Gvpr Engineers Ltd Thr The Senior Manager Projects G. Mahender Sri. G. Somla v. Shrihari Anant Shidore And Others
- 1 -
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD 905 CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 10169 OF 2024 IN PIL/34/2022 GVPR ENGINEERS LTD THR THE SENIOR MANAGER PROJECTS G. MAHENDER SRI. G. SOMLA
VERSUS
SHRIHARI ANANT SHIDORE AND OTHERS WITH PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION NO. 20 OF 2021 SURAJ PRADIP KUMAR AJMERA
VERSUS
THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS WITH PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION NO. 34 OF 2022 SHRIHARI ANANT SHIDORE AND OTHERS
VERSUS
THE COMMISSIONER /ADMINISTRATOR AND OTHERS Mr.R.N.Dhorde, Sr.Advocate i/b Mr.S.N.Suryawanshi, Advocate fr the Applicant.
Mr.S.S.Tope, Advocate for Respondent Nos. 1 to 4 in PIL. Mr.A.B.Girase, Government Pleader for Respondent Nos. 5, 8 to 10. Mr.S.B.Deshpande, Sr.Advocate a/w Mr.D.P.Madkar h/f Mr.D.S.Manorkar, Advocate for Respondent No.11. Mr.R.S.Deshmukh, Sr.Advocate i/b Mr.Vinod Patil a/w Mr.A.G.Vasmatkar, Advocate for the Respondent/M.J.P. Mr.A.S.Bajaj, Advocate for Respondent No.10 in PIL. Mr.A.A.Mukhedkar, Party in Person a/w Mr.Sachin Deshmukh, Amicus Curiae.
Mr.A.G.Talhar, D.S.G.I. for Union of India.
( CORAM : RAVINDRA V. GHUGE AND Y.G.KHOBRAGADE, JJ.) DATE : OCTOBER 3, 2024
- 2 - PER COURT :
1.
The Project Contractor/Applicant has put forth prayer clause 'A' as under :- "A. Grant the applicants the permission to withdraw the amount of Rs.48,01,720/- alongwith Rs.86,42,400/- deposited with the Respondent No.6 M.J.P. and the District Mining Officer, Ch.Sambhajinagar respectively and for that purpose issue necessary orders."
2.
We have perused the order passed by the District Collector dated 18.04.2023. The relevant portion of the order reads as under :- "
कार्यकारीअभियय ंता, महाराष्ट्रजीवनप्राधिकरण, औरंगाबादयय ांचेसंदर्भीयय क्रमांक06 पत्र दि.02.09.2022 अन्वययेमौजेहिरडपुरीता.
पैठणयय ावाळूघाटातमातीचेप्रमाणखुप जास्तअसल्ययानेतीवाळुपाणीपुरवठायय ोजनेच्ययाकामासाठीवापरणेयय ोग्यय नसल्ययामुळे मौनेहिरडपुरीता.
पैठण25106 ब्रासवाळुघाटापैकी477 ब्रासवाळुउचलकरण्ययात आलेलीअसल्ययाचेकळवूनगोदावरीनदीपत्रावरीलनव्ययानेपुन्हासर्वेक्षणझाल्ययानंतरव ज्ययाठिकाणच्ययावाळूमध्ययेमातीचेप्रमाणकमीअसेलत्ययाठिकाणचावाळूघाट मिळणेबाबतविनंतीकेलीहोती.
ाकार्यालययाचेसंदर्भीयय क्रमांक07 पत्रान्वययेकार्यकारीअभियय ंता, महाराष्ट्रजीवन प्राधिकरणऔरंगाबादयय ांनामौजेहिरडपुरीता.
पैठणयय ावाळूघाटाऐवजीत्ययांचेमार्फत
- 3 - उचलकरणेबाकीअसलेले24629 ब्रासवाळूगोदावरीनदीपात्रातीलनव्ययानेसर्वेक्षण होणा- ावाळूघाटबदलूनदेण्ययाबाबतशासनासविनंतीकरण्ययातआलीहोती. संदर्भीयय क्रमांक08 शासनपत्रान्वययेकार्यकारीअभियय ंता, महाराष्ट्रजीवनप्राधिकरण औरंगाबादतर्फेकंत्राटदारजी.व्ही.पी.
आरइंजिनीअर्सप्रा.लि.
हैद्राबादयय ांनामौजेहिरडपुरी ता.
पैठणजि.
औरंगाबादयय ावाळूघाटातीलमंजुर25106 ब्रासवाळूघाटाबाबतउत्खनन ववाहतूककरणेकामीयय ाकार्यालययाचेआदेशदि. 31/03/2022 च्ययाकरारनाम्ययामध्यये नमुदअटीवशर्तीक्र. 14 मध्ययेसुटदेण्ययातयय ेवूनसन2022-2023 साठीनव्ययाने प्रस्तावितगोदावरीनदीतीलघाटातूननव्ययानेपुन्हासर्वेक्षणझाल्ययानंतरवज्ययाठिकाणी वाळूसदरकामासाठीयय ोग्यय आहेअसावाळूघाटबदलूनदेण्ययासमान्ययतादेण्ययातयय ेत असल्ययाचेd ळविलेआहे.
कार्यकारीअभियय ंता, महाराष्ट्रजीवनप्राधिकरण, औरंगाबादयय ांनीमौजेहिरडपुरीता.
पैठणयय ावाळूघाटासाठीशासकीयय रकमाभरणाकेलेल्ययाआहेत.
