Case: M/s. Meridian Industries Ltd Vs. Commissioner of Central Excise

v. Ballarpur Industries Ltd. (1989) 4 SCC 566 ) wherein this Court has held that the valid tests to determine whether the ingredient qualifies to be called raw material could be that ingredient should be so essential for the chemical processes culminating in the emergence of the desired end product. 18. As already pointed out above, Export and Import Policy 1997-2002 provided the definition of consumables and raw material. The definition of consumables suggest that if a particular item participates in or is required for a manufacturing process, but does not form part of the end product and instead it is specifically or totally consumed during a manufacturing process, the same would be treated as consumables. On the other hand, raw material, inter alia, includes any materials or goods that is required for the manufacturing process for a manufacturer. Though, these terms were not specifically defined at the relevant time when Vanasthali Textiles Industries Limited and Ballarpur Industries Limited cases were decided, going by the dictionary meaning, almost similar test was applied to determine whether a particular input would be treated as consumable or raw material. 19. A cursory glance of these judgments may give an impression that the present case is also covered by those decisions as in the instant case the waxing is ultimately removed from the cotton yarn by the buyer, after using this cotton yarn as raw material for fabricating the cloth. It is this aspect on which great stress and emphasis is laid by Mr. Bagaria, learned senior counsel for the appellant/assessee. However, a fine and subtle distinction is pointed out by Ms. Khajuria that becomes determinative of the outcome and changes the entire complexion, weighing the scales in favour of the respondent. Consumable is an item which does not form part of the end product. The assessee while arguing so is taking into consideration the end product at the hands of buyer which is not only extraneous and irrelevant but clearly impermissible. We are concerned with the article manufactured by the assessee, viz. cotton yarn, and not with the new and altogether different product, viz. knitting hosiery, manufactured by the buyer, who buys the cotton yarn as raw material/input. The article manufactured by the assessee is cotton yarn. Insofar as the assessee is concerned, its end product is cotton yarn. This cotton yarn becomes input for the manufacture of hosiery by the buyer who buys the cotton yarn from the assessee. This is to be kept in mind while determining whether wax as an item used in manufacturing cotton yarn becomes part of this cotton yarn or not. 20. Concentrating on this pertinent aspect, let us revisit the manufacturing process of cotton yarn by the assessee, which is the end product as far as the assessee is concerned. 21. Evidence has emerged on record, on which there is no dispute, that the final product which was cleared by the assessee, namely, cotton yarn was made of indigenous as well as imported cotton coated with imported wax. The wax coating is found to be essential for lubrication of the yarn and was allowed to remain on the yarn in order to facilitate its winding on cones and its use in knitting hosiery. Wax imparts a quality whereby the protruding fibres of the yarn are made to settle uniformly on the surface of the yarn to enable easy winding. This quality of the yarn is essential for its application in the manufacture of knitted fabrics by the buyers. It follows from the above that insofar as assessee is concerned, it manufactured cotton yarn by applying wax coating thereon. This wax coating, or significant portion thereof, remains on the cotton yarn. The buyer wants wax coating to remain as that is needed for lubrication of the yarn to facilitate its winding on cones when the buyer uses the said cotton yarn for manufacture of hosiery. No doubt that cotton yarn can be produced without wax as well. However, such cotton yarn without wax would be of inferior quality for the purposes of buyer in comparison with cotton yarn coated with wax as the use of cotton yarn with wax thereupon acting as lubricant is much more useful and becomes a value addition making it better quality cotton yarn, insofar as requirement of the buyer in using such cotton yarn for manufacture of knitted fabircs is concerned. When matter is examined from this angle, an irresistible conclusion is arrived at, namely, wax was used as raw material and not as consumable, insofar as end product of the assessee is concerned. For the assessee, end product is cotton yarn and not knitted hosiery. Knitted hosiery is the end product of the buyer. If buyer removes the wax after manufacture of knitted fabrics, that may not be of any consequence insofar as the assessee is concerned and would be totally extraneous to determine the issue at the hands of the assessee. 22. Once we examine the matter from the aforesaid angle, other arguments of the learned senior counsel appearing for the assessee also pale into insignificance. It clearly follows that the judgment in the case of Super Spinning Mills Ltd. or the judgments of this Court as noted above would not apply in the present case. Likewise, Circular No.389/22/98-CX issued by the Ministry of Finance giving certain clarifications, would not help the assessee. On the contrary, clarifications given therein go against the assessee. Para 3 (a) thereof which has already been reproduced in the earlier part of the judgment categorically states that those units which manufacture goods out of both imported and indigenous raw material would not be entitled to the benefit of Notification No.8/97. No doubt, as per para 3 (b), if imported consumables are used, benefit of the notification would still be available. However, in the present case, we find, as a fact, that wax is not used as consumable but as raw material. For same reasons, other circulars also will not advance the case of the assessee.

