Bar Association Celebrates opening of Allahabad Bench of CESTAT

By Vijay Kumar

THE Indirect Tax Bar Association of U.P. at Allahabad hosted a function on 14.9.2015 to celebrate the opening of the Allahabad Bench of the CESTAT. The function was attended by both the visiting Members Mr. P.S. Pruthi and Mr. S.S. Garg of CESTAT, Mr. Sanjay Rathi, Central Excise Commissioner, Allahabad, Mr.R.K. Jain, President, ECGC Bar Association, Mr. Gobind Dixit, Departmental Representative, Sr. Standing Counsels of the Excise and Customs Department in the Allahabad High Court and a number of Advocates and Consultants.

Mr.R.K. Jain welcomed the CESTAT Members and all other participants on this auspicious occasion. He emphasized the need for creating more Benches of CESTAT inasmuch as the Central Excise, Customs and Service Tax contributes more revenue to the exchequer than the Income Tax and it has barely 9 Benches whereas the ITAT has more than 70 Benches. He recalled that in 1982, CESTAT started with 8 Benches in 4 cities with 21 Members to cater the appeals arising from 34 Commissionerates, while at present, there are nearly 140 Commissionerates and revenue from Indirect Taxes which was nearly Rs. 13,000 crores in 1982, has now increased to more than Rs. 5,00,000 crores in 2015, but Member strength of the CESTAT has merely been increased from 21 members to 31 members only and it is highly insufficient seeing the volume of Indirect Tax revenue.

Mr. Pruthi appreciated the efforts of the Govt. to bring justice to the doorstep of the Tax Payers and hoped that this will speed up disposal of cases and reduce cost of litigation for all the stakeholders.

Mr. S.S. Garg said that he has learnt that lot of efforts have been taken to make the Bench functional. He emphasized the role of Bar in the justice delivery system and hoped that all additional Benches would become functional shortly and this will reduce overall pendency of the Tribunal

Mr. Sanjay Rathi, Commissioner Central Excise, Allahabad assured that the Commissionerate will provide all support for the functioning of the additional Bench of CESTAT at Allahabad till the permanent infrastructure is built up by the CESTAT. He enlightened the gathering that the old Red Building in which the additional Bench shall temporarily be functioning, is a heritage building, hundreds of years old and it is said that Munshi Premchand wrote "Gaudaan" in this Building. He also informed that Gate No. 2 which was till now locked, has been opened to give direct access to this Building and this Gate can now be used by the Members of the Bar