RAVEENDRAN and PRIYA RAVEENDRAN v STATE OF KERALA AND OTHERS

## **IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM** ## **PRESENT** ## **THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE N.NAGARESH** **THURSDAY, THE 15[TH] DAY OF JUNE 2023 / 25TH JYAISHTA, 1945** ## **WP(C) NO. 19454 OF 2023** ## **PETITIONERS:** - **1 RAVEENDRAN, AGED 48 YEARS, S/O.SIVARAMAN, ADWAITH NIVAS, NAYARANGADI, ANJUMOORTHY MANGALAM, VADAKKENCHERRY, PALAKKAD, PIN – 678682.** - **2 PRIYA RAVEENDRAN AGED 37 YEARS, W/O.RAVEENDRAN, ADWAITH NIVAS, NAYARANGADI, ANJUMOORTHY MANGALAM, VADAKKENCHERRY, PALAKKAD, PIN – 678682.** ## **BY ADV V.A.JOHNSON (VARIKKAPPALLIL)** ## **RESPONDENTS:** - **1 STATE OF KERALA REPRESENTED BY SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, THIRUVANATHAPPURAM – 695001.** - **2 THE DISTRICT COLLECTOR CIVIL STATION, PALAKKAD – 678001.** - **3 REVENUE DIVISIONAL OFFICER, CIVIL STATION, PALAKKAD – 678001.** - **4 THE VILLAGE OFFICER VADAKKENCHERRY-I VILLAGE, ALATHUR TALUK, PALAKKAD – 678683.** ## **ADV.AMMINIKUTTY-GOVERNMENT PLEADER** **THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 15.06.2023, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:** **W.P.(C) No.19454 of 2023** 2 ## **J U D G M E N T** Dated this the 15[th] day of June, 2023 The prayer in this writ petition is for consideration of the application submitted by the petitioners under Section 27A of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008 (for short, 'the 2008 Act') without insisting on payment of fees. 2. It is submitted that the petitioners are owners in possession of the property. The extent of property held by them is below 25 cents. The property was purchased from the prior owner and the extent of the property was identical. It is, therefore, contended that since the extent of the property as on 30.12.2017 was below 25 cents, the petitioners are entitled to consideration of their Form-6 applications, without payment of any fee as provided 3 **W.P.(C) No.19454 of 2023** in Section 27A of the 2008 Act and Rule 12(9) and the Schedule to the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Rules, 2008. It is alleged by the petitioners that the respondents are refusing to consider the application on the ground that the properties were purchased on a later date and therefore, the fees have to be paid. 3. A statement has been placed on record by the 3[rd] respondent in W.P.(C) No.4450/2023 contending that the exemption from payment of fee for the conversion of the property is provided only to specific extents of property which are below 25 cents each. Since the petitioners had purchased the properties after 2017, they are not entitled to the exemption. Even if properties having a lesser extent is purchased after 2017, the benefit of conversion without fee will be lost. 4. Having considered the contentions advanced on either side, I notice that Section 27A of the 2008 Act provides for **W.P.(C) No.19454 of 2023** 4 application seeking permission for use of unnotified land for other purposes. It is specified that land below an extent of 25 cents can be converted without payment of fees. The provision with regard to payment of fees is provided in Rule 12(9), which reads as follows :- ## **12. 27 എ വക�പ� (2) ഉപവക�പ� പപക�ര� വ�ജ�പന� ച�യചപട�ത ഭ�മ�യ�ചട സ�ഭ�വവ�ത�യ�ന� :- അന�വദ�ക�നത�ന�ള നടപട�പകമ�** (9) വ�ജ�പന� ച�യച�ട�ത ഭ�മ�യ�ചട സ�ഭ�വ വ�ത�യ�ന� അന�വദ�ക�ന അപപകകള�ൽ, �ടങൾക$ അന�ബനമ�യ�ള പട�കയ�ൽ വ�കമ�ക�യ�ട�ള ന�രക�ല�ള ത�കയ$ക$ ഡ�മ�ൻറ$ ഡഡ�ഫ$ പ0� അച1ങ�ൽ ഇലക$പഡട�ണ�ക$ ഡട�ൻസ$ ഫർ മ�പ6ന ഡപസ8�ത ത�ക ഫണ�പലക$ അടചത�ന$ചറ ചതള�പവ� ഹ�ജര�ക�നത�പ=ൽ, അഡപക�ര� അന�മത� നൽകച�ട ഭ�മ�യ�ചട വ�സ8>ർണ�, സർച@ നമർ, അപപകകൻ ജലസ�രകണ നടപട�കൾ സ�>കര�പകണ ഭ�മ�യ�ചട സർപ@ നമറ�� വ�സ8>ർണവ�� എന�വ വ�കമ�ക�ചക�ണ�� ജലസ�രകണ നടപട�കൾ വ�ശദമ�ക�ചക�ണ�� റവന�� ഡ�വ�ഷണൽ ഓഫ>സർ ഉതരവ$ പ�റച�ട�വ�പകണത�� ഉതരവ�പന�ചട��� പമൽ പറഞ വ�ശദ��ശങൾ സ�����ച� ചക�ണ�ള ഡപസ8�ത . ഭ�മ�യ�ചട ഒര� സ$ചകച$ ഉണ�യ�ര�പകണത�മ�ണ� **W.P.