The Allahabad High Court rejected the revisionist's application for condonation of a 751-day delay in filing a sales trade tax revision, deeming explanations based on bureaucratic inefficiency insufficient in light of recent Supreme Court precedents.
Application for condonation of delay rejected; Revision dismissed.
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
Neutral Citation No. - 2024:AHC-LKO:10493
Court No. - 5
Case :- SALES/TRADE TAX REVISION DEFECTIVE No. - 14 of 2021 Revisionist :- Commissioner Commercial Tax Opposite Party :- M/S Shiv Construction Lko. Counsel for Revisionist :- C.S.C.
Hon'ble Abdul Moin,J.
(C.M. Application No.45841 of 2021)
1. Heard learned Additional Chief Standing Counsel for the revisionist and learned counsel for the respondent.
2. Learned Standing Counsel submits that as per office report the revision has been filed with a delay of 751 days.
3. The delay is sought to be explained by contending that the order passed by the learned Tribunal dated 26.10.2018 was served on the revisionist on 27.11.2018. Proposal for filing of revision was sent to learned Chief Standing Counsel on 15.07.2019. On 08.01.2020 file has been allotted to learned Standing Counsel for preparation of revision petition. However, despite best efforts the revision could only be filed in March, 2021. The delay is sought to be explained on the ground of inherited bureaucratic lackadaisical attitude imbibed with notemaking, file pushing and passing on the buck ethos.
4. The delay in filing revision has been considered by this Court in the case Sales/Trade Tax Revision Defective No.6 of 2020 (Commissioner Commercial Tax U.P. Lko. Vs. M/s. R.C. & Sons., Rakabganj, Lucknow) , with other connected defective revisions, decided on 7.9.2022, where the delay of 163 days was sought to be explained on the basis of the casual and lethargic attitude of the officials which prevails in the Department, on the part of the Officers concerned.
5. In the instant case the delay, as already indicated above, is of 751 days.
6. This Court in the case of M/s. R. C. & Sons (supra) , has held as under:-
"7. Having heard the learned counsel appearing for the contesting parties and having perused the reasons indicated in the application for condonation of delay it emerges that the order of the learned Tribunal is dated 23.04.2019. The revision itself has been filed after a delay of 163 days. The reasons have been indicated in paragraphs 3 to 8 of the said application by indicating that initially a proposal had been sent for filing of a
revision petition and thereafter the documents were sent. Later, the permission was sought for filing of revision which was received from the law department vide sanction letter dated 15.07.2019 and a request subsequently was made in July, 2019 to the office of the learned Chief Standing counsel, High Court, Lucknow for filing of a revision. The file was allotted for drafting after a period of almost one month and it took the learned Standing counsel a period of almost four and half months to file the revision and hence the delayed filing of revision."
8. The delay which often occurs on the part of the department in filing the appeals/revisions has been considered threadbare by the Apex Court in the case of Living Media India Ltd (supra) wherein the Apex Court after placing reliance on various earlier judgments of the Apex Court, including a few over which the learned Standing counsel has also placed reliance, held as under:-
"27.It is not in dispute that the person(s) concerned were well aware or conversant with the issues involved including the prescribed period of limitation for taking up the matter by way of filing a special leave petition in this Court. They cannot claim that they have a separate period of limitation when the Department was possessed with competent persons familiar with court proceedings. In the absence of plausible and acceptable explanation, we are posing a question why the delay is to be condoned mechanically merely because the Government or a wing of the Government is a party before us.
28.Though we are conscious of the fact that in a matter of condonation of delay when there was no gross negligence or deliberate inaction or lack of bona fides, a liberal concession has to be adopted to advance substantial justice, we are of the view that in the facts and circumstances, the Department cannot take advantage of various earlier decisions. The claim on account of impersonal machinery and inherited bureaucratic methodology of making several notes cannot be accepted in view of the modern technologies being used and available. The law of limitation undoubtedly binds everybody, including the Government.
29.In our view, it is the right time to inform all the government bodies, their agencies and instrumentalities that unless they have reasonable and acceptable explanation for the delay and there was bona fide effort, there is no need to accept the usual explanation that the file was kept pending for several months/years due to considerable degree of procedural red tape in the process. The government departments are under a
special obligation to ensure that they perform their duties with diligence and commitment. Condonation of delay is an exception and should not be used as an anticipated benefit for the government departments. The law shelters everyone under the same light and should not be swirled for the benefit of a few."
9. Likewise, the Apex Court in the case of of Central Tibetan Schools (supra) has held as under:-
4.We have heard the learned Additional Solicitor General for some time and must note that the only error which seems to have occurred in the impugned order [Union of Indiav.Central Tibetan Schools Admn., 2018 SCC OnLine Del 13371] is of noticing that it is not an illiterate litigant because the manner in which the Government is prosecuting its appeal reflects nothing better! The mighty Government of India is manned with a large Legal Department having numerous officers and advocates. The excuse given for the delay is, to say the least, preposterous.
5.We have repeatedly been counselling through our orders various Government Departments, State Governments and other public authorities that they must learn to file appeals in time and set their house in order so far as the Legal Department is concerned, more so as technology assists them. This appears to be falling on deaf ears despite costs having been imposed in a number of matