ivil Appeal Nos
1201 03 Of 1972 From the Judgment and Order dt
3041971 of the High Court of Delhi in Civil Writ No 12767 45568  1670
WITH Special Leave Petitions Civil NOS
2820 23 of 1977
From the Judgment and order dt 1811977 of the High Court of Delhi in Letters Patent Appeals Nos 3 to 6 of 1977
Anil Devan AN Haksar and DN Misra for the Appellant in CA Nos 1201 03172
BP Maheshwari for the Petitioners in SLPs Nos
2820 23 of 1977
Abdul Khader TVN Chari and RN Poddar for tbe Respondents in CA Nos
1201 0372
The Order of the Court was delivered by TULZAPURKAR J Two contentions under a Scheme called Tax Credit Certificate Excise Duty on Excess Clearance Scheme 577 1965 framed by the Central Government under section 280 ZD of the Income Tax Act 1961 which were negatived by the High Court have again been pressed by the appellant company before us in these appeals but after hearing counsel for the appellant company at some length and after going through the relevant provision of the said Scheme relevant section of the Income Tax Act 1961 and section 80 of the Finance Act 1965 we are satisfied that the High Court was right in the view which it took on both the contentions and the appeals deserve to be dismissed
With a view to encourage investment in new equity shares and to stimulate industrial output the Government of India introduced certain special provisions in Chapter XXII B of the Income Tax Act 1961 for the grant of tax credit certificate and section 230ZD is one of such Provisions which provides for the grant of tax credit certificate by way of incentive for increased production of goods and the Tax Credit Certificate Excise Duty on Excess Clearance Scheme 1965 was framed by the Central Government under this section and it was made applicable to the cement industry in 1965
Under the Scheme the amount of tax credit to which a manufacturer of cement is entitled is calculated at a rate not exceeding 25 of the amount of the duty of excise payable by him on the quantity of excess production during the financial year as compared to the production in the base year and the financial year 1964 65 is defined as the base year in relation to an existing undertaking
For the year 1 965 66 being the concerned year in the instant case the excise duty for cement levied under the for short the Excise Act was Rs 2360 per ton but under section 80 of the Finance Act 1965 a special duty of excise equal to 25 of the total amount of excise chargeable under the Excise Act on various articles including cement was levied
On the excess clearance of cement made during the concerned year over and above the quantity cleared in the base year the appellant Company applied for the grant of tax credit certificate to the concerned authority under the Scheme for an amount calculated at the rate of 25  of the entire amount of duty of excise paid by it that is to say 25 of the basic excise duty levied under the Excise Act at Rs 2360 per ton plus the amount of special excise duty paid by it under section 80 of the Finance Act
The concerned authority granted tax credit certificate only in respect of the Central Excise Duty levied under the Excise Act taking the view that the appellant was not entitled to have any tax credit in respect of any other excise duty levied under a different enactment namely section 80 of the 578 Finance Act
The appellant challenged before the High Court the aforesaid view of the authorities but the High Court negatived the challenge principally on the ground that tax credit would not be available to the appellant company in respect of the special excise duty levied under section 80 of the Finance Act having regard to the special meaning assigned to the expression duty of excise  by clause b of sub s6 of section 280ZD
It is clear that under section 280ZD 1 a manufacturer of the concerned goods is entitled to be granted a tax credit certificate for an amount calculated at the rate not exceeding 25 of the amount of duty of excise payable by him on that quantum of the goods cleared by him during the relevant financial year which exceeds the quantum of goods cleared by him during the base year and clause b of sub section
6 of section 280ZD defines the expression duty of excise  for the purpose of the aforesaid provision in a special manner and clause b says duty of excise  means the duty of excise leviable under the Central excises and Salt Act 1944
Obviously the special excise duty which was levied under section 80 of the Finance Act 1965 can not be regarded as having been levied under the Excise Act
Counsel for the appellant company however urged before us that having regard to the provisions of sub clause 3 and 4 of section 80 of the Finance Act the special excise duty leviable thereunder should be regarded as duty of excise leviable under the Excise Act
lt is not possible to accept this contention
It is true that the expression leviable  is an expression of wide import and includes stages of qualification and recovery of the duty but in the context in which that expression has been used in clause b of sub section
6 of section 280 ZD it is clear that it has been used in the sense of chargeability of the duty
In other words the duty of excise in respect whereof tax credit is available would be in respect of such duty of excise as chargeable under the Excise Act and clearly the special excise duty in respect whereof additional tax credit is sought by the appellant company is not chargeable under the Excise Act but chargeable under the Finance Act
Sub clauses 3  4 of section 80 of the Finance Act on which reliance has been placed by counsel for the appellant company in terms refer to the procedural aspect such as the qualification and collection of duty and simply because the qualification and collection of the special duty under the Finance Act is to be done in accordance with the provisions of the Excise Act such duty does not become leviable that is to say chargeable under the Excise Act
It is 579 therefore not possible to accept the contention of the counsel that such special duty of excise leviable under the Finance Act should also be included or taken into account for the propose of granting tax credit certificate under the Scheme read with section 280ZD of the Income Tax Act 1961
Reference was made by counsel for the appellant to a decision of the Madras High Court in Seshasayee Paper  Boards Ltd vs Deputy Director of Inspection Customs and Central Excise New Delhi and Anrl where the view taken by that Court seems to support his contention but having regard to the special definition of the expression duty of excise  given in section 280ZD 6 b and the construction which we have put on the word leviable we do not approve the decision of the Madras High Court
The other contention urged by counsel for the appellant relates to the question of limitation but on this aspect the admitted facts are that the first application for tax credit certificate was made by the appellant on June 24 1966 and the same had been disposed of in December 1966
Thereafter a supplementary application was made on August 26 1967 which was obviously barred by limitation as per para 52 of the Scheme
Further even the power to condone delay conferred on the Central Authority under para 53 would not cover the appellant s case for under that provision a delay for a period not exceeding 60 days could alone be condoned
Counsel however urged that the delay in filing the supplementary application ought to have been condoned having regard to the trade notice that had been issued on June 29 1967 inasmuch as the supplementary application could be said to have been made because of the clarification issued under that trade notice
It is however clear that by the trade notice no amendment was effected but merely a clarification of the existing position in law was given and therefore the trade notice could not furnish starting point of limitation for the supplementary application
In our view both the contentions were rightly rejected by the High Court and the appeals are dismissed but without cost
In view of what is stated above the special leave petitions are also dismissed
NVK Appeals  Petitions dismissed


Summary:
The Tax Credit Certificate Excise Duty on Excess Clearance Scheme 1965 was framed by the Central Government under section 280ZD of the Income Tax Act 1961
It was made applicable to the Cement Industry in 1985
For the year 1965 66 the excise duty for Cement levied under the Central Excise and Salt Act 1944 was Rs 2360 per ton but under section 80 of the Finance Act 1965 a special duty of excise equal to 25 of the total amount of excise chargeable under the Excise Act on various articles including cement was levied
The appellant company on the excess Clearance of cement made during the concerned year 1965 66 over and above the quantity cleared in the base year financial year 1964 65 applied for the grant of tax credit certificate to the concerned authority
The authority however granted tho Tax Credit Certificate only in respect of the Central Excise Duty levied under the Excise Act taking the view that the appellant was not entitled to have any tax credit in respect of any other excise duty levied under a different enactment namely section 80 of the Finance Act
576 The appellant company challenged in the High Court
Theafore said view but it was rejected on the ground that tax credit would not be available to The appellant company in respect of the special excise duty levied under s80 of the linance Act 1965 having regard to the special meaning assigned to the expression duty of excise  by clause b of sub section 6 of section 280ZD Dismissing the appeals and Special leave Petitions to this Court
 HELD 1
Under section 280ZD I a manufacturer of the concerned goods is entitled to be granted a tax credit certificate for an amount calculated at the rate not exceeding 25 of the amount of duty of excise payable by him on that quantum of the goods cleared by him during the relevant financial year which exceeds the quantum of goods cleared by him during the base year and clause b of sub sect on 6 of section 280ZD defines the expression duty of excise  for the purpose in a special manner as the duty of excise leviable under the Central Excise and Salt Act 944
578C E 2
Sub clause 3  4 of section 80 of the Finance Act 1965 refer to the procedural aspect such as the quantification and collection of duty
Simply because the quantification and collection of special duty under the Finance Act is to be done in the manner indicatcd under the Excise Act such duty does not become leviable that is chargeable under the Excise Act
578G H Seshasayee Paper  Boards Ltd vs Deputy Director of Inspection Customs and Central Excise New Delhi
and Anr  over ruled