# HASMUKHALAL DAHA YABHAI & ORS. ETC. ETC v. STATE OF GUJARAT

- **Citation:** [1977] 1 S.C.R. 103
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1976-08-04
- **Case number:** Civil Appeals Nos. 374-375 & 457-462 of 1976
- **Bench:** A. N. Ray, M. H. Beg, Jaswant Singh
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/hasmukhalal-daha-yabhai-ors-etc-etc-v-state-of-gujarat-6889
- **Pages:** 9

## Headnote

103
Constitution of India-Article 31A(l) Second Proviso-Art. 31B-Meaning
of right conferred-9th Schedule-Whether different ceiling Qin be imposed for
different persons-Whetlwr second proviso to A rt. 3 lA ( 1) imposes o fetter on
1/ie legislative competence-Gujarat Agricultural Land
Ceiling
Act
1961
(Gujarat Act 27 of 1961)-S'ection 2(21), 6.
General Clauses Act 1897-Section
3(42)-Meaning of person-Whether
legislature bound to follow definition in General Clauses Act.
The appellants challenged the constitutional validity of the Gujarat Agriculturnl Land Ceiling Act 1961 by filing writ petitions
i1~ the High Court of
Gujarat. The Preamble of the Act state, that the Act was enacted for securing the distribution of agricultural land as best to sub-serve the common good.
Section 6( I) of the Act provides that no person shall hold either as owner or
tenant lahd in excess of the ceiling area.
section 6(2) provides that where an
individual who holds land as a member of a family, not being a joint family,
then the spouse and the children excluding major sons shall be grouped together
for the purposes of the Act and the provisions of the Act shall apply to the
total land so grouped together as if such land had been held by one person.
The ceiling area is fixed depending on the classes of land, hature of irriga~ion
facilities and productivity. The said statute has been put in the 9th Schedule
by the Parliament. The Gujarat ·Highi Court dism,issed the writ petitioM filed by
the appellants ·but granted certificate of fitness under Art. 133 (l) of the
Constitution to the appellaht.
The appellants contended that (1) Second proviso to Art. 3 1 A of the
Constitution provides that where, any law makes provision for the acquisition
by the State of any estate, which is held by a pe,rson under his personal cultiva-'
tion, it shall hot be lawful for the State to, acquire any portion of such Jand
as is within the cejling limit applicable to him under any law for the time
being in force unless the law provides for payment of compensation at a rate
which is not Jess than the market value. Apart from variations in the, ceiling
area imposed by a statute, there cannot be a deprivation of rights of individuals holding property separately in exercise of their separate individual rights
by grouping them as members of one family.
(2) The concept of "person" adopted by the !llatute is unnatural and legally
untenable.
The concept of the' term 'person' having been fixed by the, Cehtral
General Clause Act, this concept and no other must be used for interpreting
~econd proviso to Art. 3 IA of the Constitution.
(3) The second proviso to Art. 31A(l) does hot confer any right upon
any person but onlY. imposes a limit upon legislative competence so that the
inclusion of the Act in the 9th Schedule will not validate a provi~ion which
the Legislature was not competent at all to enact.
HELD : The term 'person' is not defihed in the Act. Section 2(2 l) mere\¥
states that person includes a joint family.
Under s. 3(42) of the General
Clause• Act 1897, a person is defined as' including: any company or association
Gr body of individuals whether incorporated or hot. In the absence of s. 6(2)
each individual member of a family would have been entitled to hold land
upto the ceiling limit if it was his or her ]ef!ally separate property. The Act
does not debar spouses and minor children from holding their separate. rights
to land. There is, no fixed concept of 'person' ahy where. Section 6(2) does
aot eit!Ier disable .a husband or a wife from holding their separate proPerties
separately. It does not merge or destroy their separate legal persona1ities. It
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SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[1977] 1. S.C.R.
merely requires their separate holdings to be grouped together as through they
w1rre held by one person only for the. purpose of determini"ng the ceiling Jim, ..
