# STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND ORS. ETC. ETC v. KISHAN SINGH ETC. ETC

- **Citation:** [1992] 3 S.C.R. 748
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1992-08-06
- **Case number:** Civil Appeal Nos. 4209 to 4226 of 1991
- **Bench:** Kuldip Singh, K. Ramasw_Amy
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/state-of-rajasthan-and-ors-etc-etc-v-kishan-singh-etc-etc-11503
- **Pages:** 7

## Headnote

Rajasthan Colonisation Act, 1954-Section 2(i)(a)-Notification dated
30.5.1978 issued unde,._Judicial notice of casual manner of draftin~
~
Manifest intention of Govemment-Construction.
c
Rajasthan Colonisation Act, 1954-Sections 22, 2(i)(a)-Notification
dated 30.5.1978 appointing Colonisation Tehsi/dars to perfonn and exercise
-
the powers of Collectof'-Validity of.
Interpretation of Statutes-Notification issued under a statute-Man.if est
~
D intention of Government-Construction-Method of iron-out the creases-Permissible.
The appellant-government issued a notification dated 30.5.1978
under Section 2(i)(a) of the Rajasthan Colonisation Act, 1954 appointing
E
the Colonisation Tehsildars to perform the functions and exercise the
powers of the Collector under Section 22 of the Act.
·--t
The Colonisation Tehsildars initiated proceedings against various
persons under section 22 of the Act and also passed orders of eviction
from the lands under their possession.
-
F
The aggrieved persons challenged the proceedings and the orders af
eviction before the High Court filing writ petitions under Article 226/227
-..,..
of the Constitution of India. They contended before the High Court that
the notification dated 30.5.1978 was vague, ambiguous and did not confer
any powers or functions of the Collector under Section 22 of the Act on
G the Tehsildars; and that the proceedings under Section 22 of the Act
initiated by the Tehsildars were inherently without jurisdiction and as
such were liable to be quashed.
,..,..
The Single Judge allowed the writ petitions.
H
The appeals preferred by the State were dismissed by a Division
748
'
STATE v. KISHAN SINGH
749
Bench of the High Court.
A
Hence these appeals were filed by the State by special leave against
the judgment of the Division Bench of the High Court.
On the question, whether the notification dated 30.5.1978 issued
under section 2(i)(a) of the Rajasthan Colonisation Act, 1954 validly B
conferred the powers and the functions of the Collector under the Act
upon the Colonisation Tehsildars, allowing the appeals of the State, this
~
Court
HELD: 1.01. The notification dated May 30, 1978 is not happily c
worded. It shows the casual manner i~ which the government-documents
!
-
are drafted. However, the wording of the notification fully conveys the
intention of the State Government. [753G]
)-
1.02. The manifest intention of the government, which can be
spelled-out from the notification, is that all the powers under Section 22 D
of the Act have been delegated and conferred on the Colonisation Tehsildars in the State of Rajasthan. The expression 'such' used in the notification twice, only indicates that the Colonisation Tehsildars, who have been
given all the powers of the Collector under Section 22 of the Act, may
exercise 'such' of these powers as are necessary to be exercised in a given E
case before them. (754D]
~
2.01. Section 22 of the Act provides summary proceedings for the
ejectment of tress-passers from government lands. Various sub-sections of
-
Section 22 provide a scheme for getting the trespass on government lands
vacated. In the nature of' the provisions of Section 22 of the Act the proceedF
,.
ings under various sub-sections have to be initiated and a.ction taken by the
same authority. [753H-754AJ
..-..-
2.02. The proceedings under section 22 of the Act being quasi judicial
the authority entrusted with the powers of the Collector has to be invested
with the powers under all the sub-sections to enable the said authority to G
proceed in accordance with the scheme of the Act. In that view of the matter
there is no scope for conferring some of the powers under Section 22 on the
- -(
Tehsildars and remaining to be left with the Collector. [754B]
2.0J. The notification dated May 30, 1978 appointing the Colonisation Tehsildars in the State of Rajasthan to perform the functions and to ~
750
SUPREME COURT REPORTl)
(1992) 3 S.C.R.
A
exercise the powers of the Collector under Section 22 of the Act

## Text

A
STATE OF RAJASTHAN AND ORS. ETC. ETC.
v.
KISHAN SINGH ETC. ETC.
AUGUST 6, 1992
B
[KULDIP SINGH AND K. RAMASW_AMY, JJ.]
