Full Judgment Text
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PETITIONER:
STATE OF RAJASTHAN
Vs.
RESPONDENT:
RAO RAJA SARDAR SINGH
DATE OF JUDGMENT11/08/1978
BENCH:
SHINGAL, P.N.
BENCH:
SHINGAL, P.N.
FAZALALI, SYED MURTAZA
CITATION:
1978 AIR 1642 1979 SCR (1) 95
1978 SCC (3) 528
ACT:
Rajasthan Land Reforms and Resumption of Jagirs Act
1952 (No. VI of 1952)-Ss. 46 and 47-The Act ousts the
jurisdiction of civil and Revenue Courts.- State claimed
certain recoveries from the Jagirdar out of compensation
payable to him-No proper account of dues produced-Jagir
Commissioner rejected State’s claim-State sought to recover
dues under Ss. 229/257A of the Rajasthan Land Revenue Act
1956-Recoveries if could be made.
HEADNOTE:
The Rajasthan Land Reforms and Resumption of Jagirs
Act, 1952 which provide for the resumption of jagir lands
and other measures of land reforms, contains a comprehensive
scheme for the determination of the amount of dues and debts
recoverable by the State from the Jagirdar in respect of the
jagir lands and their deduction from the amount of
compensation payable to him. Sections 22 to 31 read together
provide for the continuance of the Jagirdar’s liability to
the payment of arrears of revenue, ceases and other dues
which were due from him in respect of the jagir lands for
any period prior to the date of resumption or the jagir, out
of the compensation payable to him. A duty has been cast on
the jagirdar to mention, in the statement of his claim for
compensation the amount of dues and debts recoverable from
him under s. 22(1)(e). Section 32(1) makes it obligatory on
The Jagir Commissioner to provisionally determine the amount
of compensation unrecoverable from the Jagirdar under s.
22(1)(e) and serve a copy of the provisional order on the
Government, the Jagirdar and every other interested person.
It is only after giving all or them a reasonable opportunity
that the Jagir Commissioner can make a final order. The
order so made under s. 32(2) would be final in respect of
the amounts mentioned in it. Section 34 provides for the
deduction of the amounts determined by the Commissioner,
from the compensation payable to the Jagirdar under s. 26.
Section 35 deals with payment of compensation. Section 39
provides for appeals against and decision of the Jagir
Commissioner, to the Board of Revenue according to which the
decision of the Board in the appeal shall be final. Section
46 provides that no order mad by any officer or authority
under the Act shall be called in question in any civil or
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revenue court.
Under the provisions of the Act, the lands belonging to
the respondent, who was a. Jagirdar in the State of
Rajasthan, vested in the State. When the Jagir Commissioner
took up the question of deciding the compensation payable to
the respondent, the State filed a claim that a certain
amount was recoverable from the compensation payable to the
Jagirdar on account of revenue dues etc. But since the State
was not able to give a proper account of the dues, the Jagir
Commissioner made an order that the amount claimed by the
State could not be deducted. The Board of Revenue dismissed
the State Government’s appeal any, therefore, the order of
the Jagir Commissioner became final.
In the meanwhile, when the Tehsildar sought to recover
the dues from the respondent, he raised an objection that
since the Jagir Commissioner’s order became final the
Government was not competent to claim that amount. The
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Tehsildar rejected the objection. In the respondent’s
appeal, the Board of Revenue quashed the order of the
Tehsildar on the ground that the State Government did not
furnish the required particulars in spite of several
opportunities given to it when the matter was before him and
that the Jagir Commissioner was light in rejecting the claim
of the State. It also held that since his order became
final, proceedings to have the recovery of the dues under
the Land Revenue Act, Where without jurisdiction.
The High Court dismissed the writ petition filed by the
State Government. It held that The determination of the dues
and debts recoverable by the State from the Jagirdar was a
matter which was required to be settled by the Jagir
Commissioner and that by virtue of s. 46 of the Act, a Civil
or Revenue Court had no jurisdiction in respect of it.