मौजेहिरडपुरीता. पैठण ावाळूघाटाऐवजीइतरवाळूघाटबदलूनदेण्ययासशासनानेमान्ययतादिलेलीअसल्ययामुळे शासकीयय रकमाभरणाकरण्ययाचीआवश्ययकतानाही."
3.
The issue raised by the Applicant is found in paragraph Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the Civil Application, which read as under :- "4. The applicant states that, the applicant was required to pay Royalty to the Inspector General of Registration against allotment of 25106 brass of sand quarry at Hiradpuri village, Tq.Paithan. Therefore, the applicant paid the requisite amounts towards the Royalties. Annexed
- 4 - herewith and marked collectively as "EXHIBIT X-3 COLLY" are the copies of the Challans for the amoutns paid towards Royalties dtd. 17.02.2022 and 24.03.2022.
5. The applicant states that, out of the allotted 25106 brass of sand only 10702 brass of sand has been excavated. Hence the present applicant has submitted an application dtd. 08.05.2024 to the District Mining Officer through Respondent No. 6 M. J. P. to refund the Royalty amount paid towards the remaining allotted sand i.e.14,404 brass. Annexed herewith and marked collectively as "EXHIBIT X-4" are the copies of the application preferred by the applicant to the Respondent No. 6 M. J. P. and M.J. P. communication dtd. 10.5.2024, 14.05.2024 and Learned Collector order dtd. 07.05.2024.
6. The applicant states that, the applicant contractor made an application tot he District Mining Officer, Ch. Sambhajinagar requesting them to return the Bank Guarantee for Security Deposit vide letter dtd. 18.06.2024 in view of the fact that the period of the bank gurantee & it's extension lapsed on 01.01.2024 & 30.06.2024 and as per the contract has been completed and all conditions have been met. Annexed herewith and marked collectively as "EXHIBIT X-5" is the copy of the letter dtd. 18.06.2024.
7. The applicant states that, the applicant is seeking the permission of this Hon'ble Court to withdraw the amount of Rs.86,42,400/- paid in Royalty deposited with the District Mining Officer through Respondent No. 6 M.J.P. as well as the amount of Rs.48,01,720/- deposited as bank guarantee with the District Mining Officer, Ch. Sambhajinagar. In view of the same, the applicant humbly submits that the granting of permission for withdrawing the amounts of Rs. 86,42,400/- &
- 5 - 48,01,720/- will not cause any prejudice to the respondents." 4.
The learned Government Pleader relies on the affidavit in reply filed by the Mining Officer, Collector's Office, dated 30.09.2024, more particularly, paragraph No.5.
5.
In view of the above, we deem it appropriate to let the Project Contractor raise this issue with the High Court Constituted Committee for re-conciliation of the quantum of sand lifted from the Hiradpuri, Nagamthan, Wanjargaon and Poorangaon sand ghats / spots. We have recorded in paragraph No.10 in our order dated 16.04.2024 that the M.J.P. restrained the Project Contractor from lifting the sand from the Hiradpuri, Aapegaon and stockyard of Brahmangaon, for the reason that the said sand was not worthy of being used in the project due to mixture of soil.
6.
In view of the above, we conclude that if the contractor has not lifted the full portion of the sand from Hiradpuri, Nagamthan, Wanjargaon and since royalty is being paid for the Poorangaon sand ghat, the State Government shall return the royalty amount to the
- 6 - Project Contractor pertaining to the unlifted stock of sand keeping in view this peculiar project. After the High Court constituted Committee draws it's conclusion on these aspects and if it is found that the Project Contractor has deposited royalty for the entire sand quantity, for the Hiradpuri, Nagamthan, Wanjargaon sand ghats and if any of the portion of the approved quantity of sand having not been lifted, the said royalty amount shall be returned on prorata basis.
7.
We make it clear that this is a dream project for the residents of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar City. The State Government, by completing this Project, desires to quench the thirst of the residents of this city by supplying water once in 2 days as against supplying once in 9 days and to ensure that this project is taken to fruition. Without laying down any precedent, we are directing the State Government to deviate from it's general policy of not returning the royalty amount to the successful bidder, more so for the reason that it was the M.J.P. who found sand from certain ghats to be not worthy of being used in the project and this was beyond the control of the Project Contractor. Let this issue be raised before the Committee in its next meeting on 09.10.2024. The decision of the Committee shall be placed before this
- 7 - Court in this Civil Application, on 17.10.2024. PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION NO.34/2022 8.
The learned Government Pleader has placed on record the copy of the report generated by the High Court Constituted Committee dated 18.09.2024 ( 1 + 28 pages). The same is marked as 'X-47' for identification.
9.
During the course of the hearing today, the learned Senior Advocates representing the Project Contractor, the M.J.P., and the N.H.A.I., and the Government Pleader and the learned Advocate for the Corporation, suggested that an Advocate be additionally appointed as amicus-curiae alongwith the learned Advocate Shri Sachin Deshmukh. They unanimously suggested the name of the learned Advocate Mr.Shambhuraje V .Deshmukh. In view of the said suggestion, we called for the view of the learned Advocate Mr.S. V. Deshmukh, who has consented to assist the Court. Hence, Mr. Shambhuraje V. Deshmukh is appointed as amicus-curiae alongwith the learned Advocate Mr.Sachin Deshmukh.
10.
List this PIL on 17.10.2024 for further consideration. We
- 8 - make it clear that if the Model Code of Conduct is introduced on account of the probable State Assembly Elections to be held by the end of the year, there shall be no impediment for disbursement of funds and grants for this Project and the Code of Conduct shall not be a ground for withholding the grants.
( Y.G.KHOBRAGADE, J. ) ( RAVINDRA V. GHUGE, J.)