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Wednesday, June 1, 2011

challenging the allotment of land given in favour of Mr. Sourav Ganguly (hereinafter referred to as allottee), by the State of West Bengal. The High Court, by its judgment dated 12.4.2010, upheld the allotment of plot of land being plot no. CA-222 by allotment letter dated 17.2.2009. It disposed of all the petitions by a direction that in order to retain leasehold rights and possession of the said plot in Sector-V, Salt Lake City (Bidhannagar), Kolkata, the allottee has to pay the State Government a sum of Rs.43,25,500/-, failing which the lease deed dated 1.4.2009 shall be 2 treated as invalid and possession of the land shall be handed back to the State Government.


                                                     REPORTABLE

               IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

                CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION



                CIVIL APPEAL NO.4782 OF 2011

    (Arising out of Special Leave Petition (C)

                      No.22305/2010)



Humanity & another                         ...Appellant(s)



                         - Versus -



State of West Bengal & Ors.                 ...Respondent(s)





                              WITH

                CIVIL APPEAL NO.4783 OF 2011

    (Arising out of Special Leave Petition (C)

                      No.22503/2010)



Arunangshu Chakraborty                      ... Appellant(s)



                         -    Versus -



State of West Bengal & Ors.                 ...Respondent(s)



                              WITH

                CIVIL APPEAL NO.4784 OF 2011

    (Arising out of Special Leave Petition (C)

                      No.11783/2011)



C.A. Block Citizens' Association

& Ors.                                     ...    Appellant(s)



                         -    Versus -



State of West Bengal & Ors.                 ...Respondent(s)




                      J U D G M E N T





                               1


GANGULY, J.





1.    Leave   granted   in   all   the   special   leave



      petitions.





2.    Several   writ   petitions   were   filed   in   public



      interest   before   the   Calcutta   High   Court



      challenging   the   allotment   of   land   given   in



      favour   of   Mr.   Sourav   Ganguly   (hereinafter



      referred   to   as   allottee),   by   the   State   of   West



      Bengal.   The   High   Court,   by   its   judgment   dated



      12.4.2010, upheld the allotment of plot of land



      being plot no. CA-222 by allotment letter dated



      17.2.2009.   It   disposed   of   all   the   petitions   by



      a   direction   that   in   order   to   retain   leasehold



      rights   and   possession   of   the   said   plot   in



      Sector-V,          Salt         Lake         City         (Bidhannagar),



      Kolkata,   the   allottee   has   to   pay   the   State



      Government   a   sum   of   Rs.43,25,500/-,   failing



      which   the   lease   deed   dated   1.4.2009   shall   be





                                       2


      treated   as   invalid   and   possession   of   the   land



      shall be handed back to the State Government.





3.    Challenging   the   said   judgment   of   the   Division



      Bench,   three   SLP's   (11783/2011,   22503/2010   and



      22305/2010) were filed before this Court and as



      the   judgment   is   one,   and   the   facts   and



      questions   are   identical,   the   cases   were   heard



      together   and   are   being   decided   by   this



      judgment.





4.    The   material   facts   of   the   case   are   that   on



      5.11.2006,   an   advertisement   was   issued   by   the



      Government   of   West   Bengal,   Urban   Development



      Department, earmarking a plot of land measuring



      about 50 kathas in Plot No. BF-158 in Sector-I,



      Salt   Lake   (Bidhannagar),   Kolkata-   700064,   for



      the   setting   up   of   an   integrated   school   from



      primary level to higher secondary level. It was



      stated   in   the   advertisement   that   the   school



      would basically be academic in nature, but with





                               3


      extra-curricular   activities,   which   would   form



      an   integral   part   of   the   curriculum   and   it   was



      stated                 that                           the                     intending



      Organization/Institution/Body/Registered



      Society/   Trust   which   were   capable   of   running



      and   managing   such   a   school   by   their   own



      resources,            may         apply               to          the         Principal



      Secretary,            Urban                 Development                  Department,



      Government   of   West   Bengal,   Nagarayan,   DF-8,



      Sector-1, Bidhannagar, Kolkata- 700064 on plain



      paper   within   15   days   from   the   publication   of



      the   advertisement   giving   details   of   the



      project.   It   was   intimated   that   the   aforesaid



      plot   of   land   would   be   leased   to   the   aforesaid



      applicants   for   999   years   on   certain   terms



      indicated in the advertisement.





5.    One   of   the   terms   in   the   said   advertisement,   to



      which some reference shall be made later on, is



      as follows:





                                             4


      "The   government,   however,   reserves   the

      right   to   change   the   location   of   the   land

      and   revise   the   rate   of   salami   at   its   full

      discretion. Such decision shall be final."





