Petitioner challenged operations of a permitted steel unit in a residential vicinity, citing environmental violations and unpaid municipal dues. High Court, relying on facts, dismissed the petition, holding non-payment alone does not warrant closure and noting the unit operated under valid permissions without statutory prohibition.
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Court No. - 9
Case :- PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (PIL) No. - 1950 of 2020 Petitioner :- Meena Singh Respondent :- State Of U.P. And 8 Others
Counsel for Petitioner :- Dharmendra Kumar Tripathi
Counsel for Respondent :- C.S.C.
Hon'ble Sanjay Yadav,J.
Hon'ble Jayant Banerji,J.
There exist a Skamp steel Industry/unit over plot no.70, Line Bazar (Kishunpur), Tehsil- Sadar,District Jaunpur which is owned by respondent no.9.
The petitioner who is a resident at Plot No.71 and a social worker – a nomenclature which the petitioner miserably fails to establish – moved an application for closure of said unit on the plea that the unit cannot be operated in the residential area and in the vicinity of a Posh residential colony. Simultaneously petitioner filed petition : PIL No.750 of 2020 which was disposed of on 24.8.2020 with a liberty to the petitioner to file representation and direction to respondent to decide the same within the time stipulated therein.
The representation preferred by the petitioner was considered and decided on 28.8.2020 and on the findings that the unit is operated with a valid permission rejected the representation. The District Magistrate found :
iz’uxr izdj.k ds lEcU/k esa uxj eftLVªsV o mik;qDr m|ksx] ftyk m|ksx izksRlkgu rFkk m|ferk fodkl dsUnz] tkSuiqj desVh xf.kr djrs gq, ls tkap djk;h x;h] ftUgksaus la;qDr :i ls tkWp vk[;k fnukad 21-9-2020 izsf"kr dj mfYyf[kr fd;k gS fd LdSEi LVhy b.MLVªht ftyk m|ksx dsUnz ls 600 ehVj nwj xzke fd’kquiqj ¼jkeuxj HkMljk½ ijxuk gosyh rglhy lnj ftyk tkSuiqj eas fLFkr gSA o"kZ 1988 eas ;g ,l0,l0vkbZ0 bdkbZ Lojkstxkj ;kstuk
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ds vUrxZr 'kklu dh Lohdfr ls LFkkfir dh x;h gSA ftyk m|ksx dsUnz tkSuiqj eas o"kZ 1992 esa bdkbZ dk iathdj.k gqvk gSA ;g bdkbZ futh Hkwfe/kjh tehu xkVk la0 59@1 o 13@1 esa fu;r izkf/kdkjh tkSuiqj }kjk Lohdr O;olkf;d ekufp= ds vuq:i fuekZ.k djkdj bdkbZ LFkkfir dh x;h gS rFkk vc rd dk;Zjr gSA m0iz0 ljdkj rFkk ftyk m|ksx dsUnz] tkSuiqj ds vkns’k ds vuq:i ;g bdkbZ O;kikj dj foHkkx esa TIN la0 0968530305 iwoZ esa rFkk GSTIN esa la[;k 09C00PS0414N1ZD esa iathdr gSA bdkbZ esa fo|qr ikoj dk mi;ksx djus gsrq 17 fdyksokV yksM fo|qr dusD’ku la[;k 7617052000 fo|qr forj.k [k.M&rrh; tkSuiqj }kjk Lohdr gS ,oa gj ekg fo|qr fcy Hkh fn;k tkrk gSA m|ksx LFkkfir gsrq LFkk;h iathdj.k ds ckn m0iz0 iznw"k.k fu;a=.k cksMZ ls ok;q o ty iznw"k.k dk vukifRr izek.k i= iznw"k.k fu;a=.k cksMZ okjk.klh ls iathdr gSA bdkbZ esa vkikrdkyhu fLFkfr ls fuiVus gsrq vfXu’keu dh O;oLFkk miyC/k gSA LdSEi LVhy b.MLVªh fyfeVsM] tkSuiqj ds HkkSfrd Lfkyh; fujh{k.k esa fuEu rF; ik;s x;s%&
