Case: Chand Kumar Kapur Vs. Chief Settlement Commissioner Punjab and Others

Appellant, an evacuee from West Pakistan owned agricultural land in District Lyuallpur. As a displaced person he was allotted a little more than six standard across of land in Village Kotla, Tehsil Jullundur in Punjab under the quasi-permanent scheme. In 1952 the Director of Rehabilitation submitted a proposal to the Financial Commissioner, Relief and Rehabilitation-cum-Custodian that premium cut of 5 villages, viz., Sufi Pind, Dhin, Barring Khusropur and Alladingpur be enhanced from 18.3/4% to 50% as similarly situated villages near Jullundur City carried a cut of 50% . This proposal also suggested that in two other neighbouring villages, viz., Shekhpind and Kotla where no premium cut had been applied earlier, a similar cut of 50% should be applied. This was on the footing that these lands abutted the Jullundur Municipal area and had semi-urban character. This proposal was accepted by the Commissioner as also by the Governor of the State before 2nd July 1952 when rule 14 (6) of the Evacuee Property (Central) Rules, 1950 was amended and in respect of quasi-permanent allottees cancellation was permitted only on grounds set out in rule 14(6). The allottees of Sheikh Pind and Kotla villages challenged the orders implementing the policy decision of cut of 50% before the hierarchy of rehabilitation authorities and moved the High Court by filing a writ petition. When that writ petition was dismissed, special leave was obtained from this Court and the Court found that after coming into force of the 1954 Act and the Notification made on March 24, 1955, under s. 12 of the Act, the lands already allotted to displaced persons ceased to be evacuee property and had become part of the pool created under the 1954 Act. Power was not available to be exercised under the 1950 Act.Subsequently steps were taken to enforce the curt and a writ petition was moved before the High Court. When the single judge dismissed the petition, and appeal was taken to the Division Bench and four contentions were advanced on behalf of t he appellant and cach one was negatived and the appeal was dismissed. It may be stated that appeal was heard along with 19 others raising common questions of fact and law. Against this confirming decision of the Division Bench, leave having bee n obtained from this Court, the present appeal has been filed.

Reasoning: In dealing with a matter of this type the broad perspective of the scheme has to be kept in view . People who were uprooted from Pakistan and became displaced persons were to be compensated on the footing that they had left behind lands in Pakistan and lands of people who had left India for Pakistan had become evacuee property and the compensation to the displaced persons could be by settlement of such lands. In a case of his type no one can look for undue enrichment. Once it is held as a fact that the properties are semi- urban and admittedly this had not been kept in vie w when original allotment had been made it should always be possible to make an adjustment. Such an adjustment is just and fair. It is appropriate to take note of a very significant feature, namely, there were 117 allottees in these villages which we re declared sub-urban and 97 of these allottees paid the extra premium, and were allowed to acquire the entire land given to them, Twenty allottees including the appellant took steps to challenge the decision regarding levy of premium as also cut in the allotments. There is no justification as to why any differential treatment should be shown to these twenty allottees particularly when all the 117 allottees stood at par so far as the application of the decision contained in the order dated February 3, 1952 is concerned. We do not know if under the changed circumstance the same benefit is available to be extended to the appellant now, viz., permitting him to pay the extra premium at present. More than 30 years have passed and with the passage of such a length of time changed situations must have come to prevail. We see no justification to accept the appeal, and allow the benefit claimed by the appellant. But our dismissal of the appeal should not preclude the respondent authorities from entertaining the offer by the appellant, if made, to pay the extra premium and/or any further demand with a view to obtaining a lawful settlement of the entire property without cut on the basis of the initial allotment.