Ahmedabad, Nov 09: The Gujarat High Court while hearing Bhumikaben v Collector, Ahmedabad & Anr. recently directed the Ahmedabad Collector to pay ₹1 lakh in costs from his salary for disregarding its directions in connection with the examination of a woman's application for permission to put her land to use for non-agricultural purposes.
Justice MK Thakker was hearing a plea filed by a landowner whose application for permission to convert agricultural land for non-agricultural use was rejected by the Collector a second time despite an earlier High Court order directing him to reconsider it.
Justice Thakker found that the Collector had rejected the woman's application on a ground that the Court had already struck down as unsustainable. The Court criticised the Collector for acting like it is above its directions, observing, "This is not the first instance where the Collector has acted as a superpower authority and considering himself as a person, who can act according to his own whims and wish.... every person is required to respect and obey the orders of the Court with due dignity for the institution. The Government Departments are no exception to it."
The Bench went on to opine that the Collector must personally pay for the hardship caused to the litigant, who was forced to re-approach the Court because of the authority's conduct. "The hardship which is caused to the litigants is required to be compensated by Collector himself from his own pocket," the Court said.
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