{"id":56422,"date":"2005-07-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2005-07-07T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/tvl-opera-arts-industries-vs-the-registrar-on-8-july-2005"},"modified":"2015-09-14T08:21:37","modified_gmt":"2015-09-14T02:51:37","slug":"tvl-opera-arts-industries-vs-the-registrar-on-8-july-2005","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/tvl-opera-arts-industries-vs-the-registrar-on-8-july-2005","title":{"rendered":"Tvl.Opera Arts Industries vs The Registrar on 8 July, 2005"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"docsource_main\">Madras High Court<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_title\">Tvl.Opera Arts Industries vs The Registrar on 8 July, 2005<\/div>\n<pre>       \n\n  \n\n  \n\n \n \n IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS           \n\nDATED: 08\/07\/2005  \n\nCORAM   \n\nThe Hon'ble Mr.MARKANDEY KATJU, CHIEF JUSTICE        \nand \nThe Hon'ble Mr.Justice F.M.IBRAHIM KALIFULLA    \n\nWrit Petition No. 29557 of 2003\n\nTvl.Opera Arts Industries\nRep. by its Proprietor R.M.Salam,\n32, Sadayappa Maistry Street, \nChennai - 600 001.                              ... Petitioner\n\n-Vs-\n\n1. The Registrar,\n    The Tamil Nadu Taxation Special Tribunal,\n    Singaravelar Maligai, Rajaji Salai,\n    Chennai - 600 001.\n\n2. The Commercial Tax Officer,\n    Mannady (West) Assessment Circle, \n    191, NSC Bose Road, \n    Chennai - 600 001.                        ... Respondents\n\n\n        Petition  filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying\nfor the issue of a Writ of Certiorari for the reasons stated therein.\n\n!For Petitioner ...  Mr.S.Ramanathan\n\n^For Respondent - 2 ...  Mr.T.Ayyasamy \n                        Special Govt.  Pleader (Taxes)\n\n\n:O R D E R \n<\/pre>\n<p>THE HONOURABLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE         <\/p>\n<p>        This  writ  petition  has  been  filed  for  a  writ of certiorari for<br \/>\nquashing the order of the Tamil Nadu Taxation Special Tribunal, Chennai  dated<br \/>\n18.03.2002 in T.C (R) No.151137 of 1999.\n<\/p>\n<p>        2.      Heard  the  learned  counsel  for the parties, and perused the<br \/>\nrecord.\n<\/p>\n<p>        3.      The petitioner is a dealer in Elastic  Rail  Clips,  which  he<br \/>\nmanufactures and sells to the Railways.  The elastic rail clip is a clip which<br \/>\nholds together  the  sleeper  and the rails in the track.  The petitioner is a<br \/>\nregistered dealer under the Tamil Nadu General Sales Tax,  and  Central  Sales<br \/>\nTax,  and  is an assessee on the file of the second respondent, the Commercial<br \/>\nTax Officer, Mannady (West) Assessment Circle, Chennai  (hereinafter  referred<br \/>\nto as the C.T.O.).\n<\/p>\n<p>        4.      For the assessment year 1995-96, the petitioner showed a total<br \/>\ntaxable  turnover of Rs.22,94,775\/- under the Tamil Nadu General Sales Tax Act<br \/>\n(hereinafter referred to as &#8216;the TNGST Act&#8217;).   The  petitioner  reported  the<br \/>\nabove turnover as taxable at 4% claiming the goods he sold to be forgings, and<br \/>\nhence as declared goods falling under Entry 4 (viii) of the Second Schedule to<br \/>\nthe TNGST Act.\n<\/p>\n<p>        5.      The C.T.O.   however called for the accounts of the petitioner<br \/>\nand after verifying them  observed  that  the  Sillico  Manganese  Steel  Rods<br \/>\npurchased  by  the  petitioner  as  raw  material  were  subjected  to various<br \/>\nprocesses and  then  supplied  to  the  Railways  as  a  different  commercial<br \/>\ncommodity viz.,  elastic  rail clips.  Hence the second respondent treated the<br \/>\nabove goods as falling under the general item under Entry 63  Part  D  of  the<br \/>\nFirst Schedule  to the TNGST Act taxable at 8%.  Since the goods were supplied<br \/>\nto the Railways i.e.  a Government Department, the  second  respondent  levied<br \/>\ntax  at  4%  but  also  levied  15%  surcharge,  5%  additional  surcharge and<br \/>\nadditional sales tax at 1.5%.  He also levied  penalty  of  Rs.37,881\/-  under<br \/>\nSection 12(3)(b) of the TNGST Act by order dated 20.3.1997.