Each holder of such, separate rights above the ceiling limit is permitted to
select the property

## Text

HASMUKHALAL DAHA YABHAI & ORS. ETC. ETC.
v.
STATE OF GUJARAT
August 4, 1976
[A. N. RAY, C.J., M. H. BEG AND JASWANT SINGH, JJ.]
103
Constitution of India-Article 31A(l) Second Proviso-Art. 31B-Meaning
of right conferred-9th Schedule-Whether different ceiling Qin be imposed for
different persons-Whetlwr second proviso to A rt. 3 lA ( 1) imposes o fetter on
1/ie legislative competence-Gujarat Agricultural Land
Ceiling
Act
1961
(Gujarat Act 27 of 1961)-S'ection 2(21), 6.
General Clauses Act 1897-Section
3(42)-Meaning of person-Whether
legislature bound to follow definition in General Clauses Act.
The appellants challenged the constitutional validity of the Gujarat Agriculturnl Land Ceiling Act 1961 by filing writ petitions
i1~ the High Court of
Gujarat. The Preamble of the Act state, that the Act was enacted for securing the distribution of agricultural land as best to sub-serve the common good.
Section 6( I) of the Act provides that no person shall hold either as owner or
tenant lahd in excess of the ceiling area.
section 6(2) provides that where an
individual who holds land as a member of a family, not being a joint family,
then the spouse and the children excluding major sons shall be grouped together
for the purposes of the Act and the provisions of the Act shall apply to the
total land so grouped together as if such land had been held by one person.
The ceiling area is fixed depending on the classes of land, hature of irriga~ion
facilities and productivity. The said statute has been put in the 9th Schedule
by the Parliament. The Gujarat ·Highi Court dism,issed the writ petitioM filed by
the appellants ·but granted certificate of fitness under Art. 133 (l) of the
Constitution to the appellaht.
The appellants contended that (1) Second proviso to Art. 3 1 A of the
Constitution provides that where, any law makes provision for the acquisition
by the State of any estate, which is held by a pe,rson under his personal cultiva-'
tion, it shall hot be lawful for the State to, acquire any portion of such Jand
as is within the cejling limit applicable to him under any law for the time
being in force unless the law provides for payment of compensation at a rate
which is not Jess than the market value. Apart from variations in the, ceiling
area imposed by a statute, there cannot be a deprivation of rights of individuals holding property separately in exercise of their separate individual rights
by grouping them as members of one family.
(2) The concept of "person" adopted by the !llatute is unnatural and legally
untenable.
The concept of the' term 'person' having been fixed by the, Cehtral
General Clause Act, this concept and no other must be used for interpreting
~econd proviso to Art. 3 IA of the Constitution.
(3) The second proviso to Art. 31A(l) does hot confer any right upon
any person but onlY. imposes a limit upon legislative competence so that the
inclusion of the Act in the 9th Schedule will not validate a provi~ion which
the Legislature was not competent at all to enact.
HELD : The term 'person' is not defihed in the Act. Section 2(2 l) mere\¥
states that person includes a joint family.
Under s. 3(42) of the General
Clause• Act 1897, a person is defined as' including: any company or association
Gr body of individuals whether incorporated or hot. In the absence of s. 6(2)
each individual member of a family would have been entitled to hold land
upto the ceiling limit if it was his or her ]ef!ally separate property. The Act
does not debar spouses and minor children from holding their separate. rights
to land. There is, no fixed concept of 'person' ahy where. Section 6(2) does
aot eit!Ier disable .a husband or a wife from holding their separate proPerties
separately. It does not merge or destroy their separate legal persona1ities. It
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merely requires their separate holdings to be grouped together as through they
w1rre held by one person only for the. purpose of determini"ng the ceiling Jim, ..