On the question whether the Jagir Commissioner’s order
was final and whether any Civil or Revenue Court had
jurisdiction to reopen it, as it related to a matter which
was required to be settled or decided or dealt with by the
commissioner.
Dismissing the appeal,
^
HELD: The High Court was right in raising the bar of s.
46 and holding that no Civil or Revenue Court had
jurisdiction in respect of the controversy as it was a
matter which had in fact been finally decided by the Jagir
Commissioner and the Board of Revenue under the provisions
of the Act. The belated attempt by the State to get over.
the bar by instituting proceedings under s. 229 or s. 257-A
of the Rajasthan land Revenue Act was illegal and was
rightly set aside by the Board. The objection against it had
no merit and had rightly been rejected by the High Court.
[104D-E]
The provisions of the Act are quite adequate and
comprehensive and read with the relevant rules, provide for
the determination and recovery of the amounts due from the
Jagirdar on account of the Jagir lands. This had to be so,
because when the Act provides for the resumption of the
jagir lands it is fair and reasonable that it should make
provision for the determination and recovery of the amount
recoverable from the Jagirdar. The provisions of that Act
are a comprehensive code concerning the liability of the
Jagirdar. [103D-E]
There is no force in the contention that the resolution
of the Jaipur State Council was a final adjudication of the
liability of the Jagirdar and that, being in the nature of a
decree, the Jagir Commissioner’s order was illegal. The
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Jagirdar denied any knowledge of the resolution. When the
Jagir Commissioner undertook the enquiry, the State did not
produce the resolution and, therefore, he dismissed the
claim of the State. [104F-H, 105A-B]
There is also no force in the contention that s. 34 is
not a bar to civil action because in a given case the amount
of compensation might fall short of the amount recoverable
from the Jagirdar. Such possibility could not arise in this
case. The compensation payable to the Jagirdar was far in
excess of his liability to the State. The Act casts a duty
on the Jagir Commissioner to take necessary steps for the
adjustment of the recovery and further recovery of the
balance, if any, that might remain outstanding against the
Jagirdar there could, therefore, be no occasion for the
recovery of any balance of revenue does by civil action in
this case. [105C-F]
97
Ullal Venkatrava Kini v. Louis Souza AIR 1960 Mysore
209; G. Venkatachala Odavar v. Ramachandra Odavar & Anr.,
AIR 1961 Mad, 423 Kulandaiswami Madurai & Ors. v. Murugayya
Madurai & Ors., AIR 1969 Mad. 14; Rameshwar Prasad & Ors. v.
Satya Narain & Ors. AIR 1954 All 115, Gurbasappa
Mahadevappa v. Neel-Kanthappa Shivappa AIR 1951 Bom. 136; A.
R. Sarin v. B. C. Patil & Anr. AIR 1951 Bom. 423;
Shivshankar Prasad Shah & Ors. v. Baikunth Nath Singh & Ors.
[1969] 3 SCR 908 held inapplicable.
JUDGMENT:
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 260 of
1969.
From the Judgment and order dated 13-3-1968 of the
Rajasthan High Court in D.B. Civil Misc. Writ Petition No.
205 of 1965.
Dr. L. M. Singhvi and U. P. Singh for the Appellant.
R. K. Garg, B. P. Agarwal, V. J. Francis and Madan
Mohan for the Respondent.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
SHINGHAL, J.-The State of Rajasthan has filed this
appeal by certificate against the judgment of the Rajasthan
High Court dated March 13, 1968, by which its writ petition
for quashing the order of the Board of Revenue, Rajasthan,
Ajmer, dated January 13, 1964, in case No. 1/1962/Tonk "to
enable the petitioner" to recover Rs. 5,94,215.30,
"according to law" was dismissed.
