(1.) This bunch of writ petitions challenges the validity of S.11A of the U.P. Agricultural Credit Act, 1973 (U.P.Act No. 19of 1973), hereinafter referred to as 'the Act' which provides for recovery of loans advanced by a Bank to an agriculturist by way of financial assistance. Common questions of law are since involved in these cases, we propose to take the writ petitions Nos. 9545 of 1984,Trijugi Narain Tewari and others v. Gorakhpur Kshetriya Gramin Bank and another, and No. 5588 of 1984, Kashmira Singh v. State of U. P. and others, as leading cases. It would suffice to mention the facts of only one of them.
(2.) Trijugi Narain Tewari and others took a loan of Rs. 40,000/- from Gorakhpur Kshetriya Gramin Bank for purchasing a tractor, on May, 2,1980, The petitioners were required to deposit the entire amount in six monthly instalments. The payment of the last instalment had to be made by December. 1985. Each instalment was of Rs.4000/-. Out of this, Rs. 13,400/- was paid. Under R. 27 of U.P. Agricultural Credit Rules, 1975 (hereinafter referred to as the Rules), a recovery certificate was issued for the recovery of a sum of Rs.50,559.80 paise. This certificate was issued in Form "F" under S.11A of the Act. Before issuing the recovery certificate, no other mode of recovery was resorted to.
(3.) Chapter 4 deals with recovery of dues by Banks. The relevant sections of this Chapter which provide for the same are Ss.10A, 10B, 11 and 11A. The main thrust of the argument of the petitioner was that out of these four sections, the procedure of recovering the loan by sending a recovery certificate to the Collector under S.11A was more harsh and in the absence of any guide line as to when should the procedure of recovery under S.11A be resorted to, the same is violative of Art.14 of the Constitution.