6.    The allottee applied on 17.11.2006. In the said



      application, the allottee inter alia stated:





           "There   is   ever   increasing   demand   for

           such   institutions,   especially   in   the

           northern   and   eastern   part   of   the

           metropolitan   city   of   Kolkata.   The

           object   of   the   proposed   educational

           institution                   would           be          academic

           excellence   with   a   balanced   blend   of

           co-curricular   activities   and   sports

           for   the   all   round   growth   of   the

           younger   generation...In   this   context,

           I propose to keep a few seats reserved

           for         such         needy           cum         meritorious

           pupils."





7.    In   the   project   report   submitted   by   the



      allottee,   it   was   stated   that   the   school   would



      be   owned   by   a   Registered   Society/Trust.   A



      Committee   consisting   of   several   Government



      officials   considered   about   20   applications,



      filed   pursuant   to   the   aforesaid   advertisement.



      The Committee consisted of:





                                          5


      a.    Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal


      b.    Principal   Secretary/   Secretary   to   Chief

            Minister


      c.    Principal      Secretary/               Secretary,           Urban

            Development Department


      d.    Principal            Secretary/                      Secretary,

            Information          and              Cultural             Affairs

            Department


      e.    Principal   Secretary/   Secretary,   Cottage

            and Small-Scale Industries Department


      f.    Principal   Secretary/   Secretary,   Commerce

            and Industries Department


      g.    Managing   Director,   West   Bengal   Industries

            Development Corporation





8.     Surprisingly             nobody             from         the         Education



       Department was in the Committee.





9.     Thereafter,   by   resolution   dated   10.1.2007,   the



       aforesaid   Committee   selected   the   allottee   and



       an   allotment   order   dated   22.02.2007   in   respect



       of   plot   no.   BF-158   was   issued   by   the   Joint



       Secretary,   Urban   Department   to   the   allottee.



       Thereupon,   a   lease   deed   was   executed   between





                                        6


       the   Government   and   the   allottee   on   29.10.2007



       and   possession   of   the   said   plot   was   given   on



       14.2.2008.





10.    It may be noted that the aforesaid selection of



       the   allottee   in   respect   of   plot   No.BF-158   was



       not challenged and is not the subject matter of



       dispute in these proceedings.





11.    Thereafter,   on   19.1.2009,   a   letter   was   written



       to   Sri   Ashoka   Bhattacharya,   Minister   for   Urban



       Development   and   Municipal   Affairs   by   the



       allottee   by   stating   that   after   going   through



       the norms of `ICSE' he felt that allotment of a



       bigger   plot   was   needed   for   getting   affiliation



       and   a   prayer   was   made   for   allotment   of   another



       bigger plot.



12.    Since   the   prayer   made   in   this   letter   and   its



       consideration   by   the   Government   is   vitally



       important   for   the   decision   in   this   case,   the



       letter is set out below:





                                  7


       "At   present   I   am   the   owner   of   Plot   No.

       158, Block-BF in Salt Lake, Sector-I of 48

       Kathas   of   land   which   was   given   to   me   for

       the   purpose   of   building   a   school.   But

       after   going   through   the   norms   of   ICSE   to

       get   an   affiliation,   we   now   need   a   plot   of

       more   than   60   kathas   (1   acre).   So   I   would

       like   to  surrender   this   allotted   land  to

       you   and   at   the   same   time  apply   for   a   plot

       of   a   bigger   area  so   that   I   can   take   the

       school project forward."

                                        (Underlined by Court)



13.    It   may   be   noted   that   in   this   letter,   the



       allottee     stated     that     he   `would   like   to



       surrender' the  plot already  allotted  to  him



       and   would   at   the   same   time `apply   for   a



       plot   of   a   bigger   area'.   This   the   allottee   was



       seeking to do in order to comply with the norms



       of ICSE.





14.    Within   a   month   thereafter,   by   a   communication



       dated         17.2.2009,         issued         from         the         Urban



       Development            Department,         the         allottee               was



       informed   about   allotment   of   another   plot-   No.



       CA-222   in   Sector-I   measuring   62   kathas   (it   is



       actually   63.04   kathas).   This   allotment   of   a





                                        8


       different   plot,   which   is   of   much   bigger   size,



       in   a   different   area,   was   challenged   before   the



       High   Court   and   before   this   Court   on   various



       grounds.





