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2023 (12) TMI 953

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..... ga Ram Hospital 2020 (11) TMI 536-CESTAT New Delhi * Sir Ganga Ram Hospital & Ors. Vs M/s Indraprastha Medical Corporation Ltd. 2017 (12) TMI 509 CESTAT New Delhi * CCE vs Maharaja Agrasen Hospital Charitable Trust 2023 (5) TMI 521  CESTAT, New Delhi * Apollo Hospitals 2018 (6) TMI 1256 CESTAT-New Delhi * Asian Heart Institute & Research Centre 2023 (5) TMI 388 - CESTAT -MUMBAI * National Health & Education Society vs CST 2019 (6) TMI 71 - CESTAT Mumbai As regard the second issue that whether only for non-compliance of the procedure prescribed under Rule 6(3A) of Cenvat Credit Rules, such as intimation for opting of provision of Rule 6(3A) was not given, this issue has also been considered in the following judgments: * Cranes and Structural Engineers vs CCE 2017 (347) ELT 112 (Tri. Bang.) * Emami Limited vs CCE 2023 (8) TMI 1232-EXTAT Amd * Etrans Solutions Pvt ltd. vs CGST 2020 )372) ELT 867 (Tri. Kol.) * Star Agriwarehousing & Collateral Management Ltd. vs CCE 2021 (44) GSTL 271 (Tri. Del.) * A Menarini India Private Limited vs CST 2022 (10)TMI 695 CESTAT Amd. He further submits that demand is time barred as no suppression of fact or mis-declaratio .....

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..... like duration of time for consultation, the obligations on the part of the doctors fee to be paid procedure for termination of agreement, etc. The agreements generally talk about appointment of consultants to provide services to the patients who will visit or admitted in the appellants hospital. The doctors will receive a percentage of share of the collection from the patients in case of consultation, procedures and surgeries done by them in some cases, there is a provision for treating patients from low economic background without any financial benefits. On careful consideration of various terms and conditions and the scope of arrangement, we are of the considered view that such arrangement are for joint benefit of both the parties with shared obligations, responsibilities and benefits. The agreements do not specify the specific nature or list of facilities which can be categorized as infrastructural support to the doctors. The revenue model, as agreed upon between the contracting parties also, did not refer to any consideration attributable to such infrastructural support service. 6. The proceedings by the Revenue, initiated against the appellant hospitals, are mainly on the i .....

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..... otification No. 25/2011-S.T. exempted levy of service tax on health care services rendered by clinical establishments. We have examined the scope of the terms „clinical establishments‟ and „health care services‟. ************ 11.  These two provisions available in Notification No. 25/2012 will show that a clinical establishment providing health care services are exempted from services tax. The view of the Revenue that is spite of such exemption available to health care services, a part of the consideration received for such health care services from the patients shall be taxed as business support service/taxable service is not tenable. In effect this will defeat the exemption provided to the health care services by clinical establishments. Admittedly, the health care services are provided by the clinical establishments by engaging consultant doctors in terms of the arrangement as discussed above. For such services, amount is collected from the patients. The same is shared by the clinical establishment with the doctors. There is no legal justification to tax the share of clinical establishment on the ground that they have supported the commerce or bu .....

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..... mic background without any financial benefits. On careful consideration of various terms and conditions and the scope of arrangement, we are of the considered view that such arrangement are for joint benefit of both the parties with shared obligations, responsibilities and benefits. The agreements do not specify the specific nature or list of facilities which can be categorized as infrastructural support to the doctors. The revenue model, as agreed upon between the contracting parties also, did not refer to any consideration attributable to such infrastructural support service. 6.  The proceedings by the Revenue, initiated against the appellant hospitals, are mainly on the inference drawn to the effect that the retained amount by the hospitals out of total charges collected from the patients should be considered as an amount for providing the infrastructure like room and certain other secretarial facilities to the doctors to attend to their work in the appellants hospitals. We find this is only an inference and not coming out manifestly from the terms of the agreement. Here, it is very relevant to note that the appellant hospitals are engaged in providing health care service .....