It was stated in the writ petition that the lands of
the Uniara jagir, Aligarh tehsil of Tonk district. vested in
the Rajasthan State on their resumption under the provision
of the Rajasthan Land Reforms and Resumption of Jagirs Act,
1952, hereinafter referred to as the Act. The Jagir
Commissioner therefrom took up the question of determining
the compensation which was payable to Rao Raja Sardar Singh
who was then the jagirdar of Uniara. In that connection a
certificate was filed before the Jagir Commissioner in Form
10 under rule 37-C of the Rajasthan Land Reforms and
Resumption of Jagirs Rules, 1954, certifying that a sum of
Rs. 5,49,234/12/3 should be recovered from the jagirdar’s
compensation and rehabilitation grant on account of "revenue
dues". The jagirdar raised several objections before the
Jagir Commissioner, but it was urged on behalf of the State
that the sum of Rs. 5,49,234/12/3 was the unpaid amount of
the liability of Rs. 5,54,226/13/6, which was payable under
a resolution of the Jaipur State Council dated July 1, 1936.
After adding the sum of Rs. 44,980.53 on account of arrears
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of tribute, the total realisable amount was stated to be Rs.
5,94,215.30. As the State was not able to give a proper
account of the dues, the Jagir Commissioner made an order
dated February 14, 1961, that the amount mentioned in the
aforesaid certificate (in Form 10) could not be deducted. An
appeal was filed against that order of the Jagir
Commissioner, to the Board
98
of Revenue, but it was dismissed on October 15, 1963. The
State contended that it was challenging the decisions of the
Jagir Commissioner and the Board of Revenue "in separate
proceedings", but that was not done and it is not in dispute
before us that the Jagir Commissioner’s order dated February
14, 1961, which was upheld by the Board’s decision dated
October IS, 1963, became final.
In the meantime, the Tehsildar of Aligarh issued a
demand notice on November 3, 1961, which was revised on
December 22, 1961, for the recovery of Rs. 594,215.30 under
section 229 of the Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956. The
jagirdar raised an objection that the Tehsildar had no
jurisdiction to issue the demand notice because of the Jagir
Commissioner’s earlier order dated February 14, 1961 (which
had become final and binding on the parties after the
Board’s judgment dated October 15, 1963), but the Tehsildar
rejected it by his order dated December 22, 1961. As the
jagirdar did not pay the amount which was claimed under the
demand notice proceedings were started for attachment and
sale of his property, and the jagirdar made an application
to the Board of Revenue for a revision of the Tehsildar’
order. It was allowed by the order of the Board dated
January 13, 1964. The Board took the view that although the
certificate for recovery had been sent to the Jagir
Commissioner in Form 10, the required particulars were not
furnished in spite of several opportunities, and that as the
State Government’s claim for the recovery of the money had
been completely rejected on an earlier occasion by the Jagir
Commissioner’s order dated February 14, 1961, and the Jagir
Commissioner had refused to deduct that amount from the
compensation with reference to the provisions of sections
22(1)(e), 32(1)(b) and 34 of the Act, the jurisdiction of
the Revenue Court in respect of the same dues was barred by
section 46 of the Act and the proceedings which had been
taken under section 257A of the Rajasthan Land Revenue Act
were without jurisdiction. As the Board quashed the order of
the Tehsildar dated December 22, 1961, the State Government
filed the writ petition, which has given rise to this
appeal, in the High Court, for the recovery of the "revenue
dues" mentioned in the certificate in Form 10, and feels
aggrieved because of its dismissal by the impugned judgment
dated March 13, 1968.
It may be mentioned that the jagirdar traversed the
State Government’s claim in the writ petition altogether. He
contended that he never agreed to the Jaipur State Council
resolution of July 1, 1936, and he was never informed of the
dues claimed by the State. He denied that any amount was due
on account of land revenue or tribute, and averred that no
loan had been taken by the Uniara jagir
99
from the State Government. It was contended further that the
Jagir Commissioner wanted to make an inquiry into the State
Government’s claim for the recovery of the amount stated in
the certificate in Form 10, but the State did not produce
the account or proof of the dues so that the claim remained
unexplained. That, according to the jagirdar, was the reason
why the Jagir Commissioner held in his order dated February
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14, 1961, that the amount could not be deducted from the
compensation. As the appellate order of the Board of Revenue
dated October 15, 1963, upheld the Jagir Commissioner’s
order, it was pleaded that it became final and conclusive
and could not be challenged by taking up the proceedings
under the Rajasthan Land Revenue Act which were in fact
barred by section 46 of the Act.
