Central Excise – Delay in issue of Adjudication order/Appellate order after personal hearing

Timely issuance of adjudication orders required after personal hearings; supervisory mechanisms must ensure orders within prescribed timeframes.

Decisions on adjudication and appellate matters should be communicated promptly after personal hearings; if immediate communication is not possible the order must be issued within a limited extended period from the date of hearing. Chief Commissioners and Commissioners must implement supervisory mechanisms to ensure strict compliance with these timelines, and failures to adhere to the prescribed time limits will be viewed seriously; field formations are to be informed and to acknowledge receipt.