Rajasthan Colonisation Act, 1954-Section 2(i)(a)-Notification dated
30.5.1978 issued unde,._Judicial notice of casual manner of draftin~
~
Manifest intention of Govemment-Construction.
c
Rajasthan Colonisation Act, 1954-Sections 22, 2(i)(a)-Notification
dated 30.5.1978 appointing Colonisation Tehsi/dars to perfonn and exercise
-
the powers of Collectof'-Validity of.
Interpretation of Statutes-Notification issued under a statute-Man.if est
~
D intention of Government-Construction-Method of iron-out the creases-Permissible.
The appellant-government issued a notification dated 30.5.1978
under Section 2(i)(a) of the Rajasthan Colonisation Act, 1954 appointing
E
the Colonisation Tehsildars to perform the functions and exercise the
powers of the Collector under Section 22 of the Act.
·--t
The Colonisation Tehsildars initiated proceedings against various
persons under section 22 of the Act and also passed orders of eviction
from the lands under their possession.
-
F
The aggrieved persons challenged the proceedings and the orders af
eviction before the High Court filing writ petitions under Article 226/227
-..,..
of the Constitution of India. They contended before the High Court that
the notification dated 30.5.1978 was vague, ambiguous and did not confer
any powers or functions of the Collector under Section 22 of the Act on
G the Tehsildars; and that the proceedings under Section 22 of the Act
initiated by the Tehsildars were inherently without jurisdiction and as
such were liable to be quashed.
,..,..
The Single Judge allowed the writ petitions.
H
The appeals preferred by the State were dismissed by a Division
748
'
STATE v. KISHAN SINGH
749
Bench of the High Court.
A
Hence these appeals were filed by the State by special leave against
the judgment of the Division Bench of the High Court.
On the question, whether the notification dated 30.5.1978 issued
under section 2(i)(a) of the Rajasthan Colonisation Act, 1954 validly B
conferred the powers and the functions of the Collector under the Act
upon the Colonisation Tehsildars, allowing the appeals of the State, this
~
Court
HELD: 1.01. The notification dated May 30, 1978 is not happily c
worded. It shows the casual manner i~ which the government-documents
!
-
are drafted. However, the wording of the notification fully conveys the
intention of the State Government. [753G]
)-
1.02. The manifest intention of the government, which can be
spelled-out from the notification, is that all the powers under Section 22 D
of the Act have been delegated and conferred on the Colonisation Tehsildars in the State of Rajasthan. The expression 'such' used in the notification twice, only indicates that the Colonisation Tehsildars, who have been
given all the powers of the Collector under Section 22 of the Act, may
exercise 'such' of these powers as are necessary to be exercised in a given E
case before them. (754D]
~
2.01. Section 22 of the Act provides summary proceedings for the
ejectment of tress-passers from government lands. Various sub-sections of
-
Section 22 provide a scheme for getting the trespass on government lands
vacated. In the nature of' the provisions of Section 22 of the Act the proceedF
,.
ings under various sub-sections have to be initiated and a.ction taken by the
same authority. [753H-754AJ
..-..-
2.02. The proceedings under section 22 of the Act being quasi judicial
the authority entrusted with the powers of the Collector has to be invested
with the powers under all the sub-sections to enable the said authority to G
proceed in accordance with the scheme of the Act. In that view of the matter
there is no scope for conferring some of the powers under Section 22 on the
- -(
Tehsildars and remaining to be left with the Collector. [754B]
2.0J. The notification dated May 30, 1978 appointing the Colonisation Tehsildars in the State of Rajasthan to perform the functions and to ~
750
SUPREME COURT REPORTl)
(1992) 3 S.C.R.
A
exercise the powers of the Collector under Section 22 of the Act is legal
and valid. [754F]
B
3. While dealing with a notification it is permissible to iron· out the
creases to clarify the manifest intention of the State Government in issu·
ing the notification. [754E]
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal Nos. 4209 to
4226 of 1991.
From the Judgment and Order dated 12.9.1989 of the Rajasthan
High Court in D.B.C.S.A. 1208/86, 174/87, 1209/86, 1212/86, 1214, 1230,
c 1233/86, 60/87, 1010, 1204, 1215, 1220, 1206, 1217; 1203/86, 139/87, 1219/86
and 142 of 1987.
Aruneshwar Gupta for the Appellant.
)
P.H. Parekh, Ms. Chetna Anand, Goodwill Indeevar and Ms.
