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Issues: Validity of notification extending town committee boundaries and applicability of Assam Municipal Acts
Analysis: 1. The judgment revolves around the validity of a notification issued by the State Government to include a part of a tea estate within a town committee area. The Assam Tea Company Ltd challenged the notification, arguing that the provisions of the Assam Municipal Acts were not properly extended to the town committee. 2. The High Court initially held the notification to be "colourable legislation" and struck it down. However, the Supreme Court, in appeal, rejected this decision. The Company contended that the notification was unauthorized due to the lack of proper extension of the Assam Municipal Act provisions to the town committee. 3. The crux of the legal argument focused on the saving of notifications issued under the previous Assam Municipal Act of 1923. The Company's counsel argued that the attempt to save these notifications through subsequent amendments was ineffective, as no retrospective operation was given to the amending acts. 4. The Supreme Court analyzed the provisions of the Assam General Clauses Act, 1915, specifically Section 26, which saves notifications made under repealed enactments if they are not inconsistent with the re-enacted provisions. The Court found that there was no provision in the new Assam Municipal Act of 1957 that superseded the 1951 notification, and its continuance was not inconsistent with any new provisions. 5. The Court clarified that the judgment only addressed the validity of the State Government's notification and did not impact the Company's right to challenge the demand for taxes or fees imposed by the town committee in separate proceedings. 6. Ultimately, the Supreme Court allowed the appeal, set aside the High Court's order, and dismissed the Company's petition with costs. The judgment emphasized the legality of the notification extending the town committee boundaries and the applicability of the Assam Municipal Acts in this context.
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