(C) No.19454 of 2023** 5 ## The provision with regard to fee in the Schedule is as follows: ## **"2008-ച# കകരള ചനൽ വയൽ - തണ(ർതട സ�രകണ �ടങൾ വ�ജ�പന� ച�യചപട�ത ഭ�മ�യ�ചട സ�ഭ�വ വ�ത�യ�ന� അന�വദ�ക�നത�ന� അടകകണ ഫ(സ�** |ഡകമ<br>നമർ|വ�സ>ർണ�<br>(ആർ)|ഫ>സ�യ� അടപകണ ഭ�മ�യ�ചട<br>ശതമ�ന�(%)|ഫ>സ�യ� അടപകണ ഭ�മ�യ�ചട<br>ശതമ�ന�(%)|ന��യവ�ലയ�ചട| |---|---|---|---|---| |||പഞ�യത|മ�ന�സ���ല�0�|പക�ർപപറഷൻ| |1|20.23വചര|10|20|30| |2|20.23മ�തൽ<br>40.47വചര|20|30|40| |3|40.47ന�<br>മ�കള�ൽ|30|40|50| - ക�റ��$ :- (1) അഡപക�ര� സ�ഭ�വ വ�ത�യ�ന� വര�ത�ൻ ഉപKശ�ക�ന ഭ�മ�യ�ൽ ന�ർമ�ക�ൻ ഉപKശ�ക�ന ചകട�ടത�ന$ചറ തറ വ�സ8>ർണ� 3000 �ത�രഡശ അട�യ�ൽ ക�ട�തൽ ആചണങ�ൽ അഡപക�ര� അധ�കമ�യ� വര�ന ഓപര� �ത�രഡശ അട�ക�� 100 ര�പ ന�രക�ല�ള ഫ>സ$ - ക�റ��$ :- (2) 4.04 ആർ ഭ�മ�യ�ൽ 120 �ത�രഡശമ>0ർ വചര വ�സ8Nത�യ�ള വ>ട$ ന�ർമ�ക�നത�പന�, പ�നർന�ർമ�ക�നത�പന� വ�പ�ല>കര�ക� നത�പന� 202 ആർ ഭ�മ�യ�ൽ 40 �ത�രഡശമ>0ർ വ�സ8Nത�യ�ള വ�ണ�ജ� ചകട�ട� ന�ർമ�ക�നത�പന�, പ�നർന�ർമ�ക�നത�പന� വ�പ�ല>കര�ക�നത�പന� . - യ�ചത�ര� ഫ>സ�� നൽപകണത�1 ## 5. A Government Order dated 25.02.2021 produced by the Government Pleader also specifically states as follows: 6 **W.P.(C) No.19454 of 2023** “(2) 30.12.2017 വചര ഒന�യ�ക�ടന ഭ�മ�, അത�ന�പശഷ� ത�ര��$ 25 ചസന$പറ� അത�ന� ത�ചOപയ� വ�സ$ ത>ർണമ�ള പP�ട�കള�ക�യ�ട�ചണങ�ൽ , അവയ$ക$ പമൽഡപക�രമ�ള സQജന�� ബ�ധകമ1. ഒന�യ� കണക�ക�യ�ണ$ ഫ>സ$ ഈട�പകണത$ .” Reliance is sought to be placed by the Government Pleader on a communication dated 07.05.2022 and Circular dated 23.07.2021. 6. It is pertinent to note that the Circular dated 23.07.2021 has been set aside by this Court in its entirety in the decision reported in **Baby v. District Collector** [2021 (6) KLT 316]. With regard to the clarification which is relied on by the Government Pleader, I notice that the clarifications are not in the form of either a Circular or a Government Order and they are only communications issued by individual officers apparently to queries raised with regard to the applicability of the exemption. Since the said communications are not orders issued by the Government, I am clearly of the opinion that they cannot have any applicability or operation over and above the statutory provisions or the executive 7 ## **W.P.(C) No.19454 of 2023** Government Orders validly issued on the subject. 7. A reading of the provisions of the Act, the Rules, the Schedule as well Government Order dated 25.02.2021 would make it amply clear that the exemption would be lost only in case there is a transaction after 30.12.2017 by which, a property having a larger extent is fragmented to make the individual parcels of land of an extent of less than 25 cents. The contention that any property purchased after December, 2017 would loss the exemption even when the said property was less than 25 cents in extent even prior to such transaction, cannot be accepted in view of the specific language of the Act, the Rules and the Schedule. In the above view of the matter, I am of the opinion that the contentions raised in the statement are completely untenable. The communications issued, which do not have the force of law, cannot stand in the way of consideration of applications in accordance with law. 8 ## **W.P.(C) No.19454 of 2023** The writ petition is accordingly ordered directing the 3[rd] respondent-Revenue Divisional Officer to pass appropriate orders on the Form-6 applications submitted by the petitioners without insisting on the payment of fee. Appropriate orders shall be passed within a period of two months from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment. Sd/- **N. NAGARESH JUDGE** ams 9 ## **W.P.(C) No.19454 of 2023** ## **APPENDIX OF WP(C) 19454/2023** PETITIONER EXHIBITS **Exhibit P1** **TRUE COPY OF THE SALE DEED NO.1903/I/2019 OF SRO, VADAKKENCHERRY DATED 15.07.2019** **Exhibit P2** **TRUE COPY OF THE ORDER NO.RDOPKD/97/2023J5 DATED 11.01.2023** **Exhibit P3** **TRUE COPY OF THE NOTICE DATED 3/5/2023 ISSUED BY THE 2ND RESPONDENT** **Exhibit P4** **TRUE COPY OF THE DOCUMENT NO. 1836/93 OF SRO, VADAKKENCHERRY DATED 06.09.1993** **Exhibit P5** **TRUE COPY OF THE DOCUMENT NO. 2916/I/2013 OF SRO, VADAKKENCHERRY DATED 20.11.2013** **Exhibit P6** **TRUE COPY OF THE JUDGMENT IN WPC NO. 3538/2023 OF THIS HON'BLE COURT DATED 30.03.2023**