15.    The   first   ground   of   challenge   was   that   there



       was   no   advertisement   for   allotment   of   the



       subsequent plot being plot No. CA-222, which is



       much bigger than the initial plot and allotment



       of   this   different   and   bigger   plot,   without   any



       advertisement   by   the   Government,   only   on   the



       prayer         of         the         allottee         is         arbitrary,



       discriminatory   and   violative   of   Article   14   of



       the Constitution.





16.    The   second   ground   of   challenge   is   that   even



       though   the   impugned   allotment   was   made   on



       17.2.2009 "subject to execution of registration



       of   deed   of   surrender,"   the   lease   deed   pursuant



       to   such   allotment   was   executed   on   01.04.2009



       and   the   same   was   presented   for   registration   on





                                             9


       3.4.2009   and   was   registered   on   6.4.2009.   The



       possession   of   the   plot   was   made   over   to   the



       allottee   on   30.4.2009.           A   draft   deed   of



       surrender   was   sent   by   the   State   Government   to



       the   allottee   and   was   signed   by   the   allottee   on



       5.3.2009   but   the   same   was   not   presented   for



       registration   and   the   same   was   registered   only



       after   filing   of   the   petition   before   the   High



       Court.  The complaint of the petitioner is that



       the   plot   was   surrendered   only   after   the   writ



       petition   was   admitted   by   the   High   Court   and



       direction for filing of affidavit was given.





17.    The third ground of challenge was that when the



       allottee initially applied and was allotted the



       previous   plot,   the   norms   of   ICSE   affiliation



       were already notified and the allottee claiming



       to set up a school for ICSE affiliation must be



       aware of those norms.





                                  1


18.    The   fourth   ground   was   that   the   claim   of   the



       allottee   for   complying   with   the   ICSE   norm   is



       just   a   specious   plea,   in   fact   the   Trust   which



       the allottee has set up for the school does not



       at all comply with the ICSE norms.





19.    The   fifth   ground   was   that   in   allotting   the



       subsequent         plot,         to         the         allottee,         the



       authorities have flouted the working plan which



       is   available   for   Salt   Lake   City   in   the   absence



       of a master plan.





20.    The learned counsel for the State, on the other



       hand,   submitted   before   this   Court   that   there



       was   nothing   illegal   in   the   Government's



       accepting   the   subsequent   offer   of   the   allottee



       and   in   doing   so   the   Government   acted   in   terms



       of   the   original   advertisement   where   it   had



       reserved   its   right   to   alter   the   original



       location   of   the   allotted   plot.   Learned   counsel



       for   the   State   submitted   that   the   subsequent





                                        1


       plot   which   has   been   allotted   to   the   allottee



       cannot be called allotment of a new plot and no



       fresh   advertisement   for   the   same   is   necessary



       and   relied   on   the   impugned   judgment   in   which



       High   Court   entered   a   similar   finding.   It   was



       also   submitted   that   the   initial   allotment   made



       in   favour   of   the   allottee   was   examined   by   a



       high-powered   Committee   and   after   examining



       everything   allotment   was   made   and   there   is   no



       illegality in the entire transaction.





21.    Learned counsel for the allottee submitted that



       the   bona   fide   of   the   allottee   must   be   looked



       into   and   considered   by   this   court   and   the



       project is for a public purpose of setting up a



       good   school   in   the   area   which   is   very   much   in



       need of the same. No challenge has been made to



       the   allotment   of   the   subsequent   plot   in   favour



       of   the   allottee   by   any   educational   institution



       or   by   those   who   applied   for   the   first



       allotment. The challenge by the public interest





                                  1


       litigants   should   not   be   entertained   by   this



       court   when   the   setting   up   of   the   school   itself



       was   in   public   interest.   It   is   further   urged



       that   the   subsequent   allotment   does   not   require



       a fresh advertisement.





22.    The   other   grounds   of   challenge   pointed   out   by



       the appellants, according to the counsel of the



       allottee,   are   inconsequential   and   may   not   be



       considered   by   this   court   in   view   of   the



       overwhelming   public   interest   in   the   setting   up



       of a school.





23.    Considering   the   aforesaid   rival   submissions,



       this   court   is   inclined   to   hold   that   the



       allotment   of   plot   no.   CA-222   in   favour   of   the



       allottee   cannot   be   sustained   for   the   reasons



       discussed hereunder.





24.    When   the   Government   decided   to   allot   a



       substantial   plot   for   setting   up   of   a   school   by





                                  1


       private   organizations   and   when   on   the   basis   of



       an   advertisement   to   that   effect   various



       organizations   responded,   the   action   of   the



       Government   was   one   of   granting   largesse   in   as



       much   as   land   of   which   the   Government   is   owner



       and   which   was   allotted   is   a   very   scarce   and



       valuable property.





