Committee of Commissioners – and a jinxed notification – CBEC amends a wrong notification; Corrects it wrongly!
In - 04.04.2008, we had pointed out how the Government amended a wrong notification. DDT mentioned,
CBEC has issued a notification No. 33/2008 Cus NT dated 28.3.2008. Nothing wrong with it. They are entitled to issue notifications, but the only problem is this notification seeks to amend something which does not exist. This notification seeks to amend Notification No. 40/2005 and substitute Sl. 25 in the notification No. 40/2005. The whole problem is that Notification No. 40/2005 does not have a Sl. No. 25; it ends at sl. No. 20.
What they really wanted to amend was sl. No. 25 of Notification No. 49/2005 and by mistake they amended Notification No. 40/2005.
It is really tough for the Board to keep track of the Principal and amending notifications. Apparently Board does not have copies of its own notifications.
Now, more than a month after we pointed the lapse, the Board has corrected it albeit wrongly. The new Notification says, Sl No. 25 in Notification No. 40/2005 – Cus NT shall be omitted. Honourable Sir, there is no Sl No. 25 in the table to that notification, and what are you omitting?
Of course the other part of the Notification No. 49/2005 is correctly corrected. Sl No. 25 is amended as we suggested.
The Government can avoid much of this kind of embarrassment if it puts up its draft laws for public scrutiny.
Incidentally what is the Law Ministry doing? They are supposed to vet the legislation!
Notification Nos. 41 and Dated: May 12, 2008