Internal port policy on destuffing upheld; no publication requirement, and demurrage remission claim failed.

Port Trust circulars limiting destuffing to two consignments at a time were treated as internal policy instructions to prevent dock congestion, not as statutory notifications requiring publication under Section 132 of the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. The petitioner failed to show that the policy was illegal, irrational, or procedurally defective, and the request for destuffing was made substantially after the consignments had been received. The limited one-time remission arrangement invoked by the petitioner did not apply to these consignments, so the challenge to the circulars failed and remission of demurrage charges was rejected.

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Issues: Whether the impugned Port Trust circulars restricting destuffing to two consignments at a time had no legal force for want of publication, and whether the petitioner was entitled to remission of demurrage charges on that basis.

Analysis: The circulars were treated as internal policy instructions issued to avoid congestion at the docks and not as statutory notifications requiring publication under Section 132 of the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. The petitioner did not establish that the policy was illegal, irrational, or procedurally improper. The record also showed that the request for destuffing was made substantially after the consignments had been received, and the limited one-time remission arrangement relied upon by the petitioner did not apply to the petitioner's consignments.

Conclusion: The challenge to the circulars failed and the claim for remission of demurrage charges was rejected.

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