Section 17. Tax clearance certificate
Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a Government Department or any authority under the Government shall before––
(a) sanctioning a contract for the supply of goods or executing any other contract ;
(b) issuing any registration certificate, permit or licence ;
(c) granting loan (with or without interest), subsidy or the like ; or
(d) issuing annual fitness certificate of passenger bus, truck or other carrier of goods ;
to a person liable to tax under the Act, require such a person to produce a tax clearance certificate issued in the prescribed form by the Assessing Authority.