Dayananda v. Sujatha Janaki and Others – sllr 1992 volume 2 page 276

In the case between DAYANANDA (Plaintiff) and SUJATHA JANAKI and Others (Defendants), the court addressed whether the Commissioner of National Housing, or a delegated subordinate, possessed the lawful authority to grant permission for construction on appurtenant land under the Rent Act No. 7 of 1972 (as amended), and whether the statutory discretion was properly exercised in reliance on a subordinate officer’s report. It was determined that the delegation of the inquiry process to a subordinate does not amount to delegation of statutory decision-making, and the Commissioner retained the ultimate authority. Reference was made to section 20A and section 44A of the Rent Act and relevant precedents, confirming that such delegation of inquiry is lawful so long as the final order is made by the