Holding

Section 13 only vests the building (and the site only as part of the building) in the pre‑appointed‑day owner, and a ryotwari patta is a revenue settlement, not an adjudication of title; thus civil courts retain jurisdiction and the decree for possession is enforceable.

Summary

The respondent, the original inamdar of a minor inam, sued his tenant (the appellant) for possession of the land. While the suit was pending, the Assistant Settlement Officer, under the Madras Minor Inams (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1963, granted a joint ryotwari patta: a ground‑rent patta for the building to the appellant and a patta for the site to the respondent. The City Civil Court held that the patta made the appellant the owner of the land, barring execution of the decree. The Madras High Court reversed, holding that a ryotwari patta is a revenue settlement, not an adjudication of title. On appeal, the Supreme Court affirmed that Section 13 only vests the building (and the site only insofar as it forms part of the building) in the pre‑appointed‑day owner and does not transfer the land to the building owner, and that the grant of a ryotwari patta does not oust civil courts from determining title. Consequently, the decree for possession can be executed and the appeal is dismissed.

Issues considered

Whether Section 13 of the Madras Minor Inams (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1963 vests the site on which a building stands in the owner of the building.
Whether the grant of a ryotwari patta under the Act amounts to an adjudication of title, thereby ousting the jurisdiction of civil courts.
Whether Sections 43 and 46 of the Act bar civil courts from determining title matters not covered by the Act.

Legislation cited

Tamil Nadu Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1948

Subjects

Minor InamRyotwari settlementSection 13Title adjudicationCivil court jurisdictionLand revenueJoint pattaExecution of decreeLandlord-tenant

Judgment

R.MANICKA NAICKER ETC. A
v.
E. ELUMALAI NAICKER ETC.

APRIL 7, 1995

[S.C. AGRAWAL AND SUJATA V. MANOHAR, JJ.] B

Madras Minor Inams (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act,
1963-Section 13-Effect of-Building owned by the tenant immediately
before the appointed date-i..and owned by the Inamdm-Land does not vest
in the person who owned the building-lnamdar entitled to recover possession C
of land.

Madras Minor Inams (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act
1963-Section 43 and 46-Effect of-Decision of the Tribunal or the Special
Appellate Tribunal binding only in respect of matters covered by the
Act-Jurisdiction of Civil Courts to adjudicate title not ousted. D
On 15.12.1985, the Madras Minor loams (Abolition and conversion
into Ryotwari) Act 1963 came into force and by virtue of the said Act all
Minor loams were abolished and ryotwari pattas were granted to the
persons so entitled under the provisions of the said Act. E

The respondent was the original Inamdar '.n respect of the suit which
were minor Inam lands. The appellant was the tenant of the respondent
and bad constructed a structure on the said land. The respondent filed a
suit for recovery of the land from the appellant on various grounds and
the suit was decreed in favour of the respondent on 31.8.1972. However, F
' while the suit was still pending, the Assistant settlement officer had, by bis
-\.
order dated 29.2.1972, granted a joint patta in favour of the appellant as
well as the respondent under the provisions of the Madras Minor loams
(Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1963. By the aforesaid
order, the Assistant settlement officer granted ground ren~ patta for the G
building in· favour of the appellant and for the site in favour of the
respondent.

The respondent applied for execution of the decree passed in his
favour in the suit for recovery of possession. The said application of the
respondent was dismissed by the City Civil Court on the ground that by H
217
218 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1995] 3 S.C.R.

A order of the Assistant Settlement officer, the appellant bad become the
owner of the land and bis status bad changed and therefore the decree
could not be executed. In revision, the High Court reversed the order of
the city Civil Court holding that grant of a ryotwari patta under the
Madras Minor lnams (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1963
B did not amount to an adjudication on title.

Hence the present appeal.

Dismissing the appeal, this Court

HELD : 1. Section 13 of the Madras Minor lnams (Abolition and
c Conversion into Ryotwari) Act does not vest any property in a person in
whom that property did not vest prior to the appointed day. It merely sets
out that a building shall vest in the person who owned it before the
appointed day. Section 13(2) merely provides that the site on which the
building stands will also be covered by Section 13(1). Hence the site on
D which the building stands will vest in the person who owned it immediately
before the appointed date. The effect of sub·sect~on (2) is not to make a
statutory transfer of the land to the owner of the building where it has not
formerly belonged to him. An inamdar who continues to be in constrnqive
possession of the site even after the notified date wonld be entitled to
E recover possession from ~'s tenant. [223·D, E, G]

Sri Kumarakatta/ai Subrahmanyaswami Devasthanam v. KS. San·
dararajudu Chettiar,, ILR (1975) 1 Mad 501, approved.

