Madhya Pradesh High Court
M.P.Rajya Sahakari Upbhokta ... vs Secretary The State Of Madhya ... on 20 March, 2023
Author: Vivek Agarwal
1
(
IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
AT JABALPUR
BEFORE
HON'BLE SHRI JUSTICE VIVEK AGARWAL
ON THE 20 th OF MARCH, 2023
WRIT PETITION No. 13432 of 2009
BETWEEN:-
M.P.RAJYA SAHAKARI UPBHOKTA SANGH MARYADIT
KARMACHARI SANGH BHOPAL TH.ITS CHAIRMAN
ABDUL LATIF KHAN R/O HOU.NO.40, AHAHTA RUSTAM
KHAN, NEAR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE, BHOPAL
(MADHYA PRADESH)
.....PETITIONER
(BY SHRI K.C. GHILDIYAL - SENIOR ADVOCATE ASSISTED BY SHRI
AJEET SINGH - ADVOCATE)
AND
1. SECRETARY THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH
COOPERATIVE DEPTT., VALLABH BHAWAN
(MADHYA PRADESH)
2. R E G I S T R A R COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES
VINDHYACHAL BHAWAN BHOPAL (MADHYA
PRADESH)
3. MANAGING DIRECTOR M.P. RAJYA SAHKARI
UPBHOKTA SANGH PRIYADARSHNI BHAWAN T.T.
NAGAR BHOPAL (MADHYA PRADESH)
4. BOARD OF DIRECTOR OCCUPATION:
PRAIYADARSHNI SUBIDHA SWA SEVA KENDRA
T.T. NAGAR BHOPAL (MADHYA PRADESH)
.....RESPONDENTS
(BY SHRI MANAS MANI VERMA - GOVERNMENT ADVOCATE FOR THE
STATE)
(SHIR ASHISH SHROTI - ADVOCATE FOR RESPONDENTS NO.3 AND 4)
Signature Not Verified
This petition coming on for admission this day, th e court passed the
SAN
Digitally signed by MOHD TABISH KHAN
Date: 2023.03.23 16:54:59 IST
following:
2
ORDER
This writ petition is filed by the M.P. Rajya Sahakari Upbhokta Sangh
Maryadit Karmchari Sangh, Bhopal being aggrieved of the action of the
respondents No.3 and 4 in reducing the rate of overtime from double the wages
as prescribed in Section 55 of the M.P. Shops and Establishment Act, 1958 to
single rate. This decision of the Authorities which was to come into force w.e.f.
01.10.2001 is under challenge before this Court.
Shri Ashish Shroti has raised an objection as to the maintainability of the
writ petition saying that the respondent is a Federation of Cooperative Societies.
Reading from the bye-laws contained in Annexure P-13, it is submitted that it is
not an instrumentality of the State and, therefore, it will not fall within the
purview of Article 12 of the Constitution to be treated as a State.
It is further submitted that the decision of the Board of Directors was
inconsonance of the financial condition of the respondents, therefore, no
indulgence is required in the matter.
After hearing learned counsel for the parties and going through the
record, it is evident that Government has stake of Rs.309.09 Lacs in the capital
of the M.P. Rajya Sahakari Upbhokta Sangh Maryadit Karmchari Sangh,
Bhopal. This is out of total paid up capital of 353.45 which constitutes 87.44%
of the share capital. Thus, first argument put forth by Shri Ashish Shroti that
respondent is not amenable to writ jurisdiction is not made out in the light of the
judgment of Supreme Court in Madhya Pradesh Cooperative Dairy
Federation Limited and Another Vs. Rajnesh Kumar Jamindar and
Others, (2009) 15 SCC 221 wherein Supreme Court has held that M.P. State
Signature Not Verified
Cooperative Dairy Federation Ltd. is covered by the definition. It is held that
SAN
Digitally signed by MOHD TABISH KHAN
Date: 2023.03.23 16:54:59 IST
since the federation not only carries on commercial activities, it works for
achieving the better economic development of a section of the people. It seeks
to achieve the principles laid down in Article 47 of the Constitution of India
namely nutritional value and health. It undertakes training and research work.
Guidelines issued by it are binding on the societies. It monitors the functioning
of the societies under it. It is an apex body. It must, therefore, be held that the
appellant would come within the purview of the definition of "State" as
contained in Article 12 of the Constitution of India.
