JUDGMENT
S.U. Khan, J.
1. Fisheries lease in respect of pond comprised in plot No. 302 area 0.372 hectares situate in Village Sului, Tehsil Rasara, District Ballia was granted to respondent No. 7 Vinod Ram son of Bramh Deo Ram through order dated 4.92004 passed by Deputy Collector approving the proposal of Tehsildar at annual rent/lagaan of Rs. 920/-. I disposed of the writ petition finally directing the petitioner to deposit Rs. 3,000/- as one year’s rent before Deputy Collector and directing the Deputy Collector to call respondent No. 7 in his office and auction the pond in between respondent No. 7 and the petitioner and settle the lease in favour of highest bidder. This order was passed in view of readiness of the petitioner to take the lease on annual rent of Rs.3,000/-. The said order dated 27,9,2004 was passed by me without issuing notice to respondent No. 7 and granting him liberty to apply for recall of the order.
2. In view of the above permission this recall application has been filed. On 8.12.2004 directed both the parties i.e. petitioner and respondent No. 7 through their learned counsel to take part in auction in open court and fixed 13.12.2004 for the said purpose. Respondent No. 7 started the bid with Rs.5,000/- and thereafter it continued in the following manner:-
Respondent...No.7 Petitioner Rs. 5,000/- Rs. 6,000/- Rs. 7,000/- Rs. 8,000/- Rs. 9,000/- Rs. 10,000/- Rs. 11,000/- Rs. 12,0007- Rs. 13,000/- Rs. 14,0007- Rs. 15.000/- Rs. 16,000/- Rs. 17,000/- Rs. 18.000/- Rs. 19,000/- Rs. 20,000/- Rs. 21.000/- Rs. 22,000/- Rs. 23,000/- Rs. 24,000/- Rs. 25,000/- Rs. 26,000/- Rs. 27,000/- Rs. 28,000/- Rs. 29,000/- Rs. 30,000/- Rs. 31,000/- Rs. 32,000/- Rs. 33,0007-
3. Petitioner expressed his inability to enhance the bid over and above Rs.33,000/- per hectare per year.
4. Accordingly, order dated 27.9.2004 is modified and it is directed that lease granted in favour of respondent No. 7 shall be treated to be on annual rent/lagaan of Rs.33,000/-.The annual rent/agaan for the first year starting from 4.9.2004 after adjusting any amount already deposited shall be deposited before Deputy Collector within a month from today. Annual renl/lagaan for the subsequent years shall be paid in advance every year. If amount for any year is not paid then the same shall be recovered like arrears of land revenue.
5. Ballia is not a much developed District of Uttar Pradesh. The lease of the pond in open auction has been taken for about Rs.90,000/-per hectare per year. Earlier it had been granted for only Rs.920/-. Through judicial intervention rent has been increased by about 35 times. This must be an eye opener for Deputy Collectors who are settling fisheries lease for extremely inadequate rent. In appropriate cases Deputy Collectors shall persuade the bidders to take the lease on appropriate rent if not for Rs.90,000/- per hectare per year then at least on a rent which may be 30 to 60% of the said amount.
6. Recall application disposed of accordingly.
7. Let a copy of this order be given free of cost to Shri S.R.Jalil, learned standing counsel present in court for immediate communication to the Deputy Collector concerned.