The India Cements Limited vs The Assistant Commissioner (Ct) on 22 December, 2006
24.6. Of course an argument was advanced on behalf of M/s.Hindustan Motors Limited that on account of the benefit of waiver given to them, they had not collected sales tax from the consumers as per the terms of the Eligibility Certificate and therefore, they should not be made liable for the sales tax on the basis of the corrigendum for the period during which they had not collected sales tax. But, we are unable to appreciate the same. The circumstances under which M/s.Hindustan Motors Limited having availed the benefit of waiver of sales tax scheme, had not collected sales tax from the customers are of no consequence, as the primary liability to pay sales tax is on the seller. Therefore, the Government is entitled to recover the sales tax, irrespective of the fact that the beneficiary of the scheme might have lost the chance of passing the liability to pay sales tax on the purchaser. This again takes us to the root of the issue, viz., whether the denial of the benefits of the waiver of sales tax scheme for non-compliance of the qualifications prescribed in clause (10) read with Clause (13) of the eligibility certificate is justified and sustainable in law; which we have already answered in favour of Hindustan Motors Limited as the parameter adopted by the SIPCOT for determining the BPV and BSV conferring the benefit of waiver scheme is illogical, irrational, arbitrary and therefore, illegal as the production of the diversified unit, viz., Lancer Cars, is totally different from that of the existing unit, viz., Earth Moving equipments. Hence, we are of the considered opinion that, to uphold the object of the new industrial policy and to give effect to the object of the scheme in letter in spirit, the Government is under a statutory obligation to consider the case of Hindustan Motors Limited on merits, treating the diversified unit as a new unit and to grant appropriate relief, because such an exercise cannot be done by this Court while exercising the power of judicial review conferred under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, because power to grant such appropriate relief requires to be decided based on several materials and details, both relating to production and sale, which are sought to be achieved under the new industrial policy and also requires a careful appreciation of the same before taking appropriate decision in the matter, which power, in our considered opinion is fully within the domain of the State and cannot be usurped by us, by exercising the power of judicial review, whatever the reason may be. [State of Rajasthan v. J.K.Udaipur Udyog Ltd., (2004) 7 SCC 673].