1& LdSEi LVhy b.MLVªh izkbosV fyfeVsM tkSuiqj dk fo|qr dusD’ku dfeZf’k;y gS rFkk fodYi ds :i Mhty tujsVj yxk gqvk gS] tks dkQh iqjkuk gS rFkk fo|qr vkiwfrZ ckf/kr gksus ij mi;ksx esa yk;k tkrk gSA fo|qr vkiwfrZ ckf/kr gksus ij Mhty tujsVj mi;ksx esa yk;k tkr gSA
2& bdkbZ es ,d 'kkSpky; gS rFkk iqjkuk o th.kZ&’kh.kZ voLFkk esa gSA izkr% 08-00 cts ls jkf= 10-00 cts rd mi;ksx esa yk;k tkrk gS] dk;Zjr Jfedksa dh la[;k ds lkis{k ,d gh 'kkSpky; gksus ds dkj.k xUnxh cuh jgrh gSA 3& LdSEi LVhy b.MLVªh izkbosV fyfeVsM] tkSuiqj dh bdkbZ o"kZ 1991&92 eas LFkkfir gqbZ gS] ftlds ikl ty o ok;q iznw"k.k dk vukifRr izek.k i= gSA bdkbZ dk Hkwfp= fofu;fer {ks= ls Lohd`r gSA
4& LdSEi LVhy b.MLVªh izkbosV fyfeVsM] tkSuiqj ,oa f’kdk;rdrkZ dk edku y[kuÅ&okjk.klh jk"Vªh; jktekxZ ij fLFkr gksus ds dkj.k ml ij gYds o Hkkjh okguka dk vkokxeu cjkcj jgrk gS] ftlls /ofu ,oa ok;q iznw"k.k tfur gksrk gSA bdkbZ esa yxs e’khujh midj.kksa ls yksgk dfVax dj tkyh] xsV] f[kMfd;kW] fxzy bR;knh fuekZ.k dk;Z fd;k tkrk gS] ftlds lapkyu ls vfrfjDr /ofu iznw"k.k tfur gksrk gSA
5& bdkbZ dk Hkwfp= fnukad 30-8-1988 dks vk0u0 59@1 o 13@1 Ikj O;olkf;d ekufp= Lohd`r gSA
6& uxjikfydk ifj"kn] tkSuiqj ls izkIr vk[;kuqlkj eksgYyk jkeuxj HkMljk
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iwoZ edku ua0 31, orZeku edku ua0 70 ij Jh izrki ukjk;.k flag iq= jktkjke flag dk uke ntZ gSA fooj.k dkye esa Vhu 'ksM ij iDdk Vhu 'ksM cMk dejk] xksnke dkj[kkuk] ftldh pkSgnnh iwjc&dEikm.M if’pe edku] mRrj&lM+d nf{k.k&iks[kjh ntZ gSA bldh ,0vkj0ch0 4800@& :0 vafdr gSA ftldk x`gdj :0&480@&] tydj :0&720@& vafdr gSA mDr Hkou vukoklh; gSA
mDr vkS|ksfxd bdkbZ fofgr izfdz;kvuqlkj okafNr vukifRr izek.k i= ,oa vko’;d ykblsal izkIr dj LFkkfir dh x;h gS] ijurq bls /ofu iznw"k.k dk ykblsal izkIr ugha gS o b.MLVªh ds vUnj iqjkuk tujsVj pykus o iqjkuh e’khujh dks v|ru rduhdh dk mi;ksx ds fcuk pykus ls /ofu iznw"k.k rks Qsyrk gh gS lkFk esa bdkbZ ds vUnj ekud ds vuq:i lkQ&lQkbZ rFkk ,d gh iqjkuk th.kZ&’kh.kZ 'kkSpky; ds gksus ls xUnxh dk okrkoj.k cuk jgrk gSA
ek0 mPp U;k;ky; ds vkns’k fnukad 24-8-2020 o 28-8-2020 ds dze esa ;kph Jherh ehuk flag iRuh xksiky flag }kjk izLrqr izR;kosnu fnukad 049-2020 rFkk uxj eftLVªsV o mik;qDr m|ksx ] ftyk m|ksx izksRlkgu rFkk m|ferk fodkl dsUnz] tkSuiqj dh tkWp vk[;k ds vk/kkj ij dfri; dfe;kW izdk’k esa vk;h gS%&
3& bdkbZ esa LFkkfir ,dek= 'kkSpky; iqjkuk o th.kZ&’kh.kZ voLFkk esa gSA dk;Zjr Jfedksa dh vis{kk de gS rFkk ekud ds vuq:i lkQ&lQkbZ ugh gSA