\n<\/p>\n<p>        6.      Against  that order, the petitioner filed an appeal before the<br \/>\nAppellate Assistant Commissioner, II, Chennai disputing the levy of surcharge,<br \/>\nadditional surcharge, additional sales tax and penalty on the ground that  the<br \/>\nrail  clips  sold  by the petitioner were produced by a simple process of heat<br \/>\ntreating the special steel purchased by the petitioner and by bringing it into<br \/>\nthe shape of elastic rail clips by forging.   Hence  it  was  alleged  by  the<br \/>\npetitioner  that  the  railway  clips sold by it were nothing but forgings and<br \/>\nwere hence declared goods under Entry 4(viii) of the Second  Schedule  to  the<br \/>\nTNGST Act, and liable to pay sales tax only at 4% but no surcharge, additional<br \/>\nsurcharge,  additional  sales  tax  or penalty were leviable as the goods were<br \/>\ndeclared goods.  The Appellate Assistant Commissioner by  his  order  dated  2<br \/>\n1.7.97 partly  allowed  the  appeal by deleting the penalty of Rs.  37,88 1\/-,<br \/>\nbut he sustained the levy of surcharge, additional  surcharge  and  additional<br \/>\nsales  tax  by  holding that forging is one that requires further finishing to<br \/>\nmake it a final manufactured product.  He held that  the  Elastic  Rail  Clips<br \/>\nsold  by  the  petitioner do not require any further treatment for making it a<br \/>\nfinal product, and they are themselves the final product.\n<\/p>\n<p>        7.      Aggrieved, the petitioner filed a  second  appeal  before  the<br \/>\nSales  Tax  Appellate  Tribunal,  Chennai  disputing  the  levy  of surcharge,<br \/>\nadditional surcharge, and additional sales  tax.    Before  the  Tribunal  the<br \/>\nassessee  contended  that  the  product manufactured and sold by it was only a<br \/>\nproduct of iron and steel, and the name &#8216;elastic rail  clip&#8217;  is  a  misnomer.<br \/>\nHowever, the Tribunal by its order dated 24.9.98 dismissed the appeal.\n<\/p>\n<p>        8.      Against  that  order of the Appellate Tribunal, the petitioner<br \/>\nfiled a Tax  Case  Revision  before  Tamil  Nadu  Taxation  Special  Tribunal,<br \/>\nChennai.   The petitioner mainly relied on the decision of the Larger Bench of<br \/>\nCEGAT, New Delhi reported in Sikka Heat Treatment  Centre  v.    Collector  of<br \/>\nCentral  Excise,  New  Delhi,  1996  (81)  E.L.T.628  (Tribunal)  in which the<br \/>\nTribunal has held that the rail clips are only forgings and not general goods.<br \/>\nHowever, the Tamil Nadu Taxation Special Tribunal relied on  the  decision  of<br \/>\nthe Supreme  Court  reported  in <a href=\"\/doc\/364115\/\">Vasantham Foundry v.  Union of India, (Vol.99<br \/>\nSTC<\/a> 87) and held that the Elastic Rail Clips supplied as a finished product to<br \/>\nthe railways as per  its  specifications  and  drawings  after  completion  of<br \/>\npolishing and machining could not be classified as declared goods.\n<\/p>\n<p>        9.      Learned  counsel  for  the petitioner contended that the first<br \/>\nrespondent had failed to consider that the  petitioner  had  purchased  Silico<br \/>\nManganese  Steel  Rods  from  other  States  and the manufacturing activity is<br \/>\nnothing but twisting of the product into a required shape  by  heat  treatment<br \/>\nand of forging as specified by the Railways.  The elastic clips holds together<br \/>\nthe sleeper  and  the  rails  in  the railway track.  There is no machining or<br \/>\npolishing done in the above process.  Hence, it was contended that the finding<br \/>\nof the fir st respondent was not correct.\n<\/p>\n<p>        10.     Learned counsel for the petitioner contended  that  the  lower<br \/>\nauthorities  have  treated  the  rail  clips  as finished product for the sole<br \/>\nreason that there was a difference between raw materials and the  end  product<br \/>\nof  rail clips, but the lower authorities have failed to note that there was a<br \/>\nchange in the shape only b y heat treatment  and  forging  process  while  the<br \/>\nmaterials have  not  lost its original character.  