25.    It   has   been   repeatedly   held   by   this   court   that



       in   the   matter   of   granting   largesse,   Government



       has   to   act   fairly   and   without   even   any



       semblance   of   discrimination.   Law   on   this



       subject has been very clearly laid down by this



       court   in   the   case   of  Ramana   Dayaram   Shetty  v.



       International   Airport   Authority   of   India   and



       Others  reported   in   1979   (3)   SCC   489.   A   three-



       Judge Bench in the said decision has recognized



       that   the   Government,   in   a   welfare   State,   is   in



       a   position   of   distributing   largesse   in   a   large



       measure   and   in   doing   so   the   Government   cannot



       act   at   its   pleasure.   This   court   perusing     the





                                  1


       new   jurisprudential   theory   of   Professor   Reich



       in   his   article   on   the  "The   New   Property"  (73



       Yale   Law   Journal   733)   accepted   the   following



       dictum contained therein:





       "The      government   action               be   based               on

       standards   that   are   not   arbitrary   and

       unauthorized."





26.    This   court   explained   the   purport   of   the



       aforesaid formulation by holding:





       "The government cannot be permitted to say

       that   it   will   give   jobs   or   enter   into

       contracts or issue quotas or licenses only

       in   favour   of   those   having   grey   hair   or

       belonging   to   a   particular   political   party

       or   professing   a   particular   religious

       faith.      The   government               is   still                the

       government   when   it   acts   in   the   matter   of

       granting   largesse   and   it   cannot   act

       arbitrarily. It does not stand in the same

       position as a private individual."

                   (Para 11, page 505 of the report)





27.    The aforesaid dictum in  Ramana  (supra) is still



       followed         by      this         court      as         the      correct



       exposition   of   law   and   has   been   subsequently



                                        1


       followed   in   many   other   decisions.   In         M/s



       Kasturi Lal Lakshmi Reddy v. State of Jammu and



       Kashmir   &   Another  reported   in   1980   (4)   SCC   1,



       another   three-Judge   Bench   relied   on   the   dictum



       in     Ramana     (supra)   and   held   whenever   any



       governmental   action   fails   to   satisfy   the   test



       of   reasonableness   and   public   interest,   it   is



       liable to be struck down as invalid. This court



       held   that   a   necessary   corollary   of   this



       proposition   is   that   the   Government   cannot   act



       in   a   manner   which   would   benefit   a   private



       party.   Such   an   action   will   be   contrary   to



       public   interest.   (See   para   14,   p.   13   of   the



       report)





28.    The   setting   up   of   a   private   school   may   have



       some   elements   of   public   interest   in   it   but



       Constitution   Bench   of   this   court   has   held   in



       T.M.A.   Pai   Foundation   &   Ors.      v.     State   of



       Karnataka   &   Others  reported   in   2002   (8)   SCC



       481,   that  the   right  of   a  citizen,   which  is   not





                                 1


       claiming   minority   rights   to   set   up   a   private



       educational         institution            is         part         of         its



       fundamental   right   to   carry   on   an   occupation



       under Article 19(1)(g). Such enterprise may not



       be   a   totally   business   enterprise   but   profit



       motive cannot be ruled out.





29.    In   view   of   the   aforesaid   legal   principle,   the



       question   is   whether   the   impugned   order   of   the



       Government          vide         allotment            letter             dated



       17.2.2009   allotting   a   plot   of   63.04   kathas   of



       land   in   a   prime   area   in   Salt   Lake   City   is   an



       allotment   which   is   different   than   the   previous



       allotment   of   50   kathas   which   was   made   to   the



       allottee in Plot No. BF-158.





30.    The   answer   is   obvious   from   the   admitted   facts



       of   the   case.     Even   the   allottee   in   his   letter



       dated   19.1.2009   praying   for   such   allotment,



       made   it   clear   that   he   was   applying   for   a   plot



       of   bigger   area   after   surrendering   the   previous





                                        1


plot.   The   sequence   suggested   in   the   allottee's



letter   is   that   he   would   surrender   the   already



allotted   land  and   at  the   same  time   apply  for   a



plot   of   bigger   area.   Therefore,   the   request   of



the   allottee   is   to   give   another   plot   of   land.