mDr ds lEcU/k esa Jh fdju 'kadj j?kqoa’kh] izksijkbVj] es0 LdSEi LVhy b.MLVªht tkSuiqj dks mijksDrkuqlkj izdk’k esa vk;h dfe;ksa dks nq:Lr djkus ,oa lacaf/kr lHkh i{kksa dks lquokbZ gsrq uksfVl nsdj fnukad 08-10-2020 dks lquokbZ fd;k x;kA lquokbZ ds le; ;kph Jhefr ehuk flag] Jh fdju 'kadj flag] izksijkbVj] es0 LdSEi LVhy b.MLVªht] {ks=h; vf/kdkjh] m0iz0 iznw"k.k fu;a=.k cksMZ] okjk.klh mik;qDr m|ksx] ftyk m|ksx izksRlkgu rFkk m|ferk fodkl dsUnz tkSuiqj mifLFkr jgsA {ks=h; vf/kdkjh m0iz0 iznw"k.k vf/kdkjh] okjk.klh }kjk crk;k x;k fd bdkbZ LdSEi LVhy b.MLVªht tkSuiqj dk ok;q o ty iznw"k.k dk vukifRr izek.k i= iqjkuk cuk gqvk gS rFkk mldk uohuhdj.k ugha gqvk gS ,oa bdkbZ dks /ofu iznw"k.k vukifRr izek.k i= izkIr ugha gSA
izksijkbVj] es0 LdSEi LVhy b.MLVªht tkSuiqj dks funsZf’kr fd;k x;k fd ,d ekg ds vUnj ok;q rFkk iznw"k.k ds ykbl s Ul dk uohuhdj.k djk ysa
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rFkk /ofu iznw"k.k dk ykbl s Ul izkIr dj ysaA e’khuksa ds lapkyu ds nkSjku gksus okys iznw"k.k Lrj dks de djus gsrq v|ru rduhdh mi;ksx lEcU/kh izek.k i= izkIr djsa rFkk bdkbZ es LFkkfir 'kkSpky; dh ejEer djk;sa rFkk lkQ&lQkbZ ,oa dwM+k izcU/ku dh O;oLFkk lqfuf’pr djk;saA
vr% iz’uxr izdj.k ds lEcU/k eas uxj eftLVªsV o mik;qDr m|ksx] ftyk m|ksx izksRlkgu rFkk m|ferk fodkl dsUnz] tkSuiqj rF;kRed tkWp vk[;k ds ifj’khyu o lacaf/kr i{kks dh lquokbZ ds mijkUr foi{kh la[;k&9 Jh fdju 'kadj j?kqoa’kh] izksijkbVj] es0 LdSEi LVhy b.MLVªht tkSuiqj dks bdkbZ esa O;kIr dfeZ;ksa dks Bhd djus ,oa ok;q o ty iznw"k.k vukifRr uohuhdj.k rFkk /kofu iznw"k.k ykblsUl izkIr djus gsrq ,d ekg dk le; fn;k x;k gSA mDr dfe;ksa dks Bhd djkus rd rFkk ok;q iznw"k.k] ty iznw"k.k o /ofu iznw"k.k dk v|ru vukifRr izek.k i= izLrqr djus rd] bdkbZ esa LFkkfir e’khujh o tujsVj cUn jgsaxsA mik;qDr m|ksx] ftyk m|ksx izksRlkgu rFkk m|ferk fodkl dsUnz] tkSuiqj mDr dk lrr Ik;Zos{k.k djsaxsA okafNr leLr vukifRr izek.k i= v/kksgLrk{kjh ds le{k izLrqr djus ij rFkk bdkbZ esa O;kIr dfe;ksa nq:lr djkus ds mijkUr tujsVj o e’khujh ds mi;ksx ds lEcU/k esa dk;Zokgh dh tk ldsxhA
rn~uqlkj Jherh ehuk flag iRuh xksiky flag] 71] ykbucktkj iksLV dpgjh Fkkuk ykbucktkj rglhy lnj ftyk tkSuiqj }kjk izLrqr izR;kosnu fnukad 04-9-2020 fuLrkfjr fd;k tkrk gSA
In view of these findings and the fact that the unit is being operated after due permission and in absence of any statutory prohibition, we perceive no substance in the contention that the respondent no.9 is not paying the Corporation dues for that the Municipal Corporation have ample power under the Act to recover its dues. However non payment of Corporation cannot in itself be the ground to direct for closure of an industrial unit.
As we do not perceive any merit in the matter, the petition is dismissed. No costs.
Order Date :- 18.3.2021 Tamang
(Jayant Banerji,J.) (Sanjay Yadav,J.)
2 issues framed by the court
Whether refusal to issue prohibition order against steel unit and dismissal of petition, which alleged non-compliance with environmental norms and municipal dues, was justified.
Whether non-payment of municipal corporation dues alone is ground to direct closure of an industrial unit.
Meena Singh
State Of U.P.
Jayant Banerji
Sanjay Yadav
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