Each holder of such, separate rights above the ceiling limit is permitted to
select the property he or she wish<;s to continue \O hold in such a way that
· the lands selected for such continuance shall be in the same praportion in which
lands were held by each spouse. The reduction in their holdinl!I will, therefore,
be proportionate to the areas' of lands held separately.
But, they are grouped
together only for the purpose of determining the ceiling Jimit for the family
and, as a result of a specific provision to that effect. It is not denied by the
appellants that the ceiling limit could have been lowered by the statute. Article
3 lA does not prohibit the legislature from fixing ceiling limits for various
individuals or the classes of individuals differently situated, nor does the second
proviso to Art. 3 lA (1) prescribe any particular or direct mode of imposing
different ceilings for individuals differently circumstanced. (106 G-H, 109 A-E]
Pritam Singh v. &ate of Punjab & Ors. [19'67] (2) S.C.R. 536 distinguished.
(2) Article 3 IB provides a complete answer to any attack directed again>!
the provisions of the Act based upon violation of any of the rights conferred
by the provisions/ of Part Ill of the Constitution. To read any limit into the
second proviso to Art. 3lA(1) that there can be only single ceilinQJ limit for
all persons would be to accept a novel restriction on legislative
competence;
There i> nothing ia the Constitution to bar any statute from receiving a dual
protection.
In the present case, the statute in question is fully pr9tected by
Art. 31'B.
Since the second proviso to Article 31A confers certain rights upon
individuals, the protective umbrella of Art. 3 IB shields the impugned provision
against any attack based upon the alleged violation of such rights as well. [ 110
G-H, 111 A-CJ
(3) There is no question of legislative competence in the present case.
The proviso protects a.nd confers certain rights npon individuals to an amount
of compensation. That is the direct effect.
[ 111 B-C]
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeals Nos. 374-375 &
457-462 of 1976.
(From the Judgment and order dated 12-3-76 of the Gujarat High
Court in S.C.A. Nos. 1784/73 and 650/74, 1125, 1118, 1123, 1124,
1835, 1836/74 respectively.)
A. K. Sen, S. J. Sorabjee, M. V. Chinubhai and B. R. Agarwala,
for the appellants in CAs 374-375/76.
S. J. Sorabjee, Mrs. Chinubhai, S. H. Sanjanwala, P.
H.
Parekh
and Miss Manju Jet/ey, for lhe appellants in CAs 457-462/76.
J. M. Thakere, Adv. General, J. P. Nanavati and M. N. Shroff, for
respondent No. 1 in all the.appeals.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
G
BEG, J.
The eight Civil Appeals before us by certificates of fitness
of the cases for appeals to this Court raise common questions involving
the interpretation of Articles 31A and 31B of the Constitution of India
in relation to the Gujarat Agricultural Land Ceiling Act XXVII of
1961 (herein-after referred to as 'the Act').
The preamble of the Act says that it was enacted because :
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"xxx it is expedient in the public interest to make a uniform provision for the whole of the State of Gujarat in respect of restrictions upon holding agricultural land in excess
of certain limits and it is also expedient for so securing the
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HASMUKHALAL V. GUJARAT (Beg, J.)
.distribution of agricultural lancf as best to subserve the com_mon good to provide for the acquisition of surplus agricultural land for the allotment thereof to persons who are in
need of lands for agriculture (including cooperative farming
.societies, landless persons, agricultural labourers and small
holders) or for the allotment of such surplus agricultural
lands the integrity of which is maintained in compact blocks
to a department of Government or to cooperative farming
societies or corporations owned or controlled by the State,
for ensuring the full and efficient use thereof and to provide
for other consequential and incidental matters hereinafter
appearing?"
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The part of section 6 of the Act with which we are especially con-
.cerned provides :
·
"6(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any law
for the time being in force or in any agreement, usage or decree or order of a Court, with effect from the appointed day,
no person shall, subject to the provisions of sub sections (2),
.(3), (3A) and (3B) be entitled to hold, whether as owner
or tenant or partly as owner and partly as tenant land in
1excess of the ceiling area.