In the present case, the aims and objectives of the M.P. Rajya Sahakari
Upbhokta Sangh Maryadit, Bhopal are as under-:
^^ 4- mn~ns';%
v- lgdkjh fl)karks dk ikyu djrs gq;s izns'k esa fLFkr lEc) lgdkjh Fkksd miHkksDrk
Hk.Mkjksa ,oa lkoZtfud forj.k iz.kkyh ds vUrxZr lkekU; ,oa vfrfjDr miHkksDrk oLrqvksa ds
dz;&fodz; ,oa forj.k esa layXu lgdkjh lfefr;ksa ds dkjksckjksa dks lefUor djuk] mudks lqfo/kk,a
iznku djuk muds O;kikj dks c<+kok nsuk ,oa jkT; esa lgdkjh miHkksDrk vkUnksyu dks lqn`<+ djuk
rFkk fo'ks"k :i ls uxjh; {ks=ksa esa vk/kqfud i)fr ds lqfo/kk Lolsok dsUnz LFkkfir djukA
4 v (1) ^^jkT;@dsUnz 'kklu ds fofHkUUk foHkkxksa[email protected];kZy;ks] fuxeksa] e.Myks] lgdkjh
laLFkkvksa ds mi;ksx gsrq rFkk mDr ds }kjk lapkfyr fofHkUu ;[email protected];kstukvksa ds mi;ksx ds
fy;s vko';d dk;kZy;hu rFkk vU; mi;ksxh lkexzh dk iznk; djukA
c- mDr mn~ns';ksa dks n`f"Vxr j[krs gq,%
1- lEc) lfefr;ksa ds fy;s eky dh ekax iwfrZ djuk] miHkksDrk ,oa vU; oLrqvksa dk Fkksd
dz; ,oa fodz; djuk] vko';drkuqlkj LVkd djuk] iSdsftax xzsfMax ,oa ifjogu dh O;oLFkk
djukA
2- miHkksDrk oLrqvksa dk vU; jkT; vFkok fons'kksa ls vk;kr ,oa fu;kZr djuk vkSj bl gsrq
jkT; 'kklu ds ,tsUV ds :i esa dk;Z djuk ,oa mlds forj.k dh leqfpr O;oLFkk djukA
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SAN
3- miHkksDrk oLrqvksa ds mRiknu gsrq Lo;a vFkok vU; lEc) lfefr;ksa ds lkFk ;k vU;
Digitally signed by MOHD TABISH KHAN
Date: 2023.03.23 16:54:59 IST
bPNqd lgdkjh lfefr;ksa ds lkFk feydj mRiknu bdkbZ;k LFkkfir djuk fdlh miHkksDrk m|ksx
dks yht ij ysuk mls pykus dh O;oLFkk djuk ,oa mRikfnr eky ds forj.k fodz; dh O;oLFkk
djukA
4- miHkksDrk oLrqvksa ds [kqnjk fodz; ds fy;s jkT; esa vFkok jkT; ds ckgj fofHkUu LFkkuksa
esa la?k dh 'kk[kk,a] Lolsok fcdzh dsUnz ek¡My fjVsy lsy fMiks) fMikVZesaVy LVkslZ vkn'kZ i)fr ls
[kksyuk lEc) lfefr;ksa dks [kqnjk fodz; dsUnz LFkkfir djus esa lg;ksx nsuk rFkk lgdkjh cktkj
dh LFkkiuk djuk ;k djus esa lg;ksx nsukA
5- fHkUu&fHkUu iznZ'kfu;ksa ,oa fMekWLVªs'ku ds ek/;e ls [kk| vifeJ.k ds fo:) tuer
tkxzr djuk ,oa bl gsrq lEc) lfefr;ksa vFkok vU; lgdkjh laLFkkvksa dks ekxZn'kZu nsuk ,oa
lg;ksx nsukA
6- lEc) laLFkkvksa ds deZpkfj;ksa ds dsMj fuekZ.k gsrq vko';d igy djuk rFkk muds
izf'k{k.k dh mfpr O;OkLFkk djukA
7- lEc) miHkksDrk Hk.Mkjksa ,oa vU; laLFkkvksa dh ys[kk i)fr ,oa Lda/k fu;a=.k (LVkd
dUVªksy) i)fr ds ekudhdj.k (LVs.MMkabZts'ku) esa lg;ksx nsuk] ekxZn'kZu nsuk rFkk muds dk;ksZ
ds mfpr i;Zos{k.k dh O;oLFkk djukA
8- jkT; esa lgdkjh miHkksDrk vkUnksyu dh izxfr ,oa fodkl gsrq lEesyu v/;;u]
xksf"B;ksa dk vk;kstu djuk rFkk miHkksDrkvksa ds ykHkkFkZ izpkj&izlkj ,oa f'k{k.k dk;Z djukA
9- ^^cktkj izkfo.;** ;k ekdsZV baVsyhtsal laca/kh vU; tkudkfj;k¡ ,df=r djuk ,oa mUgsa
lnL; laLFkkvksa esa forfjr djukA
10- lEc) lfefr;ksa dk deZpkjh Hkfo"; fuf/k deZpkjh chek ;kstuk] vk;dj] fodz;dj
vkfn lHkh izdkj ds djkjksi.k ,oa vU; oS/kkfud izfdz;kvksa ls ,oa vk/kqfud O;kikfjd ,oa ys[kk
i)fr;ksa ls voxr djkus ds fy;s rRlaca/kh uhfr funsZ'k izlkfjr djus ds fy;s la?k esa d{k (Lis'ky
lsy) dh LFkkiuk djuk vkSj ekxZn'kZu nsukA
11- la?k ,oa 'kk[kkvksa o fcdzh dsUnzksa ds O;olk; dks l{ke :i ls laikfnr djus ds mn~ns';
Signature Not Verified
SAN
ls vkUrfjd vads{k.k O;oLFkk gsrq fo'ks"k d{k dh LFkkiuk djukA
Digitally signed by MOHD TABISH KHAN
Date: 2023.03.23 16:54:59 IST
12- vU; ,sls leLr dk;Z djuk ftuls jkT; ds lgdkjh miHkksDrk vkUnksyu dks cy
feysA
13- lnL; lkslk;Vh ,oa vko';d lkexzh iznk; laca/kh miHkksDrkvksa ds fgr esa dksbZ Hkh vU;
lsok iznku djukA
14- ,sls vU; lHkh O;olk; rFkk dk;Z djuk tks le; ij la?k ds fgr esa vko';d gksA
15- thou chek rFkk lkekU; chek dk dk;Z djus okyh laLFkkvksa dh ,tsalh izkIr dj chek