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..... arat High Court referred to decision of Hon‟ble Supreme Court in Dr. Devender Surtis - AIR 1962 SC 63. The Supreme Court observed as below : "There is a fundamental distinction between a professional activity and an activity of a commercial character" : "...a "profession"... involves the idea of an occupation requiring either purely intellectual skill, or of manual skill controlled, as in painting and sculpture, of surgery, by the intellectual skill of the operator, as distinguished from an occupation which is substantially the production or sale or arrangements for the production or sale of commodities" "...a professional activity must be an activity carried on by an individual by his personal skill and intelligence...... and unless the profession carried on by (a person) also partakes of the character of a commercial nature" the professional activity cannot be said to be an activity of a commercial character." 8.  Applying the above ratio and examining the scope of the tax entry for BSS, we are of the considered view that there is no taxable activity identifiable in the present arrangement for tax liability of the appellant hospitals. 9.  Under negative list .....

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..... ging consultant doctors in terms of the arrangement as discussed above. For such services, amount is collected from the patients. The same is shared by the clinical establishment with the doctors. There is no legal justification to tax the share of clinical establishment on the ground that they have supported the commerce or business of doctors by providing infrastructure. We find that such assertion is neither factually nor legally sustainable. 12.  The Revenue has filed an appeal against order dated 1-2-2016 of Commissioner of Service Tax, Delhi-I. In similar set of facts, as discussed above, the Commissioner, after detailed examination, held that the respondent (hospital) is not providing any services to the consultants/doctors. The service provided by the respondent hospital would merit classification under Health Care Services extended to the patients. Accordingly, the demand proceedings against the respondent hospital was dropped. Revenue filed appeal against the said order. In view of our detailed analysis on the same dispute while dealing with appeals by the appellant hospitals, as above, we find no merit in the present appeal by the Revenue. We are in agreement with .....

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..... 08. As per the new Rule, the manufacturer or service provider opting not to maintain separate account has to follow either of the following two options: (a)  A manufacturer shall pay 10% (5% w.e.f. 7-7-2009) of sale price of the exempted goods and an output service provider shall pay 8% (6% w.e.f. 7-7-2009) of the value of the exempted services; or (b)  Reverse the credit on inputs and input services pertaining to exempted goods and exempted services as per the procedure and conditions prescribed in Rule 6(3A), and it also prescribes the formula for calculation of the proportionate credit to be reversed. 4.1 On analysis of Rule 6(3A), I find that while exercising the option, the manufacturer of goods or the provider of output service shall intimate in writing to the Department regarding the option exercised. In the present case, admittedly there is no intimation given by the appellant informing the exercise of his option. The argument of the Department is that when the appellant has not intimated his option in writing then the appellant is bound to pay the duty amount calculating under the first option. According to me, this argument is devoid of merit, because the .....

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..... head office of the appellant, which is attributed to both dutiable and exempted goods. During audit in the month of March 2013 to June 2013, it was observed that the appellant are engaged in the manufacture of dutiable as well as exempted goods from April-2009 to March- 2013 wherein exempted goods to the tune of Rs. 43,02,50,793/- were manufactured and sold.  1.2 It was further observed that the appellant had availed the Cenvat credit of input services to the amount of Rs. 56,52,957/- based on invoices issued by its head office as an ISD on services like management consultancy, CA service, etc. which were commonly used for dutiable as well as exempted goods. Thus it was observed by the audit officers that the appellant should reverse Cenvat credit availed on such common input/ input services based on ratio of exempted goods manufactured. Accordingly, the appellant were directed to reverse proportionate Cenvat credit of Rs 30,68,062/- within 10 days by letter dated 26.04.2013. Based on the said audit objection, the appellant in the months of May 2013 and July 2013 reversed the proportionate Cenvat credit of Rs. 30,68,062/- along with payment of interest of Rs. 8,01,333/- the .....

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..... use notice also proposed to impose the penalty on the appellant under Rule 15(2) of Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004 read with Section 11AC of Central Excise Act, 1944. The said show cause notice was adjudicated by the Learned Commissioner of Central Excise, Valsad vide order dated 10.03.2015 confirming the entire demand as proposed in the show cause notice and appropriated the amount so reversed as well as the interest paid by the appellant, therefore the present appeal filed by the appellant. 2.  Shri Ishan Bhatt, Learned Counsel, appearing on behalf of the appellant submits that the audit officers had directed the appellant to pay the proportionate credit. Accordingly, the appellant had paid the same along with the interest, thereafter there was no reason to issue the show cause notice.  2.1  Without prejudice he further submits that once the proportionate Cenvat credit is reversed along with interest, in case of any delay on such reversal, the demand of 10%/6%/5% under Rule 6(3) of Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004 cannot be sustainable.  2.2  He further submits that the demand is entirely time barred as there is no suppression of fact.  He placed reliance .....

