MUNICIPAL CORPORATION INDORE Vs. RATNAPRABHA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This appeal by special leave is directed against the judgment of the Madhya Pradesh High Court dated September 26, 1968* setting aside the appellate order of the Second Additional District Judge, Indore, dated October 29, 1966 and remitting the matter to the Municipal Commissioner for a fresh determination of the annual value of the building.

(2.) The building in question is known as "Viram Lodge", on Ravindra Nath Tagore Marg, Indore. It belongs to the respondents and has been used by them as a hotel. The annual gross rental value of the building was determined at Rs. 6600/- in 1956. It was revised by the Assessment Officer on June 3, 1965 and was raised to Rs. 43,405.20. The respondents filed objections to the valuation, but the Municipal Commissioner fixed the annual value of Rs. 43,405.20. He held that, in view of the "non-obstante" clause in Section 138 (b) of the Madhya Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1956, hereinafter referred to as the Act, there was no justification for the argument that the rental value of the premises could not be fixed at a rate higher than the standard rent under Section 7 of the Madhya Pradesh Accommodation Control Act, 1961. An appeal was taken to the Second Additional District Judge, but without success. The respondents then filed an application for revision, which was allowed by the impugned judgment of the High Court dated September 26, 1968. This is how the present appeal has arisen at the instance of the Municipal Corporation and its officers.

(3.) Section 138 of the Act prescribes the mode for determining the annual value of any land or building for purposes of assessing it to property tax. Clause (a) of the section deals with the annual value of land, and it is not the case of the parties that it has any bearing on the controversy. Clause (b) prescribes the mode of determining the annual value of a building and reads as follows:-