It is alleged that the rail<\/p>\n<p>clips are only forgings as enumerated in Item 4 (viii) of the Second Schedule,<br \/>\nand hence are declared goods.  Hence  it  was  contended  that  no  surcharge,<br \/>\nadditional surcharge or additional sales tax is leviable.\n<\/p>\n<p>        11.   The  process  of  manufacture  of rail clips as mentioned in the<br \/>\ndecision of the Larger Bench of the CEGAT in Sikka Heat Treatment  Centre  Vs.<br \/>\nCollector of Central Excise, New Delhi, 1996 (81) ELT 628 is as follows:-\n<\/p>\n<p>        &#8220;The manufacture of rail clips starts with iron\/steel rods.  These are<br \/>\nfirst cut  into  required specific sizes of particular length.  The cut pieces<br \/>\nare then heated in a furnace to high temperature.  The red hot iron  rods  are<br \/>\nthen bent  on  bending  machines to give the required specific shape.  The red<br \/>\nhot pieces are forged in power press in the dies fitted in the press  and  are<br \/>\ndirectly dipped  in  oil  for quenching.  Then the pieces are taken out of the<br \/>\noil and are tempered in an  electrically  heated  tempering  furnace  to  give<br \/>\nstrength.   It  is  obvious  from  the  foregoing  that forging forms only one<br \/>\nintermediate process in a chain of various processes&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<p>        12.  The short question in this case is whether as  contended  by  the<br \/>\nlearned  counsel  for the petitioner elastic rail clips sold by the petitioner<br \/>\nto the railways can be regarded as declared goods falling under entry  4(viii)<br \/>\nof the Second Schedule to the TNGST Act, 1959, which reads as follows:-\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>                &#8221; 4- Iron and steel, that is to say, &#8211;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>                        (viii) discs, rings, forgings, and steel castings&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>        13.   The  question  therefore  is  whether  elastic rail clips can be<br \/>\nregarded as &#8220;forgings&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<p>        14.  The  learned  counsel  for  the  petitioner  has  relied  on  the<br \/>\naforesaid decision  of  the  CEGAT  in  Sikka  Heat Treatment Centre Case.  In<br \/>\nparagraph &#8211; 7 of that decision the Tribunal observed:-\n<\/p>\n<p>                &#8220;??having  regard  to  the  technical  aspects,   departmental<br \/>\nunderstanding,  and  the  precedent legal pronouncements on the subject, it is<br \/>\nheld that rail clips will not fall for classification under  Item  68  CET  as<br \/>\ngoods  not  elsewhere specified in the tariff, and it is further held that the<br \/>\nrail clips, having regard to the process of  manufacture  involved,  would  be<br \/>\nmore  appropriately  classifiable  under  Item  26AA(ia)\/2  5(8) CET as pieces<br \/>\nroughly  shaped  for  forging  which  is  the  classification  determined  for<br \/>\nsimilarly  manufactured  forgings  by  the  Tribunal  in  the Aravali Forgings<br \/>\ndecision (supra) and which is also the classification for such goods  accepted<br \/>\nby  the  Department  in  the  instructions  issued  followed the Supreme Court<br \/>\ndecision in the TISCO case (supra)?..&#8221;\n<\/p>\n<p>        15.  The learned counsel for the petitioner submitted that  the  lower<br \/>\nauthorities  have  treated the rail clips as general goods because there was a<br \/>\ndifference between the raw-materials and end-product viz., rail clips.  Since,<br \/>\na different commercial commodity has emerged the lower authorities  held  that<br \/>\nit should be treated as the item falling under the general entry.  The learned<br \/>\ncounsel for the petitioner further submitted that the lower authorities failed<br \/>\nto  note  that  there  was  change in shape only by heat treatment and forging<br \/>\nprocess, and the materials had not lost its original character.  Hence, it was<br \/>\ncontended that the rail clips sold by the  petitioner  are  only  forgings  as<br \/>\nenumerated  in  entry  4(viii) to the Second Schedule to the TNGST Act and are<br \/>\ndeclared goods and hence no surcharge or additional  surcharge  or  additional<br \/>\nsales tax could be levied.