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..... as even though the reversal was made on proportionate input service attributed to the exempted goods at a latest stage along with interest the situation became as if no Cenvat credit was availed. Consequently, the demand of 10%/6%/5% cannot be sustained, in this support some of the Judgments are reproduced below: * In the case of Pi industries (Supra) this Tribunal has passed the following order:  4. He also submits that it is an accepted principle of law that reversal of Cenvat Credit attributable to exempted goods or service amount to not taking Cenvat credit at all. However, the Ld. Commissioner while appropriated entire amount of Cenvat credit along with interest attributable to common input services for the period April 2004 to June 2009, dropped demand only for the period April 2004 to March 2008 being covered under Rule 6 (7) of the Cenvat Credit Rules and confirmed the demand and recovery amounting to Rs. 1,26,19,534 along with interest for the period April 2008 to June 2009, which is bad in law. Appellant having reversed entire amount of Cenvat Credit availed on common input services related to SIAPTON, the demand is not sustainable. He placed reliance on the fol .....

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..... nder the Finance Act, 2010 vide Section 73(2) (vide infra). 73. Amendment of rule6 of CENVAT Credit Rules, 2004. -  (1)  ....  (2)  Where a person opts to pay the amount in accordance with the provisions as amended by sub-section (1), he shall pay the amount along with interest specified thereunder and make an application to the Commissioner of Central Excise along with documentary evidence and a certificate from a Chartered Accountant or a Cost Accountant, certifying the amount of input credit attributable to the inputs used in or in relation to the manufacture of exempted goods, within a period of six months from the date on which the Finance Bill, 2010 receives the assent of the President.  (3)  ....  (4)  ....  (5)  .... In the present matter Ld. Commissioner allowed the benefit to the appellant only pertaining to the period September 2004 to March 2008 and dropped the demand as per the above retrospective inserted sub-rule (7) of Rule 6 of Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004 but confirmed the demand for the period April 2008 to June 2009 on the ground that this period is not covered under the retrospective amendment. .....

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..... ed below : "Rule 6. Obligation of manufacturer of dutiable and exempted goods and provider of taxable, and exempted services. - (1) The Cenvat credit shall not be allowed on such quantity of input or input service which is used in the manufacture of exempted goods or for provision of exempted services, except in the circumstances mentioned in sub-rule (2). Provided that the Cenvat credit on inputs shall not be denied to job worker referred to in Rule 12AA of the Central Excise Rules, 2002, on the ground that the said inputs are used in the manufacture of goods cleared without payment of duty under the provisions of that rule.  (2)  Where a manufacturer or provider of output service avails of Cenvat credit in respect of any inputs or input services, and manufactures such final products or provides such output service which are chargeable to duty or tax as well as exempted goods or services, then, the manufacturer or provider of output service shall maintain separate accounts for receipt, consumption and inventory of input and input service meant for use in the manufacture of dutiable final products or in providing output service and the quantity of input meant for .....

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..... bject to the provisions of SubRule (3A). When the mistake was pointed the appellant reversed not only the credit taken on input services used in the manufacture of exempted goods but also the credit taken on input services used in the manufacture of dutiable goods. In other words, the appellant reversed the entire credit taken along with interest thereon. Therefore, Rule 6(3)(i) will not have any application, when a credit is taken wrongly and the same is reversed along with interest as it tantamounts to non-taking of the credit. The Hon'ble High Court of Allahabad in the Hello Minerals. Water (P) Ltd. case cited supra clearly held that "reversal of Modvat credit amounts to non-taking of credit on the inputs and even if such reversal was done after the clearance of the goods the said action amounts to non-availment of credit. The Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of Chandrapur Magnet Wires (P) Ltd. (supra) also held that reversal of Modvat Credit at the time of clearance of the goods amounts to non-availing of credit. All the judgments relied upon by the appellant also confirm the above position. The Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka in the case of Himalaya Drug Company held that the pr .....