In its impugned judgment in the writ petition the High
Court has taken the view that the determination of the
State’s dues was a matter which was required to be settled!
decided or dealt with by the Jagir Commissioner and that, by
virtue of section 46 of the Act, a Civil or Revenue Court
had no jurisdiction in respect of it. Reference has been
made to section 47 of the Act which provides that its
provisions shall have effect notwithstanding anything
therein contained being inconsistent with any existing Jagir
law or any other law for the time being in force. The High
Court has taken note of the provisions of section 34(2) of
the Act also and has held that "no other authority, be it
the civil or the revenue court, can go behind" the Jagir
Commissioner’s decision in that respect and make a recovery
from the jagirdar by setting at naught that Jagir
Commissioner’s order in that respect. The High Court has
thus upheld the Board’s decision dated January 13, 1964,
against the State of Rajasthan, by which the proceedings
which were taken for the recovery of the money under the
Rajasthan Land Revenue Act were quashed.
We find from the High Court’s impugned judgement that
the point of controversy there was whether the machinery
provided under The Rajasthan Land Revenue Act could not be
resorted to in face of the provisions of sections 46 and 47
of the Act. The High Court examined that question only, and
we shall confine ourselves to it.
The controversy thus is whether it was permissible for
the State to recover the aforesaid arrears of "revenue dues"
even after the Jagir Commissioner’s order dated February 14,
1961, under section 32(2) of the Act by which he clearly
determined that the money was not recoverable from the
jagirdar under clause (e) of sub-section (t) of section 22
of the Act and ordered that it may not be deducted from H
the final amount of the jagirdar’s compensation. In other
words the question is whether that order was final and no
Civil or Revenue Court
100
had jurisdiction to reopen it as it related to a matter
which was required to be settled or decided or dealt with by
the Jagir Commissioner, or whether this was not so and the
proceedings under the Rajasthan Land Revenue Act were
competent? In order to arrive at a decision, it will be
necessary for us to refer to the relevant provisions of the
Act so that its scheme and scope may be understood and
applied to the controversy.
The Act (No. VI of 1952) came into force with effect
from February 18, ]952. It provides for the resumption of
jagir lands and other measures o land reforms, and extends
to the whole of The State of Rajasthan. Section 2(g) of the
Act defines "Jagirdar", and it is not in controversy that
Rao Raja Sardar Singh was the jagirdar of the Uniara jagir
at the relevant time. Clause (h) of section 2 defines
"Jagir-land". Here again, it is not in dispute that the
Uniara jagir formed such land. Section 21 of the Act
provides for the resumption of jagir lands on the appointed
date, and once again there is no 13 controversy that the
jagir lands of Uniara were so resumed.
Section 22 of the Act states the consequences of
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resumption Clause (e) of sub-section (1) of that section
provides as follows:-
"(e) all arrears of revenue, ceases or other
dues in respect of any jagir land due from the jagirdar
for any period prior to the date of resumption
including any sum due from him under clause (d) and all
loans advanced by the Government or the Court of Wards
to the jagirdar shall continue to be recoverable from
such jagirdar."
The clause thus expressly provides for the jagirdar’s
liability to pay, inter alia, all arrears of revenue, ceases
or other dues in respect of his jagir land. Section 30 deals
with the recovery of such arrears and we shall revert to it
after making a reference to section 26 which deals with the
State Government’s liability to pay compensation to every
jagirdar for the resumption of his jagir land. That is the
subject matter of Chapter VI and section 30 thereof reads as
follows:-
"30. Dues and Debts. - The amounts due from a
jagirdar under clause (e) of sub-section (1) of section
22 shall be recoverable out of the compensation payable
to him under section 26."