2. The grant of ryotwari patta is for the purpose of collection of land
F revenue. By eliminating Minor lnams any intermediaries for the collection
of land revenue are eliminated. In the case of buildings situated within an
loam land, Section 13 of the Madras Minor lnams (Abolition and Conver·
sion into Ryotwari) Act, 1963 provides that the building shall vest in the
person who owned <t immediately before the appointed day but the Govern·
G ment shall be entitled to levy appropriate assessment on it. As the object
of the enquiry by the settlement officer is the grant of a ryotwari patta as
a revenue settlement, the grant of a patta cannot be eqnated with an
adjudication of title to the lands in question. [223-C]

3. In the present case, the patta granted expressly provides that the
H appellant bas been granted a ground rent patta in respect of the building,
R. MANICKANAICKER v. E.E. NAICKER 219
while the patta for the site has been granted to the respondent. Therefore, A
A looking to the nature of the grant of the patta also It cannot be said that by
virtue of the patta, the site on which the building stands has been in any
manner, transferred to the appellant or vests In him. (223-H, 224-A, BJ

4.1 Section 43 of the Madras Minor loam (Abolition and Conversion
Into Ryotwari) Act, 1963 provides that the decision of the Tribunal or the B
special Appellate Tribunal in any proceeding under the said Act shall be
binding on the parties insofar as such matter is in issue between the
parties in a suit for proceeding. The decision of a Tribunal, or the special
Appellate Tribunal is In respect of the grant of ryotwari pattas. It is only
In respect of matters which are covered by the Madras Minor loam C
(Abolition and Conversion Into cyotwari) Act, 1963 that the decision of the
Tribunal or the Special Appellate Tribunal is binding on the parties. There
Is '!O question of ouster of the jurisdiction of the Civil Court in respect of
matters falling within its jurisdiction and which are outside the preview of
the Madras Minor loam (Abolition and Conversion Into Ryotwari) Act.
1963. (224-C to F] D
\ 4.2. Section 46 of the Madras Minor loam (Abolition and Conversion
Into Ryotwari) Act, .1963 also provides for finality only in respect of
decisions of the Tribunal In respect of ·matters which are required, to be
determined by it for the purposes or the said Act. The jurisdiction or Civil E
Court, therefore, to determine tide to the lands In question or to determine
whether the lessor has a right to evict the lessee from the lands in question
is not ousted in any manner by the Madras Minor loam (Abolition and
Conversion) into Ryotwari) Act, 1963. [224•G)

-\ State of tOma Nadu v. Ramalinga Samigal Madam, AIR (1986) SC F
794, relied on.

Vatticherukwu Village Panchayat and Ors. v. Nori Venkatarama Deek-
shithnulu and Ors., (1991) 2 SCR 531, distinguished.

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeals Nos. 111 aod G
112 of 1984 Etc .
.
i From the Judgment aod Order dated 22.10.82 & 1.9.83 of the Madras
High Court in R.C. Misc. P. No.1149/81 & 3483 of 1983.

R. Suodravardao, Chaodrasekar. Paoda, B.Kaota Rao, MA. Krishoa H
2W SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1995] 3 S.C.R.

A Moorthy, K. Ramkumar, A.T.M. Sampath, P.N. Ramalingam and Decpak
M. Nargalkar for the appearing parties.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

MRS. SUJATA V. MAHOBAR, J. Delay in filing special leave peti-
B lions out of which Civil Appeals No. 111 and 112 of 1984 arise, is condoned.

Leave in Special Leave Petition No. 2186 of 1995 is granted.

The land which is the subject matter of dispute in these appeals was
originally Minor lnam Land. Minor Inams were extinguished on and from
C the notified date i.e. 15.2.1965 on the coming into force of the Madras
Minor Inams (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1963
(hereinafter referred to as 'the said Act') On the abolition of Minor Inams,
ryotwari pattas were granted to the persons so entitled under the provisions
of the said Act.

D For the sake of convenience, the facts referred to hereinafter are
those in Civil Appeals Nos.111-112 of 1984. The facts in other appeals are
similar to these facts.

The respondent in all these appeals was the original inamdar in
E respect of the lands in question. The appellant was his tenant. The appel-
lant had constructed a structure on the said land.