(2) Where an individual, who holds land, is a member
<Of a family, not being a joint family which consists of the individual and his spouse (or more than one spouse) and their
minor sons and minor unmarried daughters, irrespective of
whether the family also includes any major son, and land
is also separately held by such individual's spouse or minor
·children; then the land held by the individual and the said
·members of the individual's family, excluding major sons, if
·any shall be grouped together for the purposes of this Act
-and the provisions of this Act shall apply to the total land so
grouped together as if such land had been held by one
-person.
(3)
xxx
xxx
xxx
(3A) xxx
xxx
xxx
(3B) Where a family or a joint fam·ly consist of more
than five members comprising a person and other members
belonging to all or any of the following categories, namely :-
( i) Minor son,
(ii) widow of a pre-deceased son,
(iii) minor son or unmarried daughter of a pre-deceased
son, where his or her mother is dead,
Such family shall be entitled to hold land in excess of the
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_ceiling area to the extent of one-fifth of the ceiling area for
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each member in excess of five, so however that the total holding of the family does not exceed twice the ceiling area; and,
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in such a case, in relation to the holding of such family, such.
area shall be deemed to be the ceiling area :
Provided that if any land is held separately also by any
member of such family, the land so held separately by such
member shall be grouped together with the land to such family
for the purpose of determining the total holding of such
family:
·
Provided further that where, in consequence of any member of such family holding any land in any other part of India
outside the State, the ceiling area in relation to the family is
reduced as provided in sub-section ( 3A), the one-fifth of the
ceiling area as aforesaid shall be calculated with reference to
the ceiling area as would have been applicable had no such
land been held by such member in any other part of India.
(3C) Where a family or a joint family irrespective of the
number of members includes a major son, then each major
son shall be deemed to be a separate person for the purposes
of sub-section ( 1) ".
In accordance with the provisions of Sections 4 and 5 of the Act,..
classes of land, nature of irrigation facilities provided there, and the
ceiling area for each particular class of land in each locality were specified in Schedule I. This is found classified in nine local areas. The
range of ceiling limit varies from 10 acres to 54 acres, according tothe irrigation facilities and quality of land, the ceiling for less productive and less advantageously situated land being higher.
The question which has been raised before us is whether, apart
from variations in the ceiling area imposed by statute, there can be a
depriviation of rights of individuals holding property separately, in
exercise of their separate individual rights, by grouping them as members of one family so as to compel them to take only one unit of land·
in such a way that their total holding does not exceed the ceiling limit
which is the same for both individuals as well as families as defined by
the Act with some a!lowances for large families. This raises a further
question : What is the unit for which this ceiling is prescribed?
It is evident that Section 6 conceives of each "person" holding
land as a single unit whose holding must not exceed the ceiling limit.
Section 2, sub-s. (21) says: "'person' includes a joint family;".· Thus,.
the term "person" is not, strictly speaking, defined in the Act. Section
2, sub-s. (21) only clarifies that the term "person" will "include" a joint
family also.
It certainly does not exclude an individual from being
a person in the eyes of law.
This has been done apparently to make it clear that, in addition
to individuals, as natural persons, families, as conceived of by other
provisions, can also be and are persons. This elucidation of the term
"person" is in keeping with Section 3 ( 42) of the General Clauses Act,
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1897, which lays down:
"
'person' shall include any company or association or
body of individuals, whether incorporated or not".
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HASMUKHALAL V. GUJARAT (Beg, J.)
10 7
We have referred to the Central General Clauses Act 10 of 1897
and
not to
the
State
General
Clauses
Act,
which
also
contains a similar clarification, because Article 367 of our Constitution
provides that the definitions contained in the Central Act "apply for
the interpretation of the Constitution". The argument which has been
advanced before us is that the concept of the term "person", having
been fixed by the Central General Clauses Act, . this concept and no
other must be used for interpreting the second proviso to Article 31A
of the Constitution which lays down :
"Provided further that where any law makes any provision for the acquisition by the State of any estate and where
any land comprised therein is held by a person under his personal cultivation, it shall not be lawful for the State to acquire
any portion of such land as is within the ceiling limit applicable to him under any law for the time being in force or any
building or structure standing thereon or appurtenant thereto,
unless the law relating to the acquisition of such land, building ur structure, provides for payment of compensation at a
rate which shall not be less than the market value thereof'.
