MOUNT CARMEL SCHOOL SOCIETY v. D.D.A

Citation: [2007] 13 S.C.R. 876

Court: Supreme Court of India

Bench: S.B. SINHA, H.S. BEDI

Case summary

MOUNT CARMEL SCHOOL SOCIETY v. D.D.A.pdf

Judgment text

MOUNT CARMEL SCHOOL SOCIETY V. - D. D. A. DECEMBER 14, 2007 [S. B. SINHA AND HARJIT SINGH BEDI, JJ. ] Urban Development-Allotment ofland-Application filed by " .. Appellant society before Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for allotment offour acres oflandfor running a Senior Secondary school -Policy decision taken by DDA to allot only two acres ofland-Writ petition against the policy decision-Dismissed by Single Judge- Justification-Held, justified-After the policy decision in case of Appellant, DDA not shown to have allottedfour acres of/and to any other similarly situated institution-Plea ofdiscrimination raised in the writ petition absolutely vague-Constitution ofIndia, 1950- Art. 226. Appellant-society filed application before the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for allotment offour acres ofland for running a Senior Secondary School.

DDA took the policy decision of allotting only two acres of land even though the Institutional Allotmenit Committee constituted by it had earlier recommended allotment offour acres ofland. Writ petition filed againstthe policy decision was dismissed by Single Judge ofHigh Court. Writ appeal filed thereafter was also dismissed. Itwas contended before this Court thatwhile in case ofone Shri Vcnkatcshwara Educational Society four acres ofland was directed to be allotted, Appellant was denied ofa similar grant. Dismissing the appeal, the Court ,,, HELD: 1. 1. The policy decision of the Authority which was impugned in the writ petition was taken in October 1999. It has not been shown before this Court that any allotment has been made in favour ofany society allotting land having an area offour acres, after October 1999. [Para 11] [879-F] 1. 2. Furthermore, the plea of discrimination raised in the writ petition was absolutely vague.

Grounds taken in the writ petition in this behalf also did not specify that the appellant had been B discriminated against, vis-a-vis the said Shri Venkateshwara Education Society or any other allottee. Details ofthe grantin favour of the said society was not furnished. In absence of any specific contention having been raised, it was not possible for the respondent to furnish any reply thereto. [Para 13] [879-G; 880-A-B] 1. 3. No argument also appears to have been advanced in this behalf before the Single Judge of High Court. The memo of writ appeal ofthe appellant was not supported by any affidavit affirmed either by one of its authorized representatives who was present in court or by the advocate appearing on its behalf, stating that the contention in regard to the discriminatory treatment was raised before the Single Judge of High Court but was not dealt with. [Para 14] [880-C-D] 1. 4. A Judge's record must be accepted as correct.

Appellant, thus, could have filed an application for review before the Single Judge of High Court. The same was not done. Therefore, the High Court cannot be said to have committed any error in passing the impugned judgment. [Paras 15 and 16] [880-D-E] r CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 5944 of F 2007. From the final Judgment and Order dated 07. 09. 2005 ofthe High Court ofDelhi at New Delhi in LPA No. 404 of2003. K. K. Rai, Krishnanand Pandeya, Bankey Bihari, Ashwani K. Sakhija and S. K. Pandey for the Appellant. ... V. B. Saharya (for M/s. Saharya & Co. ) for the Respondent. The Judgment ofthe Court was delivered by S. B. SINHA, J. 1. Leave granted. ' ·- 2. This appeal is directed against ajudgment and order ofa Division Bench of Delhi High Court dated 7. 9. 2005 passed in LPA No. 404 of 2003. 3. Appellant is a society registered under the Societies Registration Act. It runs an educational institution.

It applied for allotment offour acres of land for running a senior secondary school before the Delhi Development Authority. The Institutional Allotment Committee which was ' constituted by the Authority, made recommendations for allotment offour acres of land. Indisputably the competent authority ofthe DDA took a policy decision only to allot two acres ofland. 4. Severa! writ petitions were filed which by reason ofthe impugned judgment have been dismissed by aDivision Bench ofthe Delhi High Court Before embarking on the questions raised before us, we may place on record that except the present appeal, other appeals were heard and dismissed by a Division Bench ofthis Court (Coram - Hon. B. P. Singh and P. K. Balasubramanyam, JJ). The said order, however, is not a reasoned one. 5.. Mr. K. K.

