Cuttack: Orissa High Court has expressed dismay over goods worth Rs 230 crore remaining unutilised because of the delay by commissioner of customs, Bhubaneswar, in dispensing with application of Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL) to unload them under the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme.
The scheme allows for import of capital goods for pre-production, production and post-production, at "zero" customs duty.
The DPCL sought to import three grab-type ship unloaders from China-based Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co Ltd for installation at its port located at the Dhamra river mouth. The unloaders were intended to provide facility to import lime stone and thermal coal and various other cargo which require deep draught berths, equipped with mechanised handling.
Accordingly, on May 9, 2016, the date of arrival of the vessel at Dhamra port, the company applied to the commissioner of customs, Bhuba-neswar for permission to unload the goods under the scheme. But, the application was rejected on August 11, 2017. The company challenged it in the high court.
While quashing the rejection order on the ground of being erroneous, the division bench of Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice Biswajit Mohanty said: "This court is very concerned that the order came to be passed nearly 15 months after the necessary application was made and till date in the absence of the 'special order' the goods valued at over Rs 230 crore, remain unutilised and continue to lay at the dock within the customs area of Dhamra port."
"We are constrained to note that such delay does not serve any purpose either to the Union of India or to the state, since such a huge investment has not been allowed to be utilised for such a long period of time," the bench said in its order on March 13.
The court felt it was "nothing less than national waste by itself" by not granting permission to the DPCL saddled with such huge financial liability to clear the goods that lie at the port site and utilise in any manner.
"The situation remains in limbo for more than 15 months and now at this belated stage there is no way in which the petitioner (DPCL) can be compensated," the division bench observed, while directing the commissioner of customs to issue the necessary "special order" in favour of the DPCL.
The court called upon the Union of India to issue necessary guidelines to the authorities vested with such quasi judicial power to take decisions on such applications within a minimum period which the Centre would consider appropriate in order to ensure that such large-scale wastage of time and public money did not occur in future cases.
The court also called upon the Union finance ministry to take note of the situation that arises in the present case and pass necessary instructions either through the ministry or the CBEC as it may deem appropriate, in order to ensure that such large-scale wastage of time and public money does not occur in future cases.
Midday meal scam
A headmistress of a government-run primary school in Kendrapara was suspended on Friday for indulging in midday meal irregularities. Ranjita Biswal, the head of Hurasahi Nodal Primary School, was found to have inflated the students' attendance to misappropriate meal grains. On March 13, some 49 students had turned up at the school and took park in the meal. However, the school headmistress had inflated the figure to 94.