\n<\/p>\n<p>        16.   The learned counsel for the petitioner relied on the decision of<br \/>\nthe Supreme Court in Tata Iron and Steel Co.  Ltd.  Vs.  Union of India,  1988<br \/>\n(35) ELT  605.    The  issue  involved  in that decision was whether the steel<br \/>\nwheels, tyres and axles supplied by the appellant therein to the Railway  were<br \/>\nexcisable under  entry 26 AA as iron and steel products.  The Supreme Court in<br \/>\nthat decision observed:-\n<\/p>\n<p>                &#8220;A perusal of these items makes it  clear  that  forged  steel<br \/>\nproducts are  liable  to  duty  in  terms  of Tariff Item No.26AA.  It is also<br \/>\nbeyond dispute that forged steel goods with which we are  concerned  would  be<br \/>\ncovered  by  Tariff  Item No.26AA(ia) which includes forged or extruded shapes<br \/>\nand sections, not otherwise specified.  It is common ground that the appellant<br \/>\nis liable to pay excise duty on the said goods under Tariff Item  No.26AA(ia).<br \/>\nThe  dispute  in  this connection is what is the stage at which the said goods<br \/>\ncould be said to be forged iron and steel products as contemplated in the said<br \/>\nitem; whether they could be regarded as such as soon as  they  are  forged  or<br \/>\nafter  machining and polishing to remove the excess skin before being supplied<br \/>\nto the Indian Railways.  The stand of the appellant is that this machining and<br \/>\npolishing which is done in its workshop,  is  not  significant  character  and<br \/>\nextensive  precision machining and polishing has to be done by the railways at<br \/>\ntheir workshop before the wheels, tyres and axles supplied  by  the  appellant<br \/>\ncan be attached to the rolling stock.  The machining and polishing done in the<br \/>\nworkshop  of  the  appellant was only in the nature of shaping by removing the<br \/>\nsuperficial material to bring the  forged  items  up  to  with  the  Railways&#8217;<br \/>\nspecifications.   A  perusal of Item 26AA would show the excise duty on forged<br \/>\ngoods covered under the said entry, is  according  to  the  weight  should  be<br \/>\nmeasured  only  after  the polishing and machining at the appellant&#8217;s workshop<br \/>\nwas completed.  It is obvious that as a result of such machining and polishing<br \/>\nthere would be some loss in weight on account of excess skin removal.  It  was<br \/>\non  the other hand contended on behalf of the Revenue, that the forging of the<br \/>\ngoods was complete before the machining and polishing was done to  remove  the<br \/>\nexcess surface or excess skin.  It appears to us that the aforesaid contention<br \/>\nof the  appellant  deserves  to be accepted.  Even to prepare forged goods for<br \/>\nsupplying to the railway, it was essential that the goods should  comply  with<br \/>\nthe railway&#8217;s specifications and the excess steel on the surface or the excess<br \/>\nskin as it is called, would have to be removed for that purpose.  Moreover, as<br \/>\npointed  out  by  the  learned  single Judge of the Delhi High Court, in Metal<br \/>\nForgings Pvt.  Ltd.  &amp; Another Vs.  Union of India and Others, 1985  (20)  ELT<br \/>\n280 (paragraph &#8211; 12):-\n<\/p>\n<p>                        &#8220;The   process   of  manufacture  of  forged  products<br \/>\nconsists of cutting of steel, pre-heating of material, heating and beating  of<br \/>\nsteel material  till  final  shaping  is  achieved.  The steel forging process<br \/>\ninvolves open forging and\/or upset forging process under which the product  is<br \/>\nmade with  the  help  of  dies.    Thereafter, the extra\/unwanted materials is<br \/>\nremoved by either trimming or by gas cutting or by skin cutting to achieve the<br \/>\nshape and section nearest to the forged steel product required  and  also  the<br \/>\nforging clearances specified in the standards by I.S.I.  or International.  It<br \/>\nis  conceded  by  the Government that forging would not cease to be forging by<br \/>\nprocesses like removal of superfluous extra skin of cast iron.