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..... mon inputs, to reverse the credit attributable to the exempted goods on the basis of the formula set out under Rule 6(3A) which reads as under:- "(3A) For determination and payment of amount payable under clause (ii) of sub-rule (3), the manufacturer of goods or the provider of output service shall follow the following procedure and conditions, namely :- (a) while exercising this option, the manufacturer of goods or the provider of output service shall intimate in writing to the Superintendent of Central Excise giving the following particulars, namely :- (i)  name, address and registration No. of the manufacturer of goods or provider of output service;  (ii)  date from which the option under this clause is exercised or proposed to be exercised; (iii)  description of dutiable goods or taxable services;  (iv)  description of exempted goods or exempted services; (v)  CENVAT credit of inputs and input services lying in balance as on the date of exercising the option under this condition; (b) the manufacturer of goods or the provider of output service shall, determine and pay, provisionally, for every month,- (i)  the am .....

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..... P, where M denotes total value of exempted services provided plus the total value of exempted goods manufactured and removed during the financial year, N denotes total value of taxable and exempted services provided, and total value of dutiable and exempted goods manufactured and removed, during the financial year, and P denotes total CENVAT credit taken on input services during the financial year; (d)  the manufacturer of goods or the provider of output service, shall pay an amount equal to the difference between the aggregate amount determined as per condition (c) and the aggregate amount determined and paid as per condition (b), on or before the 30th June of the succeeding financial year, where the amount determined as per condition (c) is more than the amount paid; (e)  the manufacturer of goods or the provider of output service, shall, in addition to the amount short-paid, be liable to pay interest at the rate of twenty-four per cent. per annum from the due date i.e., 30th June till the date of payment, where the amount short-paid is not paid within the said due date; (f)  where the amount determined as per condition (c) is less than the amount determin .....

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..... empted output services. In this regard we take note of the fact that appellant have furnished Cenvat credit register for the period April, 2009 to June, 2012 which indicate that they have regularly been reversing the proportionate amount of the Cenvat credit taken on the common inputs which have gone into exempted output services. In this regard, we are of the view once the appropriate reversal have been made under Rule 6(3A) of the Cenvat Credit Rules any procedural violations of minor nature would be of inconsequential nature and will not disentitle the assessee from availing the Cenvat credit of the common inputs for which they have already been making a regular reversal of proportionate credits. We also take note of the fact that the Department has nowhere mentioned in entire proceedings that the amount of Cenvat credit reversed is not proportionate to the value of exempted services or not proper otherwise. The only ground that the appellant have not followed the laid down procedure of availing the option of Rule 6(3A) like not declaring value of turnover of exempted services in their periodic service tax return, etc., can be minor procedural lapses, but same cannot become grou .....

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..... unts were adjusted against the duty leviable on the final product. As soon as the inputs were purchased, the duty paid on the inputs were entered in a register which had to be maintained statutorily recording the amount of credit allowable to the manufacturer. 4.  The problem in this case arose because, some of the goods manufactured by the appellants were exempted from duty by Notification No. 69/86-C.E., dated 10th February, 1986. This notification was amended by a further notification No. 106/88, dated 1st March, 1988 by which copper winding wires were exempted from payment of the whole of the duty subject to the condition that the final products were manufactured from copper wire bars of over 6 mm and also subject to the stipulation that - "(b) No credit of the duty paid on goods (a) (ii) above, used in their manufacture, has been taken under Rule 57A of the said Rules." There is no dispute that the inputs which were utilised in the manufacture of the copper wires were duty paid and that the amount of duty paid on the inputs had been entered by the appellants to their credit in the ledger which has to be maintained under the Excise Rules. The credit amount can be .....

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..... dit of duty paid on all inputs used in the manufacture of the final products, provided that credit of duty paid on the inputs used in such exempted products is debited in the credit account before the removal of such exempted final products." This circular deals with a case where the manufacturer produces dutiable final products and also final products which are exempt from duty and it is not reasonably possible to segregate inputs utilised in manufacture of the dutiable final products from the final products which are exempt from duty. In such a case, the manufacturer may take credit of duty paid on all the inputs used in the manufacture of final products on which duty will have to be paid. This can be done only if the credit of duty paid on the inputs used in the exempted products is debited in the credit account before the removal of the exempted final products.  7.  In view of the aforesaid clarification by the Department, we see no reason why the assessee cannot make a debit entry in the credit account before removal of the exempted final product. If this debit entry is permissible to be made, credit entry for the duties paid on the inputs utilised in manufactu .....

