Essco Fabs Pvt. Ltd. & Anr vs State Of Haryana & Anr

3. To appreciate the controversy raised in the present appeals, relevant facts in nutshell may be noted.

5. It was the case of Essco that it bought the land which was sought to be acquired earlier for expansion of its Export Unit. According the appellant, it is engaged in manufacturing and exporting rugs, cushions, bed-spreads, bath mats, fabrics, kitchen towel, aprons, pot holders, gloves, mitten, curtains, napkins, carpets, etc. It is Export Oriented Unit and earns foreign exchange by export of goods manufactured in its unit. In the year 1992, it exported materials over Rs.2 crores. The appellant has stated that on June 6, 1991, it made an application to the Director, Town & Country Planning, Haryana for permission for change of user of land. All necessary documents were appended to the application. The Director, however, vide an order dated September 5, 1991, rejected the permission on several grounds. One of the grounds weighed with the Director for refusing the permission was that the land in question was proposed to be acquired. The appellant has produced a copy of the application as also an order of rejection thereof in the present proceedings. But even thereafter no proceedings for acquisition of land were initiated for many years.

9. The other appeal is filed by the Panipat Teachers (Recognized Schools) Housing Co-operative Society Ltd. (`society' for short) challenging the acquisition proceedings. It was the case of the society that pursuant to the representation made by the society, the State Government released 53 kanals and 8 marlas of land by executing an agreement dated October 19, 1985 and by granting land in favour of the society on conditions mentioned in the agreement. Possession of land was handed over to the society. The land was demarcated and was carved out into plots reserving requisite space for school, parks, temple, overhead water tank, roads, green belt etc. The society got the site plan designed strictly in accordance with HUDA Rules. The society invested huge amount, approximately Rs.26 lakhs, for developing the land laying down sewer pipe lines, RCC Water pipe lines, construction of roads and boundary walls etc. The site plan, however, has not been cleared by the office of the Director, Town & Country Planning, Haryana despite numerous attempts by the appellant-society. It is alleged by the society that the matter was kept pending for oblique and ulterior purposes on lame and untenable excuses. It is also stated by the society that HUDA published public notice in `Daily Bhaskar' dated November 10, 2000 demanding development charges thereby acknowledging that the society's land has been rightly developed for teachers' colony. The public notice informed and instructed those land/plot owners who were in arrears to pay all the balance development charges and outstanding dues. No dues were shown as against the appellant-society. Thus, there is nothing due and payable to HUDA by the appellant.

11. We have already stated facts relating to the issuance of preliminary notification, application of urgency clause under Section 17 and issuance of final notification under Section 6 of the Act while narrating the facts in the first case of Essco. It is, therefore, not necessary to repeat all those facts in the second matter.

12. The appellant-society, in the circumstances, approached the High Court by filing Civil Writ Petition No. 2077 of 2002 which was also decided along with the petition of Essco and the petition of the appellant- society also came to be dismissed.

14. Notices were issued by this Court and interim relief was granted. Respondents thereafter appeared, affidavits and further affidavits were filed and the matters were ordered to be posted for final hearing. That is how the matters are before us.

38. The Court, therefore, proceeded to state;

52. For the foregoing reasons, both the appeals are allowed. The action of the respondent authority of dispensing with the inquiry and hearing of objections under Section 5A and issuance of final notification under Section 6 of the Act is hereby quashed and set aside. It is, however, open to the authorities to take appropriate action after following normal procedure laid down in the Act.

53. Appeals are accordingly allowed with costs.

CONTEMPT PETITION NO.30 OF 2007 IN C.A.NO. ............... OF 2008 @ S.L.P. (C)NO. 15449 OF 2004

54. In the light of judgment in the above appeals, the contempt petition stands disposed of.