Appellate jurisdiction under rent control law does not extend to purely procedural interlocutory orders refusing a commission.

A broadly worded appellate provision under the Delhi Rent Control Act was construed to cover only orders affecting the rights or liabilities of the parties. Purely procedural interlocutory orders made during a pending proceeding, including steps such as discovery, inspection, commissions, summoning of witnesses, or similar aids to hearing, do not by themselves create independent appealability. Refusal to issue a commission for inspection and preparation of a plan was treated as a procedural step assisting the parties' case and not as an order determining any substantive right. Accordingly, no appeal lay from the Controller's order, and the appeal was not maintainable.

---

---

Issues: Whether an appeal lay under section 38(1) of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958 from a Controller's interlocutory order refusing a commission for inspection and preparation of a plan of the premises.

Analysis: The appellate provision, though broadly worded, was construed as confined to orders that affect the rights or liabilities of the parties. Orders passed in a pending proceeding which are merely procedural, including orders relating to discovery, inspection, commissions, summoning of witnesses, or similar steps in aid of the hearing, do not by themselves determine any substantive right or liability. Such matters can be challenged, if necessary, in an appeal from the final order in the main proceeding. The refusal to issue a commission for inspection and preparation of a plan was held to be only a procedural step assisting the parties in the prosecution of their case and not an order having independent appealability.

Conclusion: No appeal lay to the Rent Control Tribunal from the Controller's order refusing the commission, and the appeal was not maintainable.

Ratio Decidendi: A broadly worded appellate provision does not extend to purely procedural interlocutory orders that do not affect the rights or liabilities of the parties.

---