~
D Kamakshi S. Mehlwat for the Respondent.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
KULDIP SINGH, J. The Rajasthan Government issued notification
dated May 30, 1978 under Section 2(i)(a) of the Rajasthan Colonisation
E
Act, 1954 (the Act) appointing the Colonisation Tehsildars to perform the
functions and exercise the powers of the collector under Section 22 of the
Act. The short.question for our determination is whether the said notification, validly confers the powers and the functions of the Collector under
the Act upon the Colonisation Tehsildars.
F
G
H
Section 2(i)(a) and Section 22 of the Act, which are relevant, are
reproduced hereunder:-
"Section 2(i)( a)- 'Collector' means the Collector of the district
and includes-
(a) Any officer appointed by the State Government to perform
all or any of the functions and exercise all or any of the powers
of the Collector under this Act.
22. Unauthorised occupation of land and re-entry.-(1) Any·
person who occupied or continues to occupy any land in a
-
-...
\_
'(
STATE v. KISHAN SINGH (KULDIP SINGH, J.)
751
~
colony to which he has no right or title or without lawful A
authority shall be regarded a trespasser and may be summarily
evicted therefrom by the Collector at any time at his own
motion or upon the application of an aggrieved person at whose
disposal such land has been placed; and any crops, trees and
buildings or any other constructions, erected or anything B
deposited on such land shall, if not removed within such
reasonable time as the Collector may from time to time fJX for
."\
the purpose, be liable to be forfeited to the State and to be
disposed of as the Collector may direct:
Provided that the Collector may, in lieu of ordering the forfei- c
-
ture of any such building or other construction, order the
demolition of the whole or any part thereof.
(2) Such trespasser shall further be liable to pay, for each
agricultural year during the whole or any part whereof he has
D
been in such unauthorised occupation of the land, a penalty
which may extend to fifty times the annual rent, or assessment,
as the case may be, for the first act of trespass. In the case of
each subsequent act of trespass, he shall, by the order of the
Collector, be liable to oommitment to civil prison for a term
which, may extend to three months and to pay penalty to the E
extent as aforesaid. The amount of such penalty shall be
recovered as an arrear of land revenue.
-
Before taking proceedings for eviction under sub-section (1),
the Collector shall cause to be served on the person reported
F
to be oecupying or continuing to occupy land without lawful
,.......
authority, a notice specifying such land and calling on him to
appear and show cause why he should not be evicted therefrom.
(4) In any of the following cases namely-
(i) where the trespasser neither vacates the land nor makes G
appearance in response to the notice issued under sub-section
-<
3; or
(ii) where in response to such, notice the trespasser does not
vacate the land and makes appearance butH
}
752
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
(1992) 3 S.C.R.
·r
A
(a) does not show any cause; or
-\::...
I
(b) makes any representation which is rejected after such
enquiry and hearing as may be necessary in the circumstances
of the case;
B
the Collector shall, unless in the case covered by clause (ii)
above the trespasser. undertakes to vacate the land with in a
week's time and vacates it within such time, order removal of
';...;---
the trespasser from such land and shall remove or depute any
person to remove him therefrom and take possession thereof."
c
The notification dated May 30, 1978 issued by the State Government
-
under Section 2(i)(a) of the Act reads as under:-
"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (a) of clause
(1) of Section 2 of the Rajasthan Colonisation Act, 1954 (RajasD
than Act No. XXVII of 1954), the State Government hereby
appoints all Colonisation Tehsildars of the State to perform
such functions and to exercise "such powers" _of Collector Un.der
Section 22 of this Act in the villages specified as 'Colony' from
time to time under this Act and are falling in their respective
E
jurisdiCtion."
1The Colonisation Tehsildars initiated proceedings against various
persons under section 22 of the Act and also passed orders of eviction from
.
the 'lands under their possession. The aggrieved persons challenged the
-
said proceedings and the orders of eviction before the Rajasthan High
F
Court by way of writ petitions under Article 22f)/227 of the Constitution of
India. The only ground of attack before the High Court was that the
~
notification dated May 30, 1978 was vague, ambiguous and did not confer
any powers or functions of the collector under Section 22 of the Act on
the Tehsildars. According to the petitioners the proceedings under Section
G
22 of the Act initiated by the Tehsildars were inherently without jurisdiction and as such were liable to be quashed. The learned Single- Judge by
his judgment dated February 11, 1986 accepted the contention of the
petitioners and allowed the writ petitions. The special appeals preferred by
'-· -
/
the State of Rajasthan were dismissed on September 12, 1989 by a Division
Bench of the Rajasthan High Court. These appeals by the State of Rajasthan
H are against the judgment of the Division Bench of the High Court.