The respondent filed a suit being O.S. No. 4421}70 in the City Civil
Court at Madras for recovery of the said land from the appellant on the
ground of non-payment of rent and on other grounds. The suit was decreed
F in favour of the respondent on 31.8.1972. However, during the pendency
of the suit, under the said Act, the Assistant Settlement Officer, after
hearing objections, granted a joint patta on 29.2.1972 in respect of the said
land in the names of the appellant and the respondent. Similar joint pattas
have been granted in the other appeals. The order of the Assistant Settle-
ment Officer itself sta'.es that the ground rent patta is allowed under
G Section 13(1) of the said Act for the building to the "persons noted in
Column 4". The persons noted in Column 3 include the ap;iellants in all
these appeals while the respondent is the person noted in column 4. In I
other words, the ground rent patta for the building is given to the appellant
who constructed the strucfnre and is the owner of it while the patta for the
H site is given to the former inamdar, that is to say, the respondent.
R. MANICKANAICKER v. E.E. NAICKER [SUJATA V. MANOHAR, J.] 221

Against the order of the Assistant Settlement Officer, a revision was A
A preferred before the Commissfoner which was dismissed on 23.11.1974.

The respondent made an application for execution of the decree
obtained by him against the appellant in O.S. No. 4421no by E.P. No.
408n9 in the City Civil Court. The City Civil Court at Madras by its order
B
dated 2nd of January, 1980 held that by reason of the appellant being
granted a joint patta under Section 13(1) of the said Act, he had become
the owner of the property and his status had changed. The Court said that
the grant of a joint patta "nullified" the earlier proceedings and hence the
respondent was not entitled to execute the decree. The respondent
preferred Civil Revision Petition before the High Court of Madras which c
was allowed. The High Court, by its judgment and order dated 22.10.1982
in Civil Revision Petition No. 1149/81 held, after examining a number of
decisions, that the issue of a ryotwari patta under the said act does not
amount to an adjudication on title. Hence a decree duly passed by the Civil
Court adjudicating on the title of the parties before it cannot be nullified
D
by the decisions of the Settlement authorities in the matter of granting a
•'
ryotwari patta. The High Court remitted the matter to the lower court for
)'!.
fresh disposal in the light of its judgment. The present appeals are liled
from the above judgment of the High Court.

The Madras Minor Inarns (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) E
Act, 1963 is an Act to provide for the acquisition of rights of inamdars in
Minor Inams in the State of Madras and for the introduction of ryotwari
settlement in such lnarns. Under Section 3 of the said Act, on and from
the appointed day (and save as otherwise expressly provided in the Act)
--( . Minor Inams shall vest in the Government. The inamdar and any other F
person whose rights stand transferred under the said section or stand
ceased and determined, shall be entitled only to such rights and privileges
as are recognised or conferred on him under the said Act. Section 8 of the
said Act provides for the grant of ryotwari pattas to every person who is
lawfully entitled to the "kudivaram" in Inam !and immediately before the
appointed day whether such person is an inamdar or not. Section 9 G
provides for the grant of ryotwari pattas in cases specified therein. Section
'). 13 provides as follows:

"13 (1) : Every building situated within the limits of an inam land
shall, with effect on and from the appointed day, vest in the person H
222 SUPREMECOURTREPORTS (1995) 3 S.C.R.

A who owned it immediately before that day but the Government
shall be entitled for each fasli year commencing with the fasli year
in which the appointed day falls to levy the appropriate assessment
thereon.

(2) In this section, 'building' inclu<les the site on which it stands
B and any adjacent premises occupied as an appurtenance thereto.'

Section 43 and 46 of the said Act are as follows :

"43(1): The decision of a Tribunal or the Special Appellate
Tribunal in any proceeding under this Act on any matter falling
c within its jurisdiction shall be binding on the parties thereto and
persons claiming under them in any suit or proceeding in a Civil
Court, in so far as such matter is in issue between the parties or
persons aforesaid in such suit or proceeding.

(2) The decision of a Civil Court (Not being the Court of a District
D
Munsif.of a Court of Small Causes) on any matter falling within its
jurisdiction shall be binding on the parties thereto and persons
claiming under them in any proceeding under this Act before a
Tribunal or the Special Appellate Tribunal in so far as such matter
is in issue between the parties or persons aforesaid in such
E proceeding.

'46(1): Any order passed by any officer, the Government or other
authority or any decision of the Tribunal or the Special Appellate
Tribunal under this Act in respect of matters to be detennined for
the purposes of this Act shall, subject only to any appeal or revision
F provided under this Act be final.

