1994 (2) TMI 143 - AT - Central Excise

Summary

Issues:
Eligibility for modvat credit of caustic soda, hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitrogen gas, and oxygen gas used as inputs in the manufacture of monochrome picture tubes.

Detailed Analysis:

The judgment revolves around the eligibility for modvat credit of various chemicals and gases used as inputs in the manufacturing process of monochrome picture tubes for black and white TV sets. The dispute arose when show cause notices were issued seeking to deny modvat credit on the grounds that the disputed items were considered apparatus/appliances and not covered by the definition of inputs as per Rule 57A of the Central Excise Rules. The Assistant Collector and the lower appellate authority confirmed the denial of modvat credit, leading to the appeals before the Tribunal.

The manufacturing process of television picture tubes involves multiple operations split into front end and back end processes. The front end processes include washing the inert glass shell with a mixture of deionized water and hydrofluoric acid, coating the shell with phosphorous and potassium silicate, and sealing the electron gun onto the shell, among other operations. The eligibility of various inputs such as caustic soda, hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitrogen gas, and oxygen gas was scrutinized based on their essential roles in the manufacturing process.

Caustic soda plays a crucial role in the deionization process necessary for transforming inert glass shells into active material for further processing. Hydrofluoric acid is essential for the chemical wash of the glass shell before phosphorous coating, a vital step in the manufacturing process. Hydrochloric acid is used to regenerate resin in the deionization process. Nitrogen gas is utilized for lacquering the glass shell to ensure even phosphorous coating, while oxygen gas is employed in the sealing process for the electron gun to transmit electrons onto the TV screen.

The Tribunal considered precedents regarding the eligibility of water treatment chemicals for modvat credit and analogized cases where chemicals and resin used in the treatment of water for paper manufacturing were deemed eligible for credit. Following this reasoning, the Tribunal held that modvat credit is available for caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, and hydrofluoric acid due to their essential roles in the deionization and phosphorous coating processes.

Moreover, the eligibility of gases such as nitrogen and oxygen was also established based on prior Tribunal decisions that recognized their importance in the manufacturing process. Nitrogen gas for lacquering and oxygen gas for sealing the electron gun were deemed essential inputs for the production of TV picture tubes, making them eligible for modvat credit.

In conclusion, the Tribunal ruled in favor of the appellants, holding that modvat credit is available for all the disputed inputs. The impugned orders denying credit were set aside, and the appeals were allowed with consequential relief granted to the appellants.