As no argument based on Articles 14 and 19 is open to the appellant, the Act under consideration having been included in the 9th Schedule to the Constitution, the ground now taken is that Section 6, subsection (2) of the Act, set out above, contains a colourable device for
getting rnund the limitations on legislative power imposed by the second
proviso to Article 31A(l) of the Constitution. It is urged that this
is done by adopting an unnatural and legally untenable concept of a
"person" which transpires from an analysis of Section 6 of the Act.
· It is true that, ·but for the provisions of Section 6, sub.s.(2) of the
Act, the term ''.person", which includes individua~s, as natural persons,
as well as groups or bodies of individuals, as artificial persons, such as
a family is, the entitlement to the ceiling area would be possessed by
every person, whether artificial or natural. In other words, if Section
6(2) of the Act was not there, each individual member of a family
would have been entitled to hold land upto the ceiling limit if it was
his or her legally separate property.
This follows from the obivous
meaning of the term "person" as well as the inclusive definitions
given both in the Act under consideration and in the General Clauses
Act.
·Spouses and minor children, as natural persons, have not been
debarred from holding their separate rights to land by the provisions
of the Act. It is not the object of the Act to do that. The object of
the Act, as set out above, is two fold : firstly, to limit the ceiling area
of each holder; and, secondly, to acquire what falls beyond the ceilin11;
limit so that the State may distribute it to more needy persons.
It
is not disputed that compensation is provided for acquisition of what
exceeds the ceiling area. in every case. As was held by this Court in
H.H. Kesavananda Bharati Sripadagalavaru v. State of Kerala,(1) the
amount of compensation fixed cannnot be questioned. Therefore, no
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provision of the Act could be or is challenged on the ground that the
required compensation is not prescribed for an acquisition under it a i
required by Article 31 (2) of the Constitution or is inadequate.' Article 31B of the Constitution seems to us to provide a complete answer
to any attack directed against the provisions of an Act based upon an
alleged violation of any of the rights conferred by the provisions of
Part III of the Constitution. It reads :
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"3 lB. Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions contained in Article 31B, none of the Acts and Regulations specified in the Ninth Schedule nor any of the provisions thereof shall be deemed to be void, or ever to have become void, on the ground that such Act, Regulation or provision is inconsistent with, or takes away or abridses any of
the rights conferred by, and provisions of this part, and notwithstanding any judgment, decree or order of any court or
tribunal to the contrary, each of the said Acts and Regulations shall, subject to the power of any competent Legislature to repeal or amend it, continue in force".
Learned Counsel for the petitioners concede that, in view of the
decision of this Court in H.H: Kesavananda Bharti's case (supra) and
other cases referred to there, it is not possible to assail the provisions
of Section 6 of the Act on the ground that they take away or abridge
arty right conferred by Part III of the Constitution on individuals.
But, what they urge is that the second proviso to Article 31A(l) does
not confer any right upon any person but only imposes a limit upon
the Legislative competence to that the inclusion of the Act in the 9th
Schedule will not validate a provision which a legislature was not
competent it all to enact.
Such a provision, it was submitted, will
not be protected by Article 3 lB of the Constitution. The contention
i-s that Article 3 lB does not protect a provision from invalidity on the
ground of legislative incompe'.ence of the leg"slature enacting it.
We do not think that the case before us raises any question of
legislative competence of the nature which could arise if a State Legislature had tried to trespass upon the exclusive domain of Union Legislation. What has been urged is simply that the second proviso to Article 31 ( l) disabks the Stale Legslature from acquiring any land below
the ceiling limit without prov:ding for compensation for such acquisition at the full market value.
