on 9.3.1998 shall continue to
operate for another ten days.”
5. After few days, the appellants filed CWP No.662/2000 for quashing
notification dated 20.9.1995 issued by the Government of India, Ministry of
Urban Affairs and Employment (Delhi Division) for modification of the
Master Plan and the allotment made in favour of respondent No.4. The
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Division Bench of the High Court referred to the nature of amendment made
in the Master Plan and observed:
“However, thereafter the purpose came to be amended by
issuing a notification dated 20.9.95, a copy of which is produced
as Annexure-7. The modification reads as under:-"At page 157
of the Gazette of India Part-II Section 3 sub-section (ii) dated
1.8.1990 under heading Nursery School and Kindergarten
School (080) the following is added:
"The following neighbourhood facilities are permissible in
nursery school sites according to the layout plan, where no such
facility is available in the vicinity:
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i) post office
ii) community hall cum library
iii) Dispensary
iv) Health Centre
v) Creche and Day care centre
vi) Electric sub-station
vii) Cooperative store
viii) Milk booth
ix) Fine arts school
x) Maternity home
xi) Child Welfare Centre
(Charitable)
It is pointed out by the petitioner that if there is a Fine Art
School in neighbourhood, then a plot reserved could not have
been allotted for another Fine Art School.
It is required to be noted that in the instant case, according to the
petitioner he has been trying his level best to get the plot of land
for the purpose of nursery school and he has been writing for a
long time. Copies of such correspondence are placed on record.
It is contended that a wrong has been done to the petitioner by
not allotting the plot for nursery school. It is pointed out in para
no. 11 of the affidavit sworn by Ms. Asma Manzar, Director
(Lands), DDA, that the petitioner was advised vide letter-dated
25.10.1989 to get its case sponsored from the Director of
Education, Delhi Administration for taking further action, while
informing that the earlier allotment to Bethal Education Society
had been cancelled.
JUDGMENT
In view of this, the petition is not required to be entertained.
However, if the petitioner approaches the DDA with the
requisite recommendation/sponsorship, the DDA shall consider
its case in accordance with law. The petition is dismissed.”
6. Special Leave Petition (C) No. 18712/2004 filed by the appellants
was dismissed by this Court vide order dated 27.1.2006.
7. Unfazed by dismissal of the writ petition and the special leave
petition, the appellants made representation dated 10/13.2.2006 to the
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Chairman, DDA for cancellation of the allotment made in favour of
respondent No.4 and for allotment of the site to them for establishing a
Nursery School. Soon thereafter, they filed Writ Petition Nos.3192-
3194/2006 with similar prayer. The writ petitions were disposed of by the
learned Single Judge by taking cognizance of the statement made by the
counsel for the DDA that the Vice-Chairman would take appropriate
decision on the appellants’ representation keeping in view note dated
2.12.1990 recorded by the Minister for Urban Development.
8. In furtherance of the undertaking given by the counsel, Vice-
Chairman, DDA considered the representation of the appellants and passed
order dated 3.4.2006 whereby he rejected the appellants’ prayer for
cancellation of the allotment made in favour of respondent No.4 on the
ground that the writ petition and the special leave petition filed by the
appellants for quashing the allotment had already been dismissed by the
JUDGMENT
Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, respectively.
9. The appellants challenged the order of the Vice-Chairman in Writ
Petition (C) Nos.12122-12124/2006. They relied upon note dated 2.12.1999
recorded by the then Minister, Urban Development incorporating therein his
views against the allotment of Nursery School sites for any other purpose.
10. The learned Single Judge referred to order dated 24.3.2004 passed by
the Division Bench in WP(C) No.662/2000 and held that it was not
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permissible for the appellants to resurrect their challenge to notification
dated 20.9.1995 or the allotment made in favour of respondent No.4. As
regards the Minister’s noting, the learned Single Judge observed that it was
a general note and had nothing to do with notification dated 20.9.1995
issued by the Central Government. Paragraphs 9 to 11 of the order passed
by the learned Single Judge, which contain the reasons for rejection of the
appellants prayer are extracted below:
“To this Court it appears that the Respondents are justified in
contending that the prayers made by the writ petitioners here
already stand rejected by the Division Bench of this Court by the
order-dated 24.3.2004 in Writ Petition (Civil) No.662/2000. The
rejection of the said writ petition meant that the Division Bench
of this court had negatived the Petitioners' challenge to both the
notification dated 20.9.1995 of the Central Government as well
as the challenge to the allotment in favour of Respondent No.4
pursuant to the said notification. The last line of that order,
which permitted the Petitioners to make a representation to the
DDA for considering its case in accordance with law, was not
meant to permit the Petitioners to raise the very contentions,
which had been rejected by the court by the dismissal of the writ
petition in Writ Petition (Civil) No.662/2000. It only meant that
the Petitioners could have sought for the allotment of some other
land, if available and subject to the requirements of the law.
