RAM CHANDRA KAILASH KUMAR AND COMPANY DINA NATH NARENDRA KUMAR AGARWAL KISHAN LAL SATYA PRAKASH AND GO GOKUL CHAND PHOOL GHAND SHRI SHIV SHANKER SARRAF BHAGWAN DAS RAVI KANT Vs. STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Uttar Pradesh Krishi Utpadan Mandi Adhiniyam, 1964 being U. P. Act XXV of 1964, hereinafter called the Act, was passed in that year. It led to the establishment of Market Areas, Principal Market Yards and Sub-Market Yards etc. and the levying of the fee in relation to transaction of certain commodities in the State of Uttar Pradesh. Various Market Committees were formed known as Mandi Samitis. In order to give effect to the working of the Act. The Uttar Pradesh Krishi Utpadan Mandi Niyamavali, 1965, hereinafter called the Rules, were made by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. The Act has been amended several times. But we were distressed to find that the Rules were not accordingly amended as and when required to make them up-to-date in accordance with the amended Act. Various traders carrying on business in the State of Uttar Pradesh within the jurisdiction of several Market Committees challenged the levy of fee in the High Court of Allahabad from time to time. There were several rounds of litigation in which they, by and large, failed. Finally many Writ Petitions were dismissed by the High Court by its judgment dated September 21, 1978 on which date many writ petitions were also dismissed in limine. Civil Appeal 1841 of 1978 and about 103 more appeals are from the said judgment and order of the High Court. Immediately preceding the said judgment a longer and more elaborate judgment had been delivered by the High Court on April 29, 1977, Civil Appeal 871 of 1978 and Civil Appeal 1636 of 1979 are from the said judgment. Along with these 106 appeals, two Writ Petitions were also heard being Writ Petition No. 257 of 1979 and Writ Petition No. 600 of 1979. Thus in all 108 matters have been heard together and are being disposed of by this judgment.

(2.) At the outset it may be mentioned that because of the litigations cropping up from time to time between the traders and the Market Committees the working of the Committees had not successfully proceeded so far, as, fees levied from time to time could not be realised in full. Sometimes illegal or unauthorised collections seem to have been made. Money justifiably realised also does not seem to have been fully utilised as it ought to have been done. In order to enable the Market Committees in their attempt to implement the law as far as possible and to save their attempt from being thwarted by any unnecessary litigation were allowed the parties to advance a full throated argument in this Court including some of the points which were not argued in the High Court or in support of which foundations of fact were lacking. In this judgment our endeavour will be to formulate the points of law and decide them as far as practicable so that in future the business of the Market Committees may be conducted in the light of this judgment leaving no scope for unnecessary litigation. Of course even in our judgment at places it would be indicated, and even apart from that, some genuine and factual disputes may crop up which in the first instance may be decided by the Market Committees, preferably a Board constituted by a particular Committee for deciding such disputes and then, if necessary, by the High Court. We do hope that no further time will be lost by the State Government in amending the Rules and making them up-to-date to fit in with the latest amendments in the Act.

(3.) The long title of the Act indicates that it is an Act "to provide for the regulation of sale and purchase of agricultural produce and for the establishment, superintendence, and control of markets therefore in Uttar Pradesh." From the Objects and Reasons of the enactment it would appear that this Act was passed for the development of new market areas and for efficient data, collection and processing of arrivals in the Mandis to enable the World Bank to give a substantial help for the establishment of various markets in the States of Uttar Pradesh. In other States the Act is mainly meant to protect an agriculturist producer from being exploited when he comes to the Mandis for selling his agricultural produce. As pointed out by the High Court certain other transactions also have been roped in in the levy of the fee, in which both sides are traders and neither side is an agriculturist. This has been done for the effective implementation of the scheme of establishment of markets mainly for the benefit of the producers. But as pointed out recently by a Constitution Bench of this Court in the case of Kewal Krishan Puri v. State of Punjab. (1979) 3 SCR 1217 the fee realised from the payer of the fee has, by and large, to be spent for his special benefit and for the benefit of other persons connected with the transactions of purchase and sale in the various Mandis. The earlier cases on the point of fee have been elaborately reviewed in that judgment and certain principles have been called out which will be adverted to hereinafter. While deciding the question of quid pro quo in relation to the impugned fees the High Court had not the advantage of the judgment of this Court. In that regard this judgment is a settler on the point and we hope that the authorities and all other concerned in the matter will be guided by and follow the said decision in the matter of levy and utilisation of the market fee collected.