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..... input services used in, or in relation to, the manufacture of exempted goods or for provision of exempted services subject to the conditions and procedure specified in sub-rule (3A). Explanation I. - If the manufacturer of goods or the provider of output service, avails any of the option under this sub-rule, he shall exercise such option for all exempted goods manufactured by him or, as the case may be, all exempted services provided by him, and such option shall not be withdrawn during the remaining part of the financial year.  Explanation II. - For removal of doubt, it is hereby clarified that the credit shall not be allowed on inputs and input services used exclusively for the manufacture of exempted goods or provision of exempted service. From the plain reading of the Rule 6(3), it can be seen that the law provided three options to the assessee (I), (II) accordingly the assessee has option either to pay 5%/10% of value of exempted goods or pay an amount determined under sub-rule (3A) i.e. proportionate credit attributed to the exempted goods. The appellant rightly availed the option of sub-rule (3A) of Rule 6 of CCR, 2004, the only lapse on the part of the appell .....

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..... ed opinion that the matter is to be remanded to the original adjudicating authority to verify whether the amount of Cenvat credit already reversed along with interest satisfies the requirement of proportionate reversal. We also make it clear that there is no justification for demand of the amount equivalent to 10%/5% of the value of electricity wheeled out. The appellant should be given an opportunity to argue their case before the original adjudicating authority who is directed to pass order expeditiously within a period of three months of the date of receipt of this order." * The Hon'ble Tribunal in the case of Swiss Parental Pvt. Ltd. - 2014 (308) E.L.T. 81 (T) held in para 7.3 that : "7.3 We find that the ratio of the above case laws is squarely applicable to the appellant's case. We, therefore, hold that if Cenvat credit attributable to inputs used in the manufacture of exempted final products is reversed along with interest subsequent to removal of exempted final products, then the appellant cannot be said to have taken credit of inputs used in or in relation to the manufacture of exempted final products, and they need not pay an amount @ 8% or 10% of the sale price of .....

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..... ing exemption. The question of exemption from payment of duty on grey fabrics arose on satisfaction of the said two conditions. In this case, payment of duty on yarn on deferred basis took place before clearance of grey fabrics on which exemption was claimed. Therefore, payment was made before the stage of exemption. Similarly, on payment of duty on the input (yarn) the assessee got the credit which was never utilized. That before utilization, the entry has been reversed which amounts to not taking credit. Hence, in this case, both the conditions are satisfied. Hence item no. 1 of the table to Notification No. 14/2002-C.E. would apply and accordingly the grey fabrics would attract nil rate of duty."  * In the case of Aster Pvt. Ltd. - 2016 (43) S.T.R. 411, it was held that : "The above Rule 6(3A) states that while exercising the option, the manufacturer of goods or the provider of output service shall intimate in writing the department regarding the option exercised. In the present case, admittedly there is no intimation given by the appellant informing his exercise of option. The contention of the department is that when the appellant has not intimated his option in w .....

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..... own any such restriction and this has been held in the judgments cited supra. It has been held in the judgment cited supra that the condition in Rule 6(3A) to intimate the Department is only a procedural one and that such procedural lapse is condonable and denial of substantive right on such procedural failure is unjustified. Therefore, keeping in view the facts and evidence on record, the demand raised by the Revenue is not legal and proper. Moreover, the demand raised by the Revenue is also hit by limitation as the appellant reversed the pro rata credit with interest on 31-7-2010 itself and communicated to the Department whereas the show cause notice was issued only on 13-3-2012 which is beyond the period of one year and the allegation of the Department regarding suppression of fact is also not tenable because the appellant has disclosed these facts in their periodical ER1 returns filed by them. Therefore, the impugned order is not sustainable on merit as well as on limitation and therefore, I set aside the impugned order by allowing the appeal of the appellant with consequential relief, if any."  7.  In view of the above, the issue is no longer res integra, therefor .....

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..... input service used in or in relation to the manufacture of exempted goods and their clearance upto the place of removal or for provision of exempted services], except in the circumstances mentioned in sub-rule (2) : Provided that the CENVAT credit on inputs shall not be denied to job worker referred to in rule 12AA of the Central Excise Rules, 2002, on the ground that the said inputs are used in the manufacture of goods cleared without payment of duty under the provisions of that rule. Explanation 1. - For the purposes of this rule, exempted goods or final products as defined in clauses (d) and (h) of Rule 2 shall include non-excisable goods cleared for a consideration from the factory. Explanation 2. - Value of non-excisable goods for the purposes of this rule, shall be the invoice value and where such invoice value is not available, such value shall be determined by using reasonable means consistent with the principles of valuation contained in the Excise Act and the rules made thereunder. (2) Where a manufacturer or provider of output service avails of CENVAT credit in respect of any inputs or input services and manufactures such final products or provides such outpu .....