Chapter VII deals with the payment of compensation. Section
31 of that chapter requires every jagirdar to file a
statement of claim for compensation before the Jagir
Commissioner. Item (v) of sub-section
101
(2) of that section provides that the statement of claim
shall contain the following particulars also:-
"(v) the amount of dues and debts recoverable from
the jagirdar under clause (e) of subsection (1) of
section 22;"
These provisions, read together, thus provide for the
continuance of the jagirdar’s liability to the payment of
the arrears of revenue, cesses and other dues, in respect of
the jagir land, which were due from him for any period prior
to the date of resumption of the jagir, out of the
compensation payable to him for the loss of the jagir lands,
and a duty has been cast on him to make a specific mention
on the amount of the dues and debts recoverable from him
under section 22(1) (e), in the statement of his claim for
compensation.
Then comes section 32 which deals with the
determination of the compensation after making such inquiry
as the Jagir Commissioner may deem necessary. Here again
sub-section (1) of that section makes it obligatory for the
Jagir Commissioner to provisionally determine:-
"(b) the amount recoverable from the jagirdar
under clause (e) of sub-section (1) of section 22..".
Sub-section (2) requires that a copy of the provisional
order shall be served on the Government, the jagirdar and
every other interested person, and the Jagir Commissioner
shall, after giving all of them a reasonable opportunity of
being heard in the matter, "make a final order". That order
would therefore be a final order in respect of the aforesaid
item (b) of the amount recoverable from the jagirdar under
clause (e) of sub-section (1) of section 22 also. In other
words, the Act provides that the order under sub-section (2)
of section 32 would be final in respect of the items
mentioned in it, including the amount recoverable from the
jagirdar under clause (e) of sub-section (1) of section 22.
Section 33 requires the Jagir Commissioner to, communicate
the "final order" under section 32(2) to the Government, the
jagirdar and every other interested person.
Next is section 34, which provides the mode for the
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recovery of the aforesaid dues. Sub-section (1) of that
section is to the following effect:-
"34. Dues and deductions how payable. - (1) The
amounts recoverable from a jagirdar under clause (e) of
sub-section (1) of section 22 and those determined in
an order made under sub-section (2) of section 32 shall
be deducted from the compensation payable to him under
section 26."
102
Sub-section (2) of that section provides that the amount so
finally determined, namely, the amount recoverable, inter
alia, under clause (c) of sub-section (1) of section 22
shall be payable in instalments. The sub-sections make clear
reference to clause (e) of sub-section (1) of section 22 and
section 32 in providing for the deduction of the amounts
determined thereunder from the compensation payable to the
jagirdar under section 26.
Section 35 deals with the payment of compensation. It
will be sufficient for us to refer to the first two sub-
sections which read as follows:-
"35. Payment of compensation.-(1) After the amount
of compensation payable to a jagirdar under section 26
is finally determined under sub-section (2) of section
32 and the amounts specified in clauses (b), (c) and
(e) of that section as finally determined are deducted
therefrom, the balance shall be divided into fifteen
equal annual instalments or at the option of the
jagirdar into thirty equal half-yearly instalments.
(2) The amounts finally determined under each of
the clauses (b), (c) and (e) of sub-section (1) of
section 32 shall be deducted and paid to each of the
persons entitled thereto from every instalment referred
to in sub-section (1) and the remaining amount of the
instalment shall be payable by the Government to the
jagirdar."
Thus sub-section (2) of section 32, section 33, sub-section
(2) of section 34 and sub-sections (1) and (2) of section 35
taken together categorically provide that the Jagir
Commissioner’s order determining, inter alia, the amount
recoverable from the jagirdar under clause (e) of sub-
section (1) of section 22 shall be final, and that it shall
be deducted from the compensation payable to the jagirdar
under section 26.