laca/kh dk;Z djukA
16- 'kkldh;] v/kZ 'kkldh; ,oa vU; dk;kZy;ksa vkfn gsrq fizafVax vkfn dk;Z djukA
17- 'kklu ds fu;ekuqlkj nok(esfMflu) vkfn dk O;kikj djukA**
When these objects are read then they are inconsonance with provisions
contained in Article 39(b) of the Constitution of India which deals with the
distribution of ownership and control of the material resources of the
community to be so distributed as to best subserve the common good. Article
43(a) deals with participation of workers in management of industries. Article
43(b) deals with promotion of cooperative societies. Thus, it is evident that
respondents are discharging their consititional duty and not only promoting
distribution of essential commodities and other commodities amongst the
beneficiaries on an equal footing but are also responsible for promoting
participation of workers in the management of the societies and also promotion
of the cooperative societies.
Thus, in the light of the aforesaid judgment of Supreme Court and also
the judgment of Constitution Bench of this Court in M.P. State Cooperative
Dairy Federation Vs. Madan Lal Chourasia, 2007(2) MPLJ 594, I have
no hesitation to hold that respondents' society is discharging the functions akin
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to that of State beside discharging Constitutional functions as enumerated
Digitally signed by MOHD TABISH KHAN
Date: 2023.03.23 16:54:59 IST
above and is a State within the meaning of Article 12 of the Constitution.
This leads to another question that whether respondent authorities are
free to take any decision dehors the Rules and Regulations or are bound by the
Rules and Regulations.
Shri Ashish Shroti is at loss to show any provision of law under which
impugned decision was taken to reduce the rate of overtime. On the contrary,
Shri K.C. Ghildiyal has shown Section 55 of the M.P. Shops and Establishment
Act, 1958 whcih provides for rate on which over time is to be paid and reads as
under:-
"55. Wages for overtime work.- Where an employee
in any establishment is required to work in excess of
the limit of hours of work, he shall be entitled, in
respect of the overtime work, to wages at the rate of
twice is ordinary rate of wages."
In the present case, it is not the stand of the respondents that provisions
of M.P. Shops and Establishment Act, 1958 are not applicable.
On the contrary Shri Ashish Shroti submits that he had not seen this
provision. However, when he is requested to show from record that under
which provision impugned action was taken, he is unable to demonstrate any
legal provision under which said impugned action was taken by the
respondents, therefore, in absence of any provision being brought on record to
justify the action of the respondents No.3 and 4, that deserves to be set aside
because an instrumentality of the State cannot act in an arbitrary and illegal
manner and is suppose to loathe every decision of its with reasoning and
transparency.
In absence of reasoning and transparency backed by the legal or
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statutory sanction, said decision is set aside and petition is allowed. It is
Digitally signed by MOHD TABISH KHAN
Date: 2023.03.23 16:54:59 IST
directed that petitioner will be entitled to overtime in terms of the provisions
contained in Section 55 of the M.P. Shops and Establishment Act, 1958.
In above terms, this petition is allowed and disposed of.
Certified copy as per rules.
(VIVEK AGARWAL)
JUDGE
Tabish
Signature Not Verified
SAN
Digitally signed by MOHD TABISH KHAN
Date: 2023.03.23 16:54:59 IST