Rai, learned senior counsel appearing on behalf of appellant, submitted that the factual scenario obtaining in the present appeal is different from the others, inasmuch as recommendations of allotment of four acres ofland were made both in its favour as also in favour of one Shri Venkateshwara Educational Society; but whereas in the case of the latter society four acres of land was directed to be allotted; the 't appellant was denied ofa similar grant. 111e High Court, learned counsel argued, misdirected itselfin passing the impugned judgment in so far as it failed to take into consideration that the said Shri Venkateshwara Educational Society was not a necessary party in the writ petition as no reliefwas claimed against it, inasmuch as ifthe writ petition were to be allowed, the said society would not have 'f suffered any prejudice. 6. Mr. V. B. Saharya, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the respondent, on the other hand, supported the impugnedjudgment. "\ 7.

The question which arose for consideration before the High Court was as to whether the Delhi Master Plan having provided for allotment of four acres of land for running of a secondary school, the Delhi Development Authority could take a policy decision ofallotment only of two acres of land. 8. We have noticed hereinbefore that a large number of societies applied for allotment of land for setting up senior secondary schools. recommendation had been made in favour of the appellant by the Institutional Allotment Committee on or about 23. 10. 1998. Indisputably, similar recommendations had been made in favour ofother societies as well, including the said Shri Venkateshwara Educational Society. Recommendations of the Committee, however, do not appear to have been approved by the authority. It furthermore appears that the appellant was asked to send its latest bank balance certificate and/or financial status. 9. The Lt.

Governor, who is Chairman of the Society, had also r asked for certain clarifications pertaining to constructions ofthe school building. On or about 9. 3. 2000, a provisional allotment was made but, allegedly, the appellant society failed to furnish an undertaking within the . p~riod stipulated therefor. 10. Indisputably, the Vice Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority made recommendations for allotment ofonly two acres ofland in favour of the appellant. Shri Venkateshwara Educational Society, however, was allotted a land measuring four acres of land way back on 25. 8. 1999. 11. The policy decision ofthe Authority which was impugned in the writ petition was taken in October 1999. It has not been shown before us that any allotment has been made in favour ofany society allotting land having an area of four acres, after October 1999. 12.

We may furthermore notice that the plea ofdiscrimination raised in the writ petition was absolutely vague as it was merely averred : "The petitioner also wrote to Respondent No. I on 24. 03. 2000 requesting for allotment of 1. 6 hectares of land at the prevailing rate ofRs. 30 lakhs per acre in 1996 when the application for land r was made and other similarly situated institutions were allotted land... " 13. Grounds taken in the writ petition in this behalf also did not speci~y that the appellant had been discriminated against, vis-a-vis the said Shri Venkateshwara Education Society or any other allottee. Details ofthe grant in favour ofthe said society was not furnished. In absence of any specific contention having been raised, it was not possible for the respondent to furnish any reply thereto. 14. No argument also appears to have been advanced in this behalf before the learned Single Judge.

The memo of appeal of the appellant was not supported by any affidavit affirmed either by one ofits authorized representatives who was present in court or by the advocate appearing on its behalf, stating that the contention in regard to the discriminatory treatment was raised before the learned Single Judge but was not dealt with. 15. AJudge's record, as is well known, must be accepted as correct. Appellant, thus, could have filed an application for review before the learned Single Judge. The same was not done. 16. We are, therefore, ofthe opinion that the High Court cannot be said to have committed any error in passing the impugned judgment. 17. A feeble attempt was made by Mr. Rai to contend that the Central Government also was ofthe opinion that the area to be allotted for senior secondary school cannot be reduced.

The High Court, in this regard held : "Equally importantly, the learned Single Judge has noted that tl1e official records of the Central Government dealing with the communications ofDDA were produced before him. The nothings in the tilt:, which were apparently perused by the learned Single Judge, show that the recommendations ofDDA were considered ,. , by the Central Government and thereafter finally approved for implementation. In view of this factual position, we are quite satisfied that the land rates were determined by the Central Government and were not fixed by DDA. There was no excessive MOUNTCARMELSCHOOLSOCIETYv. D. D. A. 881 delegation of power or responsibility on the part ofthe Central Government and so this contention must be rejected. " In view ofthe said findings ofthe High Court which, as noticed ... hereinbefore, have been accepted by this Court, we are not inclined to take a different view therefrom. 18.

For the reasons aforementioned, there is no merit in this appeal. + It is dismissed accordingly with costs. Counsel's fee assessed at Rs. 25,000/- (Rupees twenty five thousand only). B. B. B. Appeal dismissed.