Pursuant   to   such   request   of   the   allottee,



another   plot   of   land   was   allotted   to   him   with



exemplary   speed   by   the   Government,   within   a



month,   if   we   go   by   the   normal   pace   in



governmental transactions. The request was made



by   the   allottee   for   a   bigger   plot   of   land   on



19.1.2009   to   Mr.   Ashok   Bhattacharya,   Minister



of   Urban   Development   and   Municipal   Affairs   and



from   the   said   department   a   communication   was



sent   to   the   allottee   on   17.2.2009,   to   the



effect   that   after   considering   the   request   of



the   allottee,   the   Government   was   pleased   to



cancel   its   previous   order   of   allotment   and   in



lieu   thereof   was   allotting   a   new   plot   of   land



being   no.   CA-222   measuring   62   kathas   (which   is



actually 63.04 kathas).





                           1


31.    Admittedly,   no   advertisement   was   issued   and   no



       offer   was   sought   to   be   obtained   from   the



       members   of   the   public   in   respect   of   the   new



       allotment of a much bigger plot. In view of the



       principles   laid   down   by   this   court,   the



       impugned   allotment   is   clearly   in   breach   of   the



       principles   of   Article   14   explained   by   this



       court   in  Ramana  (supra),  Kasturi   Lal  (supra)



       and other subsequent cases.





32.    This   court   cannot   persuade   itself   to   hold   that



       this   allotment   is   in   exercise   of   the   right   of



       the Government in the first advertisement dated



       5.11.2006,   where   the   Government   reserved   its



       right   to   change   the   location   of   the   land.   The



       second   allotment   is   not   only   about   a   change   in



       the   location   of   the   land,   but   the   subsequent



       allotment   is   also   of   a   much   larger   plot   of



       land,   brought   about   in   terms   of   the   request   of



       the   allottee   for   a   bigger   plot.   The   subsequent





                                  1


       change   was   not   brought   about   by   the   Government



       in   its   own   discretion,   assuming   but   not



       admitting   that   the   Government   could   exercise



       its   discretion   in   such   a   fashion   but   was   in



       response to a written request of the allottee.





33.    The   Government   was   so   anxious   to   oblige   the



       allottee by giving bigger plot that too with no



       loss   of   time,   the   said   allotment   was   made   by



       the   Government   admittedly   without   verifying



       whether   the   allottee   had   surrendered   the



       previous   plot   allotted   to   him.   From   the   facts



       which   have   been   disclosed   here,   it   is   clear



       that   such   surrender   took   place   much   later   on



       17.12.2009, when the allottee sent a forwarding



       letter   the   registered   deed   of   surrender   in



       respect   of   the   previous   plot   no.   BF-158.   The



       letter   of   the   allottee   dated   16.12.2009   would



       show the following:





       "Though   I   have   executed   the   Deed   of

       Surrender   and   made   over   the   same   to   you



                                 2


       but   the   formality   of   having   the   same

       registered   could   not   be   completed   by   me

       due   to   oversight   which   was   mainly   because

       of my busy schedule and constant travel. I

       understand   that   the   said   Deed   cannot   be

       registered   now   for   lapse   of   time   unless

       extended by the State.



       I   shall   be   highly   grateful   if   you   could

       kindly   arrange   to   have   the   said   period

       extended   or   allow   me   to   register   a   fresh

       deed of surrender at the earliest."





34.    It   is,   therefore,   clear   that   the   Government



       made   allotment   of   the   new   plot   to   the   allottee



       on terms which were even more generous than the



       ones   suggested   by   the   allottee   in   his   letter



       dated   19.1.2009.   Such   action   of   the   Government



       definitely   smacks   of   arbitrariness   and   falls



       foul of Article 14.





35.    This   factual   aspect   of   the   matter   discussed   in



       detail under the second ground of challenge was



       not   disputed   before   us   by   either   the   learned



       counsel   for   the   Government   or   the   learned



       counsel for the allottee.





                                  2


36.    On   the   third   ground   of   challenge   about



       compliance   with   ICSE   norms,   we   find   that   the



       ICSE   norms   were   in   place   as   early   as   28.4.2006



       and   those   norms   have   been   disclosed   by   the



       counter-affidavit   filed   by   the   allottee   before



       this   court   in   the   SLP   filed   by   C.A.   Block



       Citizens'   Association.   Therefore,   much   before



       the   application   was   made   by   the   allottee   on



       17.11.2006,   those   norms   were   available   on



       record.   Even   then   he   applied   for   a   plot   of   50



       kathas   of   land   in   terms   of   the   advertisement



       dated 5.11.2006 issued by the State Government.