Court's decision (1 = petition accepted / positive for appellant, 0 = rejected / negative): 0

Reasoning from the judgment:
0[ds]19. A cursory glance of these judgments may give an impression that the present case is also covered by those decisions as in the instant case the waxing is ultimately removed from the cotton yarn by the buyer, after using this cotton yarn as raw material for fabricating the cloth. It is this aspect on which great stress and emphasis is laid by Mr. Bagaria, learned senior counsel for the appellant/assessee. However, a fine and subtle distinction is pointed out by Ms. Khajuria that becomes determinative of the outcome and changes the entire complexion, weighing the scales in favour of the respondent. Consumable is an item which does not form part of the end product. The assessee while arguing so is taking into consideration the end product at the hands of buyer which is not only extraneous and irrelevant but clearly impermissible. We are concerned with the article manufactured by the assessee, viz. cotton yarn, and not with the new and altogether different product, viz. knitting hosiery, manufactured by the buyer, who buys the cotton yarn as raw material/input. The article manufactured by the assessee is cotton yarn. Insofar as the assessee is concerned, its end product is cotton yarn. This cotton yarn becomes input for the manufacture of hosiery by the buyer who buys the cotton yarn from the assessee. This is to be kept in mind while determining whether wax as an item used in manufacturing cotton yarn becomes part of this cotton yarn or not.Concentrating on this pertinent aspect, let us revisit the manufacturing process of cotton yarn by the assessee, which is the end product as far as the assessee is concerned.Evidence has emerged on record, on which there is no dispute, that the final product which was cleared by the assessee, namely, cotton yarn was made of indigenous as well as imported cotton coated with imported wax. The wax coating is found to be essential for lubrication of the yarn and was allowed to remain on the yarn in order to facilitate its winding on cones and its use in knitting hosiery. Wax imparts a quality whereby the protruding fibres of the yarn are made to settle uniformly on the surface of the yarn to enable easy winding. This quality of the yarn is essential for its application in the manufacture of knitted fabrics by the buyers. It follows from the above that insofar as assessee is concerned, it manufactured cotton yarn by applying wax coating thereon. This wax coating, or significant portion thereof, remains on the cotton yarn. The buyer wants wax coating to remain as that is needed for lubrication of the yarn to facilitate its winding on cones when the buyer uses the said cotton yarn for manufacture of hosiery. No doubt that cotton yarn can be produced without wax as well. However, such cotton yarn without wax would be of inferior quality for the purposes of buyer in comparison with cotton yarn coated with wax as the use of cotton yarn with wax thereupon acting as lubricant is much more useful and becomes a value addition making it better quality cotton yarn, insofar as requirement of the buyer in using such cotton yarn for manufacture of knitted fabircs is concerned. When matter is examined from this angle, an irresistible conclusion is arrived at, namely, wax was used as raw material and not as consumable, insofar as end product of the assessee is concerned. For the assessee, end product is cotton yarn and not knitted hosiery. Knitted hosiery is the end product of the buyer. If buyer removes the wax after manufacture of knitted fabrics, that may not be of any consequence insofar as the assessee is concerned and would be totally extraneous to determine the issue at the hands of the assessee.Once we examine the matter from the aforesaid angle, other arguments of the learned senior counsel appearing for the assessee also pale into insignificance. It clearly follows that the judgment in the case of Super Spinning Mills Ltd. or the judgments of this Court as noted above would not apply in the present case. Likewise, Circular No.389/22/98-CX issued by the Ministry of Finance giving certain clarifications, would not help the assessee. On the contrary, clarifications given therein go against the assessee. Para 3 (a) thereof which has already been reproduced in the earlier part of the judgment categorically states that those units which manufacture goods out of both imported and indigenous raw material would not be entitled to the benefit of Notification No.8/97. No doubt, as per para 3 (b), if imported consumables are used, benefit of the notification would still be available. However, in the present case, we find, as a fact, that wax is not used as consumable but as raw material. For same reasons, other circulars also will not advance the case of the assessee.The appellant is seeking the benefit of exemption Notification No.8/97-C.E. Since it is an exemption notification, onus lies upon the appellant to show that its case falls within the four corners of this notification and is unambiguously covered by the provisions thereof. It is also to be borne in mind that such exemption notifications are to be given strict interpretation and, therefore, unless the assessee is able to make out a clear case in its favour, it is not entitled to claim the benefit thereof. Otherwise, if there is a doubt or two interpretations are possible, one which favours the Department is to be resorted to while construing an exemption notification.The gravamen of the charge against the appellant is that wax disc which is admittedly imported and used for the production of cotton yarn constitutes raw material and since imported material is used for the production of the aforesaid commodity, benefit of Notification No.8/97-C.E. cannot be extended to the appellant. It is not in dispute that wax is used in the process which is an imported material.