-
-·
..IJ
-
l
·J
~.
r
.....
STATE v. KISHAN SINGH [KULDIP SINGH, J.)
753
The learned Single Judge allowed the writ petitions on the following
reasoning:-
"In the present case it is not necessary to decide the larger
question as to the validity of delegation of the powers of a
Collector exercisable under Section 22 of the Act as I accept
the contention of the petitioner that the notification dated the
30th May, 1978 does not authorise the Colonisation Tehsildars
to perform or exercise all functions and powers of the Collectors under section 22 of the Act. The word 'such' used twice
in this section to qualify the words 'functions' and 'powers' is
neither a superfluous expression nor it is synonymous with the
word- "All". The word 'such' as an adjective is used for something that has been stated earlier or which is to be specified or
exemplified in the portion which is to follow. The word 'such'
means of the kind the like kind or the same kind. The word
'such' is used to avoid repetition of the expression already
indicated described or specified or to denote the context which
is about to be indicated, suggested or exemplified. In the
context of Section 22 of the Act it is not possible to construe
the expression "to perform SUCH FUNCTIONS and to exercise SUCH POWERS of the Collector under Section 22 of this
Act "to mean" "to perform ALL FUNCTIONS and to exercise
ALL POWERS of the Collectors under section 22 of the Act."
(Emphasis added). The use of the word 'such' was meant to
carve out only some functions and powers of the Collector
exercisable under section 22 of the Act but it appears due to
some mistake on the part of the draftsman the functions and
powers intended to be so specified in the notification were left
out".
The Division Bench of the High Court upheld the above reasoning and
dismissed the special appeals fded by the State Government.
It is no doubt correct that the notification dated May 30, 1978 is not
·.-#'
happily worded. It only shows the casual manner in which the governmentdocuments are drafted. We are, however, of the view that the wording of
the notification fully conveys the intention of the State Government. SecA
B
c
D
~
F
G
tion 22 of the Act provides summary proceedings for the ejectment of H
J
754
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
(1992) 3 S.C.R.
A
tress-passers from government lands. Various sub-sections of Section 22
~
provide a scheme for getting the trespass on government lands vacated. In
. the nature of the provisions of Section 22 of the Act the proceedings under
various sub-sections have to be initiated and action taken by the same
authority. The proceedings under section 22 of the Act being quasi judicial
B
the authority entrusted with the powers of the Collector has to be invested
with the powers under all the sub-sections to enable the said authority to
proceed in accordance with the scheme of the Act. In that view of the
matter there is no scope for conferring some of the powers under Section
~
22 on the tehsildars and remaining to be left with the Collector. The High
Court assumed that part of the powers and functions of the Collector under
c Section 22 of the Act can be delegated under Section 2(i)(a) of the Act. It
was on that assumption that the High Court came to the conclusion that
-
the powers and functions under Section 22 which were being conferred
upon the tehsildars should have been mentioned before or after the word -
"such" in the notification. We do not agree with the High Court's reasoning.
--\
D The manifest intention of the government, which can be spelled-out from
the notification, is that all the powers under Section 22 of the Act have
been delegated and conferred on .the colonisation tehsildars in the State of
Rajasthan. The expression 'such' used in the notification twice, only indi-
';.-
cates that the Colonisation Tehsildars, who have been given all the powers ·
of the Collector under Section 22 of the Act, may exercise 'such' of these
E
powers as are necessary to be exercised in a given case before them. In any
--.,_
case while dealing with a notification of the type before us, it is permissible
to iron-out the creases. to clarify the manifest intention of the State Government in issuing the notification. We, therefore, hold that the notification
dated May 30, 1978 appointing the Colonisation Tehsildars in the State of
-
F
Rajasthan to perform the functions and to exercise the powers of Collector
under Section 22 of the Act is legal and valid. The High Court was not
justified in reaching a different conclusion.
~
We allow the appeals, set aside the judgment of the learned Single
Judge and also of the Division.Bench of the High Court and dismiss the
G writ petitions filed by the respondents-petitioners before the High Court.
There shall be no orders as to costs.
V.P.R.
Appeals allowed.