\n<\/p>\n<p>                The  learned  Judge  has  further  pointed  out  in  the  next<br \/>\nparagraph  of  the  said  judgment  that the removal of extra\/unwanted surface<br \/>\nsteel by either trimming or by gas cutting or by skin cutting  of  the  forged<br \/>\nproducts  must  be  regarded  as  incidental  or  ancillary  to the process of<br \/>\nmanufacture.  This view is also consisted with the  definition  given  to  the<br \/>\nterm  &#8220;manufacture&#8221;  contained  in sub-Section (f) of Section 2 of the Central<br \/>\nExcise and Salt Act,  1944.    This  definition  shows  that  the  manufacture<br \/>\nincludes   any  process  incidental  or  ancillary  to  the  completion  of  a<br \/>\nmanufactured product.  We are, therefore, of the view that in respect  of  the<br \/>\nsaid  goods  the  weight  for  the  purpose  of levy of excise duty under Item<br \/>\n26AA(ia) should be taken after the machining and polishing is done  to  remove<br \/>\nthe  excess  surface  skin  and the contention of the appellant in this regard<br \/>\nmust be accepted&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<p>        17.  The learned  counsel  for  the  petitioner  also  relied  on  the<br \/>\nfollowing  observation  of  the  CEGAT  in  Sikka Heat Treatment Centre Case (<br \/>\nsupra):-\n<\/p>\n<p>                &#8220;Having  regard  to  the   technical   aspects,   departmental<br \/>\nunderstanding,  and  the  precedent legal pronouncements on the subject, it is<br \/>\nheld that the rail clips will not fall for classification under Item 68 CET as<br \/>\ngoods not elsewhere specified in the tariff, and it is further held  that  the<br \/>\nrail  clips,  having  regard  to the process of manufacture involved, would be<br \/>\nmore appropriately  classifiable  under  Item  26AA(ia)\/25(8)  CET  as  pieces<br \/>\nroughly shaped by forging&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<p>        18.   Thus,  according  to  the  CEGAT  the rail clips supplied by the<br \/>\npetitioner to the railways  are  classifiable  as  pieces  roughly  shaped  by<br \/>\nforgings.   Hence,  it  is  contended  by  the  petitioner that the rail clips<br \/>\nsupplied by the petitioner are only forgings, and hence  taxable  under  entry<br \/>\n4(viii) of the Second Schedule to the TNGST Act as declared goods.\n<\/p>\n<p>        19.   On  the  other  hand,  learned  counsel  for  the department has<br \/>\nsubmitted that assessee purchases silico manganese steel rods and manufactures<br \/>\nthe elastic rail clips after  various  processes.    The  goods  sold  by  the<br \/>\nassessee were an altogether different commodity from its raw materials.  Hence<br \/>\nthey  would  fall  under  the  residual  entry\/item  63 of Part D of the First<br \/>\nSchedule to the TNGST Act.\n<\/p>\n<p>20.  It may be noted that under Section 14(iv)(viii) of the Central Sales  Tax<br \/>\nAct  discs,  rings, forgings and steel castings have been declared to be goods<br \/>\nof special importance in inter-state trade or  commerce.    Consequently,  the<br \/>\nrestrictions  imposed by Section 15 of the Act are applicable on the aforesaid<br \/>\ndeclared goods.\n<\/p>\n<p>        21.  Under Article 286(3) of the Constitution parliament is  empowered<br \/>\nin  relation to goods declared to be of special importance in interstate trade<br \/>\nor commerce to lay down restrictions and conditions subject to which any State<br \/>\nlaw may regulate the tax on sales or purchase of such declared  goods  in  the<br \/>\nState.  Accordingly, Section 14 of the Central Sales Tax Act declares a number<br \/>\nof  goods as goods of special importance in inter-state trade or commerce, and<br \/>\nSection 15 places certain restrictions on the tax payable on sale or  purchase<br \/>\nof declared  goods.  One of the restrictions imposed by Section 15 is that the<br \/>\ntax payable under the State Sales Tax Act in respect of any sale  or  purchase<br \/>\nof  such  declared  goods  shall  not  exceed 4% of the sale or purchase price<br \/>\nthereof.\n<\/p>\n<p>        22.  