(2) No such order or decision shall be liable to be questioned in
any Court of law."

(underlining ours)
G
The purpose of the said Act is introduction of ryotwari settlement in
the place of the rights of inamdars in Minor lnams with the exception of
certain types of public lands set out in Section 10 such as forests, irrigation
channels, lands which are set apart for the common use of the villagers,
H rivers, streams etc. which vest in the Government and in respect of which
R. MANJCKA NAICKER v. E.E. NAICKER [SUJATA V. MANOHAR, J.] 223

no ryotwari patta can be granted. A
~

J. The Assistant Settlement Officer is required under Section 11 to
enquire into the claims of any person to a ryotwari patta in respect of any
Inam land and to decide it. This enquiry has to be conducted by the
Assistant Settlement Officer in the manner set out in Section 11. Under
Section U, every person who becomes entitled to a ryotwari patta is B
required to pay land revenue to the Government as set out therein. The
grant of ryotwari patta is for the purpose of collection of land revenue. By
eliminating Minor Inams any intermediaries for the collection of· land
revenue are eliminated. In the case of buildings situated within an Inam
land, Section 13 provides that the building shall vest in the person who c
owned it immediately before the appointed day but the Government shall
be entitled to levy appropriate assessment on it. As the object of the
enquiry by the Settlement Officer is the grant of a ryotwari patta as a
revenue settlement, the grant of a patta cannot be equated with an ad-
judication of title to the lands in question.
D
The contention of the appellant that by virtue of Section 13, the land
underneath the building also vests in him must be rejected. Section 13 does
\ not vest any property in a· person in whom that property did not vest prior
to the appointed day. It merely sets out that a building shall vest in the
person who owned it immediately before the appointed day. Section 13(2) E
merely provides that the site on which .the building stands will also be
covered by section 13(1). Hence the site on which the building stands will
vest in the person who owned it immediately before the appointed date.

In the case of Sri Kumarakatta/ai Subrahmanyaswami Devasthanam
.r v. KS. Sunderarajulu Chettiar, !LR (1975) 1 Mad., 501, a learned Single F
'· Judge of the Madras High Court considered the provisions of Section 13
of the said Act and held that unless the owner of the building is also the
owner of the site, the site will not vest in the owner. The effect of sub.-
section (2) is not to make a statutory transfer of the land to the owner of
the building where it had not formerly belonged to him. An inamdar who
G
continues to be in constructive possession of the site even after the notified
date would be entitled to recover possession from his tenant. We respect-
'J. fully agree with these findings of the learned Single Judge.

Moreover, in the present case, the patta granted expressly provides
that the appellant has been granted a ground rent patta only in respect of H
224 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1995] 3 S.C.R.

A the building, while the patta for the site has been granted to the respon-
dent. A joint patta seems to have been granted in the names of both the
appellant and the respondent because of the claim of the appellant to the
building and the claim of the respondent to the site on which the building
stands. Therefore, looking to the nature of the grant of the patta also it
B cannot be said that by virtue of the patta, the site on which the building
stands bas been, in any manner, transferred to the appellant or vests in
him. The appellant cannot, therefore, claim that the decree for possession
cannot be executed against him because he has become the owner of the
site.

C It is also not possible to accept the contention of the appellant that
jurisdiction of the Civil Court to determine title to the said land bas been
ousted by the said Act. Section 43 provides that the decision of a Tribunal
or the Special appellate Tribunal in any proceeding under the said Act
shall be binding on the parties insofar as such matter is in issue between
D the parties in a suit or proceeding. The decision of a Tribunal, or the
Special Appellate Tribunal is in respect of the grant of ryotwari pattas. It
is only in respect of matters which are covered by the said Act that the
decision of the Tribunal or the Special Appellate Tribunal is binding on
the parties. Obviously, matters which are not the subject-matter of decision
before such a Tribunal, cannot be considered as final or binding between
E the parties. Sub-section (2) of Section 43 expressly provides that the
decision of the Civil Court (not being the Court of a District Munsif or a
~ourt of Small Causes) on any matter falling within its jurisdiction shall be
binding on the parties theretu in any proceedings before a Tribunal under
the said Act. Therefore, there is no question of ouster of the jurisdiction
F of the Civil Court in respect of matters falling within its jurisdiction and
which are outside the purview of the said Act. Section 46 also provides for
finality only in respect of decisions of the Tribunal in respect of matters
which are required to be determined by it for the purposes of the said Act.
The jurisdiction at the Civil Court, therefore, to determine title to the lands
in question or to determine whether the lessor has a right to evict the lessee
G from the lands in question is not ousted in any manner by the said Act.