The proviso certainly protects, and,
indeed, confers certain rights upon individuals to an amount of compensation.
That is its direct effect.
The argument on behalf of the appellant, as we understand it is
that, although, an alteration of the ceiling limit for each
"person"
<lirec;tly by prescribing its stautory limit is permissible, yet, if it is
not done directly by changing the ceiling limit for each person but by
introducing a concept of "person'', contrary to the concept in the provisions of the s~cond provis_o to Article 3lA(1), it becomes a prohibited
colourable device for gettmg round the second proviso to Article
31A(l). It is urged that the effect of the amended Section 6 of the
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HASMUKHALAL V. GUJARAT (Beg, J.)
109
Act is to change the ceiling limit for some persons only by altering the
legal and constitutional concept of a person,
We do not find any fixed concept of "person" anywhere.
No
doubt the concept is wide so that it could be contended that
it
should
not
be
narrowed
down
or
confined.
But does
Section 6 (2) do that? Section 6 (2) does not either disable
a husband or wife from owning or holding their separate properties
separately.
It does not merge or destroy their separate legal personalities. It requires their separate holdings to be grouped togetner as
though they were. held by one person only for the purpose of determining the ceiling limit for each member of a family. [t may indirectly
have the effect of disabling a member of a family from holding land
upto the prescribed ceiling limit for a person holding as an indiv:dual.
In other words, the result is that such a member of a family will have
to be content with a holding less than that of an unmarried individual.
It has the effect of making it clear that what have to be grouped together are the separate properties of individuals belonging to families
other than what are "joint families", in law. It takes in and applies
to members of families other than undivided Hindu families. It means
that married persons and their minor children will ha-ve to be viewed
as though they hold one lot together even though they retain their separate legal personalities and remain competent owners of their separate holdings.
It does not affect either their legal status or competence. It does reduce their individual holdings.
But, we do not
find any prohibition enacted by the second proviso to Article· 3IA(1)
against different ceiling limits prescribed for various individuals or
classes of individuals differently situated. Nor does the second proviso
to Article 31A(l) prescribe any particular or direct mo9e of imposing
different ceilings on individuals differently circumstanced.
A glance at the provisions of Section 20 of the Act shows that >:e_parate rights to properties grouped together for purposes of computation
onl;y do not vanish. On the other hand, each holder of such separate
rights above the ceiling ·limit is permitted to select the property he
or she wishes to continue to hold in such a way "that the >lands selected
for such continuance shall be in the same proportion in which lands
were held by each spouse before furnishing the relevant statement
under sub-section ( 1) of Section 1 O". The reduction in their holdings
would, therefore, .be proport:onate to the areas of lands held separately
but brought together only for the purposes of determining the ceiling
limit for the family. The whole object of the process prescribed seems
to be that families, as contemplated by the Act, should be units for
merely determination of ceilings for each member of a family.
Appellants relied on Kunjukutty Sahib etc. etc. v. State of Kerala &
A nr. (1) where it was held by this Court (at p. 314) :
"It was not disputed that the ceiling limit fixed by the
amended Act was within the competence of the legislature to
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fix; nor was i_t contended that the ceiling fixed by the original
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unamended Act by itself debarred the legislature from further
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reducing the ceiling limit. so fixed.
Prior to the amendment
undoubtedly no land . within the personal cultivation ot the
holder under the unamended Act within the ceiling limit fixed
thereby could be acquired without payment of compensation
according to the market value, but once ceiling limit was
changed by the amended Act the second Proviso to Art. 31A
( 1) must be held to refer only to the new ceiling limit fixed
by the amended Act. The ceiling limit originally li.xed ceased
to exist for future the moment it was replaced by the amended Act.
