Gujarat High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the Ahmedabad district collector

Gujarat High Court on the S G highway in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the Ahmedabad district collector for disregarding its earlier directions while considering a farmer’s application for non-agricultural (NA) permission. The court also made it clear that proceedings under Section 65 could not be used to adjudicate questions relating to land title. The court directed the collector to deposit the amount with the court registry. If the payment is not made, the govt must deduct the amount from the collector’s salary and pay it to farmer Bhumika Rao as compensation for the hardship caused.

The court said, “In the opinion of this court, every person is required to respect and obey the orders of the court with due dignity for the institution. The govt departments are no exception to it… Flagrant violation of the court’s order would reflect the attitude of the officer concerned to undermine the authority of the courts, their dignity and the administration of justice. In the case at hand, the court is drawing such an inference against the officer, viz. the collector.”

The HC quashed the second rejection order and expressed concern over the administration’s failure to follow the guidelines laid down in its earlier judgment on NA applications.