Instead, what the Petitioners appear to have done, is to re-agitate
the issue which already stood covered by the Order dated
24.3.2004 of the Division Bench of this Court. This was clearly
impermissible and not intended by the said order.
JUDGMENT
The order dated 3.3.2006 of the learned Single Judge of this
Court requiring the DDA to take into account the note dated
2.12.1999 of the minister of Urban Development, has to be seen
in the light of the fact that the said note was not specific to the
allotment of the Respondent No.4. Moreover, the said note was
issued more than 2 years after the allotment made in favour of
Respondent No.4. That note is of a general nature and does not
advert to the notification dated 20.9.1995 issued by the Central
government, the challenge to the validity of which was negatived
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by this Court and which has not been withdrawn or cancelled by
the Central Government, at least till such time the allotment was
made in favour of Respondent No.4.
The mere fact that the impugned order dated 3.4.2006 passed by
the DDA does not refer to the note dated 2.12.1999 of the
Minister of Urban Development, cannot make any difference to
the fact that the challenge to the validity of allotment in favour of
Respondent No.4 already stood negatived by this Court by its
Order dated 24.3.2004 rejecting the Writ Petition (Civil)
No.662/2000. The order dated 3.3.2006 certainly does not
permit the Petitioner to re-agitate the same issue all over again
either before the DDA or before this court.”
11. The Letters Patent Appeal filed by the appellants was dismissed by
the Division Bench of the High Court. Some of the observations made by
the Division Bench are extracted below:
“14. We are further constrained by the result of the earlier
litigation initiated by the appellants and the challenge of the
appellants having been rejected. The principal plea of there
being another Fine Arts School in the vicinity and, thus, the
notification dated 20.9.1995 itself providing that in such a case
there was no need for making another allotment formed subject
matter of the first round of litigation. The appellants,
unfortunately, did not succeed and that SLP was also rejected by
the Supreme Court. That issue cannot be re-agitated again.
JUDGMENT
15. In the second round of litigation, all that could have been
done was that the effect of the note of the then Minister for
Urban Development to be considered. As to what would be the
result of such consideration is itself a moot point in view of the
challenge rejected in the first round of litigation. It is true that
the note dated 2.12.1999 of the then Urban Development
Minister has not been specifically mentioned in the decision
taken by the Vice Chairman, DDA on 3.4.2006. However, an
important aspect is that the note is general in nature and cannot
really be stated to constitute a substratum for giving rights to the
appellants to agitate the matter in Court. It was the view of the
then Minister of Urban Development arising from a problem
which was noticed by a certain members of Parliament. Not only
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that the most important aspect of the note is that the note itself
makes it clear that the allotment should “cease forthwith”. The
note as made could, at best, have a future impact while the
allotment in favour respondent No. 4 stood crystallized on the
same being made, payment being accepted and the possession
having been handed over and much prior in time.”
12. Shri Ranjit Kumar, learned senior counsel appearing for the
appellants argued that the impugned judgment and the order passed by the
learned Single Judge are liable to be set aside because the High Court
committed serious error by invoking the doctrine of res judicata for non-
suiting the appellants. Learned senior counsel emphasised that order dated
3.4.2006 passed by the Vice-Chairman gave fresh cause to the appellants to
seek intervention of the Court and the High Court could not have dismissed
the writ petition and the appeal on the premise that the earlier writ petition
had been dismissed. Shri Ranjit Kumar then submitted that even though the
note recorded by the Minister, Urban Development was not translated into a
formal order of the Government, Vice-Chairman, DDA was duty bound to
JUDGMENT
consider the same and cancel the allotment made in favour of respondent
No.4 because the amendment made in the Master Plan was totally arbitrary
and unjustified. Learned senior counsel further argued that the disputed
allotment was ex-facie arbitrary and violative of Article 14 of the
Constitution because the same was not preceded by an advertisement
inviting applications from the eligible persons for allotment of the site.
13. Shri L.N. Rao, learned Additional Solicitor General appearing for the
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Union of India and Shri Atual Y. Chitale, learned senior counsel appearing
for respondent No.4 supported the impugned judgment and argued that the
appellants’ challenge to the allotment of site to respondent No.4 was rightly
rejected because CWP No.662/2000 filed by them for quashing notification
dated 20.9.1995 was dismissed by the Division Bench of the High Court
and the special leave petition was dismissed by this Court. The learned
Additional Solicitor General relied upon the judgment in Shanti Sports Club
and another v. Union of India and others (2009) 15 SCC 705 and argued
that note dated 2.12.1999 recorded by the then Minister, Urban
Development cannot be enforced because the same had not been translated
into an order of the Government of India. Shri Atul Y. Chitale argued that
the High Court rightly refused to entertain the appellants’ challenge to the
order of Vice-Chairman, DDA because the principal grievance made by
them in the matter of allotment of site to respondent No.4 had already been
negatived.