The prohibition contained in the second proviso
operates only within the ceiling limit fixed under the existing
law, at the given time. It is true that the new ceiling limit
was fixed contemporaneously .with the acquisition of the
land in excess of that ceiling limit. But it was not contended
that a law so fixing the ceiling limit and acquiring the land in
excess would offend any provision of the Constitution''.
Pritam Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors.(1) was also cited on behalf
of the appellants. Here the contention, amongst others, was repelled
that, by adding land transferred to certain relations to that held by a
person under his personal cultivation, for the purpose of determining his
ceiling area and the surplus left, under the provisions of the Pepsu
Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1955, as amended by a subsequent
Act, rights guaranteed by the second proviso to Article 31 A ( 1 ) were
contravened. This case certainly does not lay down that the ceiling li.mit
applicable to each individual must be uniform or that it mmt be contained in a single statutory provision directly dealing with ceiling limits.
It follows that the ceiling limit may vary from individual to individual.
These varying limits may result from the combined effect of several
provisions.
The prescription of different ceiling limits for different
individuals, differently circumstanced, could be enacted directly by
a single provision dealing with individual ceiling limits, or, alternatively, it could be the consequence of several provisions dealing with
differing sets of circumstances. No law known to us has ever laid down
that the intention of the law makers on a particular subject must
necessarily transpire from a single statutory provision or statutory provisions dealing directly with a particular aspect.
To read any such
limit into the 2nd proviso to Article 31A(l) of the Constitution would
be to accept a novel restriction on legislative competence. We have
no doubt that no such restriction could be found in the 2nd proviso to
Article 31A(l) of the Constitution.
·
It was urged that Article 31A(l) and 31B of the Constitution
operate in different fields of legislation. Whereas Article 31A(1) cures
certain possible invalidities in ordinary legislation, arising from its
inconsistencies with Articles 14 or 19 or 31 of the Constitution, Article
3 lB cures a wider range of infirmities arising from conflict with any of
the provisions of Part III of the Constitution and necessitates a constitutional amendment so as to protect an impugned legislation by its inclusion in the 9th ~chedule to the Constitution. Legislation protected
(1) [1967] 2 S.C.R. p. 536.
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HASMUKHALAL V. GUJARAT (Beg, J.)
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by Article 3 lA of the Constitution would fall under appropriate legislaA
tive entries in the 7th Schedule. But, to secure the protection of Article 3 lB of the Constitution, resort to the provisions of Article 3 68 of
the Constitution is imperative.
These differences do not mean that
legislation falling under any part of Article 31A(l) of the Constitution,
including the provisos, cannot receive also the protection contemplated
by Article 31B of the Constitution .. Thereis nothing in our Constitution to bar any statute from receiving a dual protection, so to speak,
B
-0f both Article 31 A (1) and 3 lB of the Constitution if the conditions
.of each are satisfied.
It is clear to us that the proviso to Article 31A(l) of the Constitution confers certain rights upon individuals and protects them from
constitutionally illegal invasion.
We ate, . therefore, unable to accept
the argument advanced on behalf of the appellants that the "protective
C
umbrella"
of Article 3 lB does not shield the impugned provisions
against an attack based upon the limits imposed by the second proviso
to Article 31A(l) on legislative power. The argument overlooks certain obvious answers : firstly, that limits on legislative powers, imposed
by Part· III of the Constitution, do have the direct result of protecting
individual rights; and, secondly, that no part of the second proviso to
Article 31 (1) of the. Constitution was, as already pointed out above,
D
infringed by the impugned provisions; and, thirdly, even if one were to
assume, for the sake of argument, that rights conferred on individuals
by the 2nd proviso to Article 31 ( 1), were infringed in any way, provisions of Article 31B of the Constitution are enough to repel an attack based upon such an alleged infringement. Both Atricles 31A(l)
and 3 lB are intended to operate as protections against consequences
-0f. what could otherwise be breaches of the Constitution.
E
Consequently, we have to and do dismiss these appeals. But; in
the circumstances of the case, the parties will bear their own costs.
P.H.P.
Appeals dismissed.