The Act thus contains a comprehensive scheme for the
determination of the amount of dues and debts recoverable by
the State from the jagirdar ill respect of the jagir lands
and their deduction from the amount of compensation payable
to him. The question of appeal has been dealt with in
section 39. Sub-section (1) of that section specifically
provides for an appeal against "any decision" of the Jagir
Commissioner, inter alia, under sub-section (2) of section
32, to the Board of Revenue, and sub-section (4) declares
that the decision of the Board in an appeal under the
section shall be final.
Then comes section 46 which raises the bar of
jurisdiction. It provides as follows:-
103
"46. - Bar of jurisdiction.-(1) Save as otherwise
provided in this Act, no Civil or Revenue Court shall
have jurisdiction in respect of any matter which is
required to be settled, decided or dealt with by any
officer or authority under this Act.
(2) No order made by any such officer or authority
under this Act shall be called in question in any
Court."
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So where it is shown that any "matter" which is required to
be settled, decided or dealt with by any officer or any
authority under the Act, e.g., the Jagir Commissioner or the
Board of Revenue, has been so settled? decided or dealt
with, it shall not be permissible for any Civil or Revenue
Court to settle, decide, or deal with it, except where there
is, a contrary provision in that behalf in the Act itself.
It is also the mandate of sub-section (2) that no order of
any such officer or authority shall be open to challenge in
any Court.
These provisions of the Act are quite adequate and
comprehensive and, read with the relevant Rules, they
provide for the determination and recovery of the amounts
due from the jagirdar on account of the jagir lands. This
has to be so because when the Act provides for the
resumption of the jagir lands and thereby deducts the
jagirdar of his resources, it is fair and reasonable that it
should make provision for the determination and recovery of
the amount recoverable from the jagirdar under section 32(1)
(a) . The provisions of the Act to which reference has been
made and the Rules made thereunder, are therefore a
comprehensive code concerning the liability of the jagirdar.
If these provisions are applied to the facts and
circumstances of the present case, it would appear that the
following facts have been well established.
The State laid a claim for the recovery of Rs.
5,49,234/12/3 in Form 10, exclusively on the ground that
they were revenue dues of the jagirdar for a period prior to
the resumption of the jagir lands. The Jagir Commissioner
asked for information for the determination of the State
Government’s claim, with particular reference to clause (b)
of sub-section (1) of section 32 as respects the amount
recoverable from the jagirdar under clause (e) of sub-
section (1) of section 22, and made his final order on
February 14, 1961. It is not controverted before us that he
did so after complying with the requirements of the law and
communicated his decision to the Government and the jagirdar
under section 33. As the Jagir Commissioner’s order under
sub-section (2) of section 32 was against the State
Government, nothing was deductible on account of the State
Government’s claim
104
in Form 10, under section 34 of the Act, on account of the
liability claimed under clause (e) of sub-section (1) of
section 22 and clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 32.
So when the final determination of that claim was ’nil’,
inasmuch as it was held that nothing was recoverable from
the jagirdar on account of the "revenue dues", it inevitably
followed that no deduction was permissible from the
compensation payable to him. The decision was
disadvantageous to the State and it preferred all appeal to
the Board of Revenue but, as has been stated, it was
dismissed on October 15, 1966. It will be recalled that even
though it was stated in the writ petition that the State
was challenging the decisions of the Jagir Commissioner and
the Board of Revenue "in separate proceedings", no such
action was taken. The fact therefore remains that as the
order had been made by the Jagir Commissioner under the
provisions of the Act, and as there was no provisions in the
Act for challenging it otherwise than by an appeal to the
Board of Revenue which was dismissed, the High Court was
right in raising the bar of section 46 and in holding that
no Civil or Revenue Court had jurisdiction in respect of the
controversy as it was a matter which had been finally
decided by the Jagir Commissioner and the Board of Revenue
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under the provisions of the Act. The belated attempt by the
State to get over the bar by instituting proceedings under
section 229 or section 257A of the Rajasthan Land Revenue
Act, was therefore illegal, and was set aside by the Board’s
decision dated January 13, 1964. The objection against it
held no merit, and has rightly been rejected by the impugned
judgment of the High Court dated March 13, 1968.
