2005 (3) TMI 672 - AT - Central Excise

Tribunal Upholds Exemption Notifications on Excise Duties, Rejects Revenue's Appeal

COMMISSIONER OF CENTRAL EXCISE, MUMBAI Versus RAYMOND LTD.

COMMISSIONER OF CENTRAL EXCISE, MUMBAI Versus RAYMOND LTD. - 2005 (192) E.L.T. 868 (Tri. - Mumbai) Issues:1. Interpretation of Section 3(1) of Additional Duties of Excise (T & TA) Act, 1978.2. Application of exemption notifications under Central Excise Act, 1944.3. Impact of exemption on Special Excise Duty and Additional Excise Duty.4. Relevance of judicial precedents on exemption notifications.Analysis:1. The judgment dealt with the interpretation of Section 3(1) of the Additional Duties of Excise (Textiles and Textile Articles) Act, 1978. The section specifies that a duty of excise shall be levied and collected equal to fifteen per cent of the total amount chargeable as excise duty under the Central Excise Act, 1944, along with any relevant notifications. The tribunal clarified that this levy is 15% of the effective excise duty, leaving no room for ambiguity in the case at hand.2. The issue of applying exemption notifications under the Central Excise Act, 1944 was crucial in this judgment. The goods in question were exempted under Notification No. 67/95 and Notification 22/96 from the duty of excise leviable under the Central Excise Act, 1944. As these notifications did not fall under specific exceptions, the excise duty chargeable was deemed to be nil, which also led to the additional duty being nil in accordance with the provisions of the Act.3. The judgment addressed the impact of exemptions on Special Excise Duty and Additional Excise Duty. It was argued by the Revenue that exemptions related to basic excise duty would not automatically apply to these levies. However, the tribunal found that the exemption notifications in question covered the duty of excise leviable under the Central Excise Act, 1944, resulting in the additional duty also becoming nil, as per the provisions of the Act.4. The relevance of judicial precedents on exemption notifications was highlighted in the judgment. The tribunal referred to previous decisions, including the Hon'ble Supreme Court's ruling in the case of M/s. Modi Rubber Ltd., emphasizing that exemptions under the Central Excise Rules did not necessarily extend to Special Excise Duty and Additional Excise Duty. However, in the present case, the tribunal found no error in the Commissioner's order, leading to the dismissal of the appeal by the Revenue.In conclusion, the tribunal rejected the appeal, finding no merits in the arguments presented by the Revenue. The judgment reaffirmed the application of exemption notifications under the Central Excise Act, 1944, and clarified the calculation of additional duties of excise as per the provisions of the relevant legislation.