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..... taxable service, shall be taken then the amount specified in clause (i) shall be [six per cent.] of the value so exempted. Provided also that in case of transportation of goods or passengers by rail the amount required to be paid under clause (i) shall be an amount equal to 2 per cent. of value of the exempted services. Explanation I. - If the manufacturer of goods or the provider of output service, avails any of the option under this sub-rule, he shall exercise such option for all exempted goods manufactured by him or, as the case may be, all exempted services provided by him, and such option shall not be withdrawn during the remaining part of the financial year. Ld. Adjudicating Authority demanded 5% of the total sale of the trading turnover of goods on the ground that option provided under Rule 6(3)(i) is applicable on the ground that claim of the appellant on the option provided under Rule 6(3)(ii) is not available for the reason that appellant has not complied with condition provided under sub Rule (3A) of Rule 6 which provides that manufacturers of the goods shall follow certain procedure and conditions as provided under sub-rule (3A)(a)(i) to (iv) inasmuch as the ap .....

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..... mount as per the formula provided under sub-rule (3A) on monthly basis. However, we find that as per the provision, payment on monthly basis is provisional basis, therefore it is not mandatory that whole amount or part of the amount was required to be paid on every month. The appellant though belatedly calculated the amount required to be paid in terms provided under sub-rule (3A) of Rule 6, therefore to fulfill the condition, assessee should pay the said amount, which has been complied by the appellant. 5.2 As regard the delay in payment, if any, the appellant have discharged the interest liability on such delay. Regarding the compliance as provided under Clause (a) of sub-rule (3A) of Rule 6 the appellant while exercising this option is required to intimate in writing to the Jurisdictional Superintendent, Central Excise, the following particulars namely : (i)  Name, address and registration No. of the manufacturer of goods or provider of output service; (ii)  Date from which the option under this clause is exercised or proposed to be exercised; (iii)  Description of dutiable goods or taxable services; (iv)  Description of exempted goods or exemp .....

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..... Revenue to decide the same. 5.4  We find that the appellant admittedly paid an amount of Rs. 4,06,785/- plus interest, this is not under dispute. Therefore in our view, the appellant have complied with the condition prescribed under Rule 6(3)(ii) read with sub-rule (3A) of Rule 6 of Cenvat Credit Rules, therefore demand of huge amount of Rs. 24,71,93,529/- of the total value of the vehicle amounting to. Rs. 494,38,70,577/- sold in the market cannot be demanded. We are also of the view that Rule 6 of the Cenvat Credit Rules is not enacted to extract illegal amount from the assessee. The main objective of the Rule 6 is to ensure that the assessee should not avail the Cenvat Credit in respect of input or input services which are used in or in relation to the manufacture of the exempted goods or for exempted services. If this is the objective then at the most amount which is to be recovered shall not be in any case more than Cenvat Credit attributed to the input or input services used in the exempted goods. It is also observed that in either of the three options given in sub-rule (3) of Rule 6, there is no provisions that if the assessee does not opt any of the option at a part .....

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..... ice and the same is used for exempted as well as dutiable goods and even at a later stage the assessee reverse the proportionate credit with payment of interest, if there is any delay in reversal of such credit the demand of 10%/6%/5% shall not sustain. Therefore, following the aforesaid judgments we are of the considered view that the appellant are not liable for payment of an amount equal to 10%/6%/5% of the value of the exempted goods. Hence the same is set aside. However, the reversal of the proportionate credit along with interest paid by the appellant is correct and the same is maintained. 5.  The impugned order is modified to the above extent. The appeal is allowed in the above terms." 6.  In view of the above judgments, it is settled that once the amount prescribed under Rule 6(3A) was paid by the appellant, no further demand is sustainable.  Hence, the demand on this count is also not sustainable.   7.  As regard the issue raised on limitation, since the entire case has been decided on its merit, we need not to go into the aspect of limitation and the same is left open.   8.  In view of the foregoing discussion and findings .....

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