37.    On the fourth ground of challenge, we find that



       according   to   clause   2   of   the   ICSE   norms,   the



       school         should         be         run         by         a         Registered



       Society/Trust   or   a   Company   (under   section



       25(1)(a)   of   the   Companies   Act,   1986)   for



       educational   purposes.   It   must   not   be   run   for



       profit.





                                           2


38.    The   constitution   of   the   Society/Trust/Company



       running   the   school   should   be   such   that   it   does



       not   vest   control   in   a   single   individual   or



       members of the same family.





39.    But   in   the   instant   case,   a   Society   which   has



       been registered for running the proposed school



       under   the   name   of   'Ganguly   Education   and



       Welfare   Society'   consists   of   the   following



       members:





       a.    Sourav Ganguly




       b.    Dona Ganguly




       c.    Snehasish Ganguly




       d.    Chandidas Ganguly




       e.    Nirupa Ganguly




       f.    Arup Chatterjee




       g.    Deepak Kumar Mitra





                                   2


40.    Of   these   names,   the   first   5   are   all   in   the



       family   and   stay   in   the   same   address   at   2-6,



       Biren   Roy   Road   (E),   Barisha,   Kolkata.   Mr.   Arup



       Chatterjee   is   also   a   relation   of   the   family



       staying   in   Brahma   Samaj   Road   and   only   Mr.



       Deepak   Kumar   Mitra,   the   Chartered   Accountant,



       is   outside   the   family.   Therefore,   constitution



       of   such   a   Trust   to   run   the   school   is   clearly



       against the ICSE norms.





41.    It   is   thus   clear   that   the   allottee   is



       selectively   seeking   compliance   of   the   ICSE



       norms only in asking for a bigger plot.   In so



       far   as   other   norms   are   concerned,   they   are



       clearly   flouted   as   seen   in   the   constitution   of



       the   Trust  set   up  to   run  the   school.  Hence,   the



       argument   on   behalf   of   the   appellant   that   the



       plea   of   the   allottee   to   ask   for   a   bigger   plot



       in the name of complying with ICSE norms is not



       a   bona   fide   plea   is   of   some   substance.   The



       learned   counsel   for   the   allottee   has   not   been





                                  2


able   to   meet   the   said   argument   as   to   how   the



ICSE   norms   are   complied   with   if   the   school   is



to   be   run   by   such   a   Trust,   which   consists   of



members of the family and this court finds that



there is a lot of substance in this argument of



the   appellants.   This   point   was   also   urged



before   the   High   Court   but   unfortunately   the



High   Court   brushed   aside   this   objection,   if   we



may   say   so   with   respect,   by   a   very   strange



logic by observing:





"We   are   not   required   to   consider   this

aspect   of   the   matter   because   it   will   be

for   the   governing   body   of   the   ICSE   to

examine   the   application   which   may   be   made

for   recognition/affiliation   of   the   school

which   is   yet   to   be   established   and

construction   yet   to   be   made.   As   and   when

any   application   will   be   made   for   such

recognition/affiliation,                              the         concerned

authority/body                  will                  consider               the

application   and   it   is   not   for   this   court

to   speculate   at   this   stage   as   to   what

would         be         the         composition                  of         the

organization/body/                     society            which           will

apply         to         Council                 for         ICSE            for

recognition/affiliation   of   the   integrated

school."





                                       2


42.    This   Court   is   of   the   view   that   a   challenge   to



       the   legality   of   an   order   of   allotment   of   land



       by   the   Government   must   be   decided   by   the   Court



       on   the   basis   of   material   available   when   the



       High Court is examining the challenge. The High



       Court cannot refuse to examine the challenge on



       the   basis   of   what   may   happen   in   future.   By



       doing   so,   High   Court   refused   to   exercise   a



       jurisdiction which is vested in it.





43.    In   connection   with   the   fifth   ground   of



       challenge,   a   map   was   produced   before   us   by   the



       learned   counsel   for   the   appellant,   which   is   a



       working map in the absence of a master plan for



       sector-I   of   Salt   Lake   area,   dated   2.9.2004.   In



       that   map,   the   plot   CA-222   is   marked   as   one



       meant for a college yet the same has been given



       to   the   allottee   for   establishing   an   ICSE



       school.   The   learned   counsel   for   the   appellant



       submits   that   such   allotment   is   clearly   in



       violation   of   the   aforesaid   plan.   The   learned





                                  2


       counsel   for   the   State   has   not   been   able   to



       refute         the         aforesaid         contention         of         the



       appellant.