The contention of the petitioner is that the elastic  rail  clips<br \/>\nsold  by  it  to  the railways falls under Section 14(iv)(viii) of the Central<br \/>\nSales Tax Act, and  hence  sales  tax,  surcharge,  additional  surcharge  put<br \/>\ntogether should not exceed 4%.\n<\/p>\n<p>        23.   The  assessee purchases Silica Manganese Steel Rods out of which<br \/>\nelastic rail clips are manufactured and sold to the Railways.   These  elastic<br \/>\nrail  clips  are  used  for  holding together the sleeper and the rails on the<br \/>\nrailway track.  The steel rods purchased by the  assessee  are  cut  into  the<br \/>\nrequired sizes, heat treated, forged, dipped in oil for quenching, and twisted<br \/>\nto  manufacture  the  railway  clips  according  to  the specifications of the<br \/>\nrailways.  The elastic rail clip is  &#8220;S&#8221;  shaped  and  various  processes  are<br \/>\ninvolved to manufacture it.\n<\/p>\n<p>        24.  In our opinion, this entire process by which  the  steel  rod  is<br \/>\nconverted into  elastic  rail  clips  cannot be called forging.  We are of the<br \/>\nopinion that though forging may form only one intermediate process, the entire<br \/>\nchain of various processes involved in the manufacture of elastic  rail  clips<br \/>\ncannot be  called  forging.    An  elastic  rail  clip  is a separate distinct<br \/>\ncommodity known in the trade circle, and hence  it  cannot  be  classified  as<br \/>\n&#8220;forging&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<p>        25.  As pointed out by the Supreme Court  in  the  case  of  Rajasthan<br \/>\nRoller Flour Mills Association Vs.  State of Rajasthan, (1993) 91 STC 408 &#8220;the<br \/>\nprovisions of Section 14 and 15 of the Act being restrictions upon the plenary<br \/>\npowers of the State legislature to levy tax on the sale\/purchase of goods must<br \/>\nbe construed  strictly.    In other words, the restrictions must be limited to<br \/>\nthe goods expressly mentioned and nothing more must be  read  into  it  except<br \/>\nwhat it says clearly&#8221;.  In the aforesaid decision the Supreme Court, held that<br \/>\nwhen  wheat  is  consumed  for  producing  flour  (atta) or maida or suji, the<br \/>\ncommodities obtained  are  different  commodities  from  wheat  and  they  are<br \/>\ndifferent   goods   commercially  speaking,  and  hence  not  declared  goods.<br \/>\nLikewise, rail clips manufactured from steel rods  through  various  processes<br \/>\nincluding forging cannot be treated as declared goods.\n<\/p>\n<p>        26.  In  the  case of Vasantham Foundry Vs.  Union of India, (1995) 99<br \/>\nSTC 87, a three Judges Bench of the Supreme Court  had  occasion  to  consider<br \/>\nwhether  &#8220;cast iron casting&#8221; is declared goods falling under Section 14 of the<br \/>\nAct.  The Court held:-\n<\/p>\n<p>                &#8220;Therefore, in our view, &#8220;cast iron casting&#8221; in its  basic  or<br \/>\nrough form  must  be held to be &#8220;cast iron&#8221;.  But, if thereafter any machining<br \/>\nor polishing or any other process is done to the rough cast  iron  casting  to<br \/>\nproduce  things like pipes, man-hole covers or bends, these cannot be regarded<br \/>\nas &#8220;cast iron casting&#8221; in its primary or rough form, but products made out  of<br \/>\ncast iron  castings.    Such  products  cannot  be regarded as &#8220;cast iron&#8221; and<br \/>\ncannot be treated as &#8220;declared goods&#8221; under  Section  14(iv)  of  the  Central<br \/>\nSales Tax Act&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<p>        27.   In  our opinion, what has been stated by the Supreme Court about<br \/>\ncast iron castings is applicable mutatis mutandis to forging as well.   Hence,<br \/>\nelastic  rail  clips  which was manufactured by the petitioner from steel rods<br \/>\nand supplied to the railways as a final product  cannot  be  characterised  as<br \/>\nforging.\n<\/p>\n<p>        28.   In our opinion, the reliance placed on the decision of the CEGAT<br \/>\nin Sikka Heat Treatment Centre Case (supra) is misconceived.  