SUBIR BAL Vs. STATE OF WEST BENGAL

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner in the instant writ application is a rate payer in the Bidhannagar Municipality and is also an elected Councillor in Ward No. 3 of the said Municipality.

(2.) The petitioner has by this application, sought to espouse the cause of the rate payers of the Bidhannagar Municipality (Salt Lake City) and challenge the validity of the Notification issued by the Central Valuation Board, West Bengal dated 30th June, 1998 whereby it was communicated to the owners and/or occupiers that a valuation list has been prepared and that the same will become operative with effect from 1st July, 1998. The relevant portion of the impugned Notification is extracted hereinbelow:-

(3.) It is the submission of the petitioner that the valuation has been made arbitrarily and is contrary to law in that flat rate method on per square feet basis per month has been adopted for the purpose of valuation of the land and buildings. Reliance in that behalf has been placed upon a Press Statement made by the Chairman of the Bidhannagar Municipality (Annexure 'G' to the supplementary affidavit affirmed on 3.9.98). It is the submission of the petitioner that the general valuation of land and building has been determined on the basis of 0.50 p. per square feet per month in the case of ordinary house and in case of other kinds of buildings at 0.18 p. per square feet and in case of commercial properties the maximum rate is 1.04 p. per sware feet per month.