In the case of State of Tamil Nadu v. Ramalinga Samigal Madam,
AIR (1986) SC 794 this Court has construed the provisions of Tamil Nadu
Estates (Ab.olition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1948 which are
H similar to the provisions of the said Act. This Court said that the Civil
.... R. MANICKANAICKER v. E.E. NAICKER (SUJATA V. MANOHAR, J.] 225

Court's jurisdiction to adjudicate on the real nature of the land is not A
ousted by reason of the Settlement Officer's deci•ion to grant or refuse to
J-
grant a patta. Construing the provisions of Section 64-C of the Tamil Nadn
Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1948 which are
similar to Section 46 of the present Ac~ this Court held that the finality to
the orders passed by the authorities in respect of the matters to be
determined by them under the Tamil Nadu Estates (Abolition and Con-
B
version into Ryotwari) Act, 1948 is "for the purposes of this Act" and not
generally, nor for any other purpose. The main object and purpose of the
Act is to abolish all the estates of the intermediaries like Zarnindars,
Inarndars, Jagirdars etc. and to convert all land-holdings in such estates
into ryotwari settlements - which operation in revenne parlance, means c
conversion of alienated lands into non-alienated lands to deprive the
intermediaries of their right to collect all the revenues in respect of such
lands and vesting the same back in the Government. The enactment and
its several provisions are thus intended to serve the revenue purposes of
the Government by way of securing to the Government its sovereign right
D
to collect all the revenues from all the lands and to facilitate the recovery
thereof by the Government, and in that process, if necessary, to deal with

\ the claims of occupants of lands, nature of the lands etc. only incidentally
in a summary manner and that too for identifying and registering persons
in the revenue records from whom such recovery of revenue is to be made.
The Court further observed that even where the statute has given finality E
to the orders of the Special Tribunal, the Civil Court's jurisdiction can be
regarded as having been excluded if there is adequate remedy to do what
the Civil Court would normally do in the suit. We need not, however,
examine this aspect at any length because of the nature of the grant which
has been made in the present case which expression reserves the rights of
.L F
the respondent in respect of the land.
'-
In the case of Vattichemkum Village Panchayat & Ors. v. Nori
Venkatarama Deekshithulu & Ors., (1991] 2 SCR 531 this Court considered,
~
;
inter alia, the provisions of the AP. Inams (Abolition and Conversion into
Ryotwari) Act, 1956. After referring to the judgment of this Court in State G
of Tamil Nadu v. Ramalinga Samigal Madam (supra) the Court said that
the introduction of ryotwari settlement in the place of Inams should not be
J regarded only as for the purpose of recovery of revenue. The Act was
designed to render economic justice to the ryots. The purpose of such Acts
was to repeal permanent settlements, to acquire the rights of the H
226 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1995) 3 S.C.R.

A landholders in the estates and introduce ryotwari therein. Referring to the
Andhra Pradesh Act, the Court said that Section 11 envisaged an enquiry
into the nature of the land and whether it was "ryotwari land immediately
before the notified dates", to be properly included in the holdings of the
ryot. This enquiry was entrusted to revenue authorities and their decision
would be final and finding between the parties. The jurisdiction of the
B Civil Court in this regard was ousted. This judgment, which is relied upon
by the respondent in our view, does not help the respondent. Undoubtedly,
in respect of the enquiry which the revenue authorities are required to hold
under the provisions of the said Act, the decision of the revenue authorities
is final and binding. We are, however, concerned in the present case with
C the rights of the landlord to evict his tenant for non-payment of rent. The
tenant in the present case has not been granted any patta by the revenue
authorities in respect of the land. The decision of the revenue authorities,
therefore, does not, in any manner, hinder the Civil Court from exercising
its jurisdiction.

D The jurisdiction of the City Civil Court, therefore, to entertain and
decide suit No. 4421/1970 for recovery of land was not, in any manner,
ousted by the coming into force of the said Act. Nor did the decree passed
in the said suit become a nullity because of the grant of a joint patta by
the Assistant Settlement Officer in the names of the appellant and the
E respondent in respect of the building and land respectively on 29.2.1972
prior to the passing of the decree in the above suit. The learned Single
Judge of the Madras High Court, therefore, rightly allowed Civil Revision
Petition No. 1149 of 1981.

The appeals are, therefore, dismissed. In the circumstances, however,
F there will be no order as to costs.

B.K.M. Appeal dismissed.