In Brief
Dealers from denotified agricultural markets challenged rules governing allotment of plots in newly developed market yards. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the 1999 and 2008 rules prescribing 3 years minimum licence duration and Rs. 5 lakhs annual turnover as eligibility criteria for concessional allotment. The Court held these conditions are reasonable and non-discriminatory. However, recognizing that technical violations caused by circumstances beyond dealers' control can produce injustice, the Court read an implied discretionary power to relax conditions in marginal cases. The Board was directed to reconsider cases with marginal deficiencies within 3 months, particularly where ample plots remained available for allotment.",
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