It was argued on behalf of the appellant that the
resolution of the Jaipur State Council dated July 1, 1936,
was the final adjudication of the liability of the Uniara
Jagir for the payment of the amount mentioned in it, to the
State, and was really in the nature of a decree which the
Jagir Commissioner had no jurisdiction to examine under
section 32 or any other section of the Act and tile Jagir
Commissioner’s order dated February 14, 1961 was therefore
quite illegal and could well be ignored by the State for the
purpose of taking action under section 257A of the Rajasthan
Land Revenue Act. We find that a similar argument was urged
for the consideration of the High J Court, but was rejected
for satisfactory reasons. The State did not even care to
produce the Council resolution before the Jagir Commissioner
and, as has been stated, the jagirdar took the plea in his
reply to the writ petition that he never agreed to the
passing of that resolution, he was never informed of the
alleged arrears for which the resolution was said to have
been passed, and nothing was payable by him on account of
"revenue dues". He therefore asked the Jagir
105
Commissioner to make an inquiry into the matter. That was
undertaken by the Jagir Commissioner under the relevant
provisions of the Act, to which reference has been made
already. It will be recalled that the State Government filed
an appeal against the adverse decision of the Jagir
Commissioner, but it was dismissed, and the appellate
decision of the Board became final under sub-section (4) of
section 39 of the Act. We have dealt with the consequences
which arose from, that decision by virtue of the bar of
jurisdiction under section 46
It was further argued on behalf of the appellant that
the Jagir Commissioner’s order under section 32 of the Act
could possibly relate only to his final order in regard to
the amount recoverable from the jagirdar, inter alia, under
clause (e) of sub-section (1) of section 22 of the Act, for
the purpose of enabling its deduction from the jagirdar’s
compensation under section 34, but could not possibly bar a
civil action for it may well be that, in a given case, the
amount of compensation may fall short of the amount
recoverable from the jagirdar. It will be enough to say that
such a possibility could not arise in the instant case
inasmuch as the net compensation payable to the jagirdar was
Rs. 16,00,000/-, which was far in excess of his liability to
the State. Reference in this connection may also be made to
rule 37-C(4) of the Rajasthan Land Reforms and Resumption of
Jagir Rules, 1954, which casts a duty on the Jagir
Commissioner not only to effect the deduction of the amount
payable by the jagirdar, under section 34, but also for the
deduction of the balance from the rehabilitation grant
payable to him under section 38C of the Act. The said rule
casts a duty’ on the authority to whom the amount is payable
by the jagirdar, to take necessary steps for the adjustment
of the recovery so effected, and "further recovery of the
balance, if any, that might remain outstanding against the
jagirdar." There could therefore be no occasion for the
recovery of any balance of revenue dues by civil action in
the facts and circumstances of this case.
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The appellant’s learned counsel made a reference to
several cases including Ullel Venkatrava Kini v. Louis Souza
(1), G. Venkatachala Odavar v. Ramachandra Odavar and
another (2), Kulandaiswami Madurai and Others v. Murunayya
Madurai and Others (3), Rameshwar Prasad and Others v.
Satya Narain and Others (4), Gurbasappa Mahadevappa v.
Neelkanthappa Shivappa (5). A. R. Sarin v. B. C.
(1) A. I. R. 1960 Mysore 209.
(2) A. I. R. 1961 Madras 423.
(3) A. I. R. 1969 Madras 14.
(4) A. I. R. 1954 All. 115.
(5) A. I. R. 1951 Bombay 136.
8-520SCI/78
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Patil and another(1) and Shivshanker Prasad Shah and others
v. Baikunth Nath Singh and others(2) for the purpose of
showing that every adjudication of a dispute cannot oust the
jurisdiction of a civil court. But they were different cases
where the jurisdiction of Civil Courts could not be said to
have been ousted.
As we find no force in this appeal, it is dismissed
with costs.
N.V.K. Appeal dismissed.
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