In that case the<br \/>\nTribunal for the purpose of levy of excise duty held that elastic  rail  clips<br \/>\nshould  be  considered as &#8220;pieces roughly shaped by forging&#8221;, one of the items<br \/>\nenumerated under item 26 AA(ia)\/25(8) of CET.  It is pertinent  to  note  that<br \/>\nunder  item  26 AA(ia)\/25(8) various products were enumerated and the Tribunal<br \/>\nfound the elastic rail clips as answering the description of  &#8220;pieces  roughly<br \/>\nshaped by  forging&#8221;.    In  our  opinion,  the decision of the CEGAT cannot be<br \/>\nextended to a sales tax law wherein the object is not to tax the substance but<br \/>\nto tax the products manufactured out of the substance,  vide  State  of  Tamil<br \/>\nNadu Vs.   Pyarelal  Malhothra,  AIR  1976 SC 800.  At any event we are not in<br \/>\nagreement with the view taken by the CEGAT in the aforesaid decision.\n<\/p>\n<p>        29.  The decision of the Supreme Court in the case of  Tata  Iron  and<br \/>\nSteel Company  Limited Vs.  Union of India, 1988 (35) ELT 605 SC also does not<br \/>\nhelp the assessee.  The Supreme Court in that  case  found  that  the  product<br \/>\nsupplied  by  the  manufacturer  therein,  namely,  wheels  and axles required<br \/>\nfurther processing at the hands of the railways to make them  final  products.<br \/>\nHence, the ratio of that decision is not applicable to the present case, where<br \/>\nthe  final  manufactured product sold to the Southern Railways was in ready to<br \/>\nuse condition without any need for further processing.   It  is  pertinent  to<br \/>\nnote  that  in  Section  14  of  the  Act, &#8220;forgings&#8221;, vide Clause (viii), and<br \/>\n&#8220;wheels and axles&#8221;, vide Clause (xiv) are  shown  in  two  different  entries,<br \/>\nthereby  making  it abundantly clear that &#8220;forgings&#8221; in its basic form and the<br \/>\nfinal forged products such as wheels, axles, etc., ar e  different  commercial<br \/>\ncommodities for the purposes of sales tax.\n<\/p>\n<p>        30.   It  may also be mentioned that the decision of the Supreme Court<br \/>\nin the case of Tata Iron and Steel Company (supra) was considered by  a  three<br \/>\nJudges  Bench of the Supreme Court in the case of Pefco Foundry Chemcials Ltd.<br \/>\nVs.  Collector of Central Excise, Pune, 1993 Supp.  (1 )  SCC  74.    In  that<br \/>\ncase, the Supreme Court found that the decision in Tata Iron and Steel Company<br \/>\nCase  (supra)  was  rendered on the basis of an admission made by the railways<br \/>\nthat what was supplied was in rough machined or forged condition.   The  Court<br \/>\nheld  that  &#8220;Cylinder  liner&#8221;  manufactured  by  the  manufacturer out of iron<br \/>\ncasting was not mere iron casting and it was identifiable as a  machine  part.<br \/>\nHence,  the decision in Tata Iron and Steel Company Case (supra) does not help<br \/>\nthe assessee.  Hence, in our opinion, elastic rail clip manufactured and  sold<br \/>\nby the assessee cannot be considered as a &#8220;declared goods&#8221;.\n<\/p>\n<p>        31.   In  view  of the above, there is no force in this writ petition,<br \/>\nand it is accordingly dismissed.  No costs.\n<\/p>\n<p>Pv\/sm <\/p>\n<p>Copy to:-\n<\/p>\n<p>1.  The Registrar,<br \/>\nThe Tamil Nadu Taxation Special Tribunal,<br \/>\nSingaravelar Maligai, Rajaji Salai,<br \/>\nChennai &#8211; 600 001.\n<\/p>\n<p>2.  The Commercial Tax Officer,<br \/>\nMannady (West) Assessment Circle,<br \/>\n191, NSC Bose Road,<br \/>\nChennai &#8211; 600 001.\n<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Madras High Court Tvl.Opera Arts Industries vs The Registrar on 8 July, 2005 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 08\/07\/2005 CORAM The Hon&#8217;ble Mr.MARKANDEY KATJU, CHIEF JUSTICE and The Hon&#8217;ble Mr.Justice F.M.IBRAHIM KALIFULLA Writ Petition No. 29557 of 2003 Tvl.Opera Arts Industries Rep. by its Proprietor R.M.Salam, 32, Sadayappa Maistry Street, Chennai [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-high-court","category-madras-high-court"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Tvl.Opera Arts Industries vs The Registrar on 8 July, 2005 - Free Judgements of Supreme Court &amp; 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