44.    However,   it   has   been   repeatedly   urged,   both   by



       the learned counsel for the State and also that



       of   the   allottee   that   both   the   State   Government



       and   the   allottee   had   bona   fide   intentions   of



       establishing   a   school.   Therefore,   the   court   in



       public   interest   should   uphold   allotment   and



       allow   the   school   to   be   set   up   and   should



       refrain from interfering in public interest.





45.    This   court   is   unable   to   accept   the   aforesaid



       contention.





46.    It is axiomatic that in order to achieve a bona



       fide   end,   the   means   must   also   justify   the   end.



       This   court   is   of   the   opinion   that   bona   fide



       ends   cannot   be   achieved   by   questionable   means,



       specially   when   the   State   is   involved.   This





                                        2


court   has  not   been  able   to  get   any  answer   from



the   State   why   on   a   request   by   the   allottee   to



the Hon'ble Minister for Urban Development, the



Government          granted              the         allotment         with



remarkable   speed   and   without   considering   all



aspects of the matter. This court does not find



any legitimacy in the action of the Government,



which   has   to   act   within   the   discipline   of   the



constitutional   law,   explained   by   this   Court   in



a   catena   of   cases.     We   are   sorry   to   hold   that



in   making   the   impugned   allotment   in   favour   of



the allottee, in the facts and circumstances of



the case, the State has failed to discharge its



constitutional   role.                     Recently   this   Court



relying   on  Ramana  (supra),  Kasturi   Lal  (supra)



and various other judgments summed up the legal



position   in  Akhil   Bharatiya   Upbhokta   Congress



v.  State   of   Madhya   Pradesh   and   others  reported



in   JT   2011   (4)   SC   311.     The   relevant   extracts



from   paragraph   31   (page   336   of   the   report)   are



excerpted below:-





                               2


       "...Every   action/decision   of   the   State

       and/or   its   agencies/instrumentalities   to

       give   largesse   or   confer   benefit   must   be

       founded           on         a          sound,            transparent,

       discernible   and   well   defined   policy,

       which   shall   be   made   known   to   the   public

       by   publication   in   the   Official   Gazette

       and   other   recognized   modes   of   publicity

       and          such                      policy             must           be

       implemented/executed   by   adopting   a   non-

       discriminatory   or   non-arbitrary   method

       irrespective  of  the  class  or  category  of

       persons   proposed   to   be   benefited   by   the

       policy.     The   distribution   of   largesse

       like   allotment   of   land,   grant   of   quota,

       permit licence etc. by the State and its

       agencies/instrumentalities   should   always

       be   done   in   a   fair   and   equitable   manner

       and   the   element   of   favouritism   or

       nepotism shall not influence the exercise

       of discretion, if any, conferred upon the

       particular   functionary   or   officer   of   the

       State."





47.    The   Division   Bench   of   the   High   Court,   with



       respect,   fell   into   an   error   by   holding   that   by



       allotting              plot            no.         CA-222         without         open



       advertisement   and   public   offer   the   Government



       action is not illegal or arbitrary.



48.    In   coming   to   the   said   conclusion,   the   Division



       Bench   relied   on   two   decisions   of   the   Supreme



       Court   rendered   in   the   cases   of                            Sachidanand



       Pandey   &   another  v.  State   of   West   Bengal   &



       others reported in (1987) 2 SCC 295 and Kasturi



       Lal     (supra).   This   Court   however   finds   that





                                                2


       those   two   cases   stand   on   completely   different



       footing.





49.    First   of   all,   in   the   instant   case,   the



       Government   initially   issued   advertisement   for



       allotment   of   land   for   setting   up   of   a   school



       and         to         which         the             allottee          responded.



       Thereafter,   a   Committee   considered   all   the



       applications   and   decided   to   allot   the   land   in



       favour   of   the   allottee.   The   matter   rested



       there.   Then   came   the   letter   of   the   allottee



       dated   19.1.2009,   which   has   been   set   out   above.



       It   is   very   surprising   that   the   Division   Bench



       of Calcutta High Court, in paragraph 5 (page 6)



       and   paragraph   21   (page   18)   of   the   impugned



       judgment,   recorded   a   finding   that   the   allottee



       was   informed   by   ICSE   that   for   obtaining



       affiliation                 for                integrated              educational



       institution,   land   should   not   be   less   than   60



       kathas.   This   court   fails   to   understand   the



       basis   on   which   the   Division   Bench   came   to   such





                                                 3


       a conclusion.  The letter of the allottee dated



       19.1.2009   does   not   even   whisper   that   he   was



       informed   of   any   objection   by   ICSE.   The   letter



       proceeds   on   a   totally   different   basis.   The



       letter   states   that   after   going   through   the



       norms   of   ICSE,   it   was   the   allottee's   own



       understanding   that   a   plot   of   more   than   60



       kathas   is   necessary   to   take   the   school   project



       forward.   Therefore,   the   High   Court's   recording



       of   fact,   that   the   allottee   was   `informed'   by



       the ICSE of any objection, is not substantiated



       by   any   material   on   record.   This   is   a   grave



       error on the part of the High Court.