JUDGMENT
14. We have considered the respective arguments and scrutinized the
record. It is not in dispute that the writ petition filed by the appellants for
quashing notification dated 20.9.1995 by which the Master Plan had been
amended permitting use of Nursery School sites for other purposes was
dismissed by the Division Bench of the High Court and their challenge to
the allotment made in favour of respondent No.4 was also rejected. It is also
not in dispute that the appellants carried the matter to this Court but could
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not succeed and the special leave petition filed by them was dismissed after
hearing counsel for the parties. Therefore, the representation made by them
to the Chairman, DDA for withdrawing the allotment made in favour of
respondent No.4 was clearly misconceived and the High Court did not
commit any error by refusing to entertain the appellants’ prayer for quashing
the allotment of the site to respondent No.4.
15. The appellants got an opportunity to indulge in another round of
litigation because the advocate who appeared on behalf of DDA before the
High Court volunteered to make a statement that the Vice-Chairman would
take necessary decision in the light of note dated 2.12.1999 of the Minister
of Urban Development. It is impossible for any person of ordinary prudence
to accept the suggestion that the counsel appearing for the DDA was
unaware of the fate of the writ petition and the special leave petition filed by
the appellants questioning notification dated 20.9.1995 and the allotment
JUDGMENT
made in favour of respondent No.4. This being the position, there is no
escape from the conclusion that the undertaking given by the learned
counsel was totally uncalled for and the order passed by Vice-Chairman,
DDA did not entitle the appellants to file fresh writ petition for questioning
the rejection of their representation or for quashing notification dated
20.9.1995 and the allotment made in favour of respondent No.4.
16. The note recorded by the Minister, Urban Development on 2.12.1999
did not have any legal sanctity and the same could not have been relied
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upon by the appellants for seeking cancellation of the allotment made in
favour of respondent No.4 in 1997 because no order was issued on the basis
of that note and no notification was issued withdrawing the amendment
made in the Master Plan vide notification dated 20.9.1995.
17. In Shanti Sports Club and another v. Union of India and others
(supra), a similar question was considered in the context of noting recorded
by the then Minister, Urban Development for release of the acquired land in
favour of the appellant. While rejecting the appellants’ prayer, this Court
referred to the earlier judgments and held:
“All executive actions of the Government of India and the
Government of a State are required to be taken in the name of
the President or the Governor of the State concerned, as the case
may be [Articles 77(1) and 166(1)]. Orders and other
instruments made and executed in the name of the President or
the Governor of a State, as the case may be, are required to be
authenticated in such manner as may be specified in rules to be
made by the President or the Governor, as the case may be
[Articles 77(2) and 166(2)]. Article 77(3) lays down that:
JUDGMENT
“77. (3) The President shall make rules for the more
convenient transaction of the business of the Government
of India, and for the allocation among Ministers of the
said business.”
Likewise, Article 166(3) lays down that:
166. (3) The Governor shall make rules for the more
convenient transaction of the business of the Government
of the State, and for the allocation among Ministers of the
said business insofar as it is not business with respect to
which the Governor is by or under this Constitution
required to act in his discretion.”
This means that unless an order is expressed in the name of the
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President or the Governor and is authenticated in the manner
prescribed by the rules, the same cannot be treated as an order
on behalf of the Government.
A noting recorded in the file is merely a noting simpliciter and
nothing more. It merely represents expression of opinion by the
particular individual. By no stretch of imagination, such noting
can be treated as a decision of the Government. Even if the
competent authority records its opinion in the file on the merits
of the matter under consideration, the same cannot be termed as
a decision of the Government unless it is sanctified and acted
upon by issuing an order in accordance with Articles 77(1) and
(2) or Articles 166(1) and (2). The noting in the file or even a
decision gets culminated into an order affecting right of the
parties only when it is expressed in the name of the President or
the Governor, as the case may be, and authenticated in the
manner provided in Article 77(2) or Article 166(2). A noting or
even a decision recorded in the file can always be
reviewed/reversed/overruled or overturned and the court cannot
take cognizance of the earlier noting or decision for exercise of
the power of judicial review.”
(emphasis supplied)
18. By applying the ratio of the aforesaid judgment to the facts of this
case, we hold that note dated 2.12.1999 recorded by the Minister, Urban
Development cannot be made basis for quashing the allotment made in
JUDGMENT
favour of respondent No.4.
19. In the result, the appeal is dismissed.
…………………………..J.
(G.S. SINGHVI)
………………………….J.
(V. GOPALA GOWDA)
New Delhi;
September 6, 2013.
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