CWP No.10794 of 2008 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CWP No.10794 of 2008 Date of Decision. November 11, 2008 Rajinder Singh ......Petitioner Versus State of Punjab and others .....Respondents Coram Hon'ble Mr. Justice Hemant Gupta Hon'ble Mr. Justice Nawab Singh Present Mr. Arihant Jain, Advocate for the petitioner. Ms. Nidhi Garg, A.A.G , Punjab for the respondents. Hemant Gupta , J (Oral ) Challenge in the present writ petition is to the communication dated 17.3.2008 whereby petitioner has been called upon to deposit rent at the rate of Rs.1,880/- per month from 1.6.2006. The petitioner was allowed to run a Juice Bar in Rajindra Hospital, Patiala vide allotment letter dated 3.6.2003 at the monthly rent of Rs.150/- per month. Subsequently, the petitioner was informed vide communication dated 20.6.2006 that there has to be 5% increase in the rent every year. However, on 18.2.2008, Government of Punjab issued a new policy contemplating that in respect of shops in the area of Medical Colleges in the State of Punjab, the increase of rent shall be ten times and there should be a clause that rent would be increased by 15% from 1.4.2008. In terms of the said policy decision, a demand claiming rent at the rate of Rs.1,880/- per month was raised against the petitioner w. e. f 1.6.2006. Learned counsel for the petitioner has vehemently argued that no demand of increase in rent can be raised with retrospective effect and therefore, the demand raised is fully unjustified and untenable. The petitioner is a licensee over the area for which CWP No.10794 of 2008 2 permission was granted in the year 1997. With the passage of time, the respondents are well justified in claiming enhanced amount for the use of public land. Rs.1,880/- is not such an amount which is not the prevalent market rent of the similar premises in the city of Patiala. The petitioner as a licencee has no right to be in possession of the premises. He is bound to comply with the terms and conditions of licence. In view of this, we do not find any merit in the present writ petition and the same is hereby dismissed. ( Hemant Gupta) Judge November 11, 2008 ( Nawab Singh) mamta Judge