50.    Apart   from   that,   once   the   Government   has



       initiated   the   process   of   advertisement,   it



       cannot   jettison   the   same   and   allot   a   new   plot



       to the allottee without any advertisement. This



       action of the Government is certainly arbitrary



       and violates the principles of Article 14.





                                 3


51.    Neither   in  Sachidanand   Pandey  (supra)   nor   in



Kasturi   Lal  (supra),  any   process   of   advertisement



was   ever   initiated.   In  Sachidanand   Pandey  (supra),



the   main   questions   raised   were   issues   of   ecology



and environment. In that case, the court dealt with



the         question           of          issuing              public                    auction            by



explaining that there were direct negotiations with



those   who   came   forward   to   set   up   five   star   hotels,



to   promote   the   tourism   industry   in   the   State.



Detailed            considerations                        at               different                  levels



proceeded for a very long time before the Taj group



of   hotels,   with   sufficient   experience   in   the   hotel



industry,   was   selected.   In   the   instant   case,   the



allottee may be a well-known sportsman but does not



claim any expertise as an educationist. Here within



a   month   of   the   application   made   by   the   allottee,



the   allotment   was   made   in   a   hot   haste   and   without



disclosure               by         the         State                     of         any         detailed



consideration.   Thus,   the   present   case   stand   poles



apart from the facts in Sachidanand Pandey (supra).





                                                3


52.    In  Kasturi   Lal  (supra)   also,   the   Government's



policy   was   to   set   up   industries   in   Jammu   and



Kashmir,   which   was   not   industrially   developed   and



thus   entrepreneurs,   within   the   State,   were   offered



encouraging                terms            for              setting               up         industry.



Therefore,   in   such   a   situation   the   State   took   a



policy decision not to invite a tender or go in for



advertisement   for   inviting   industrialists   from



outside   the   State.   It   may   be   noted   that   at   no



stage, advertisement was thought of by the State in



Kasturi Lal (supra).





53.    In   the   instant   case,   the   impugned   allotment   of



a   different   and   bigger   plot   by   the   government   in



favour   of   the   allottee   without   any   advertisement,



when   initially   advertisement   was   resorted   to,   and



then   it   was   given   up   and   everything   was   rushed



through         in         hot         haste,                     is         unreasonable              and



arbitrary,   and   the   High   Court   was   wrong   in



upholding the same.





                                                   3


54.    Before   I   conclude,   I   make   it   clear   that   I   am



aware   that   the   allottee   is   a   cricketer   of   great



repute   and   has   led   this   country   to   victory   in   many



tournaments,   both   in   India   and   abroad.   I   have



watched him on the television on many occasions and



was   delighted   to   see   his   glorious   cover   drives   and



effortlessly   lofted   shots   over   the   fence.   But   as   a



Judge, I have different duties to discharge. Here I



must   be   objective   and   eschew   my   likes   and   dislikes



and render justice to a cause which has come before



the Court.





55.    For         the         reasons                aforesaid,the               order         of



allotment   of   plot   no.   CA-222,   Sector-V,   Salt   Lake



(Bidhannagar),Kolkata   made   in   favour   of   Mr.Sourav



Ganguly,the   allottee,is   quashed.   In   consequence



thereof,   the   lease   deed   dated   1.4.09,   pursuant   to



such   allotment   stands   quashed.   The   allottee   must,



within   two   weeks   from   date,   handover   the   peaceful



and   vacant   possession   of   plot   No.   CA-222   measuring



63.04         Kathas           in         Sector-V,             Salt         Lake          City





                                                 3


(Bidhannagar),   Kolkata   to   the   concerned   department



of         the         State         Government.         Within         two         weeks



thereafter   the   State   Government   must   refund   to   the



allottee, by a Cheque, the entire money paid by him



for such allotment.





56.  The appeals are allowed.  The order of the High



Court is  set aside.





57. No order as to costs.





                                            .......................J.

                                            (G.S. SINGHVI)





                                            .......................J.

New Delhi                                   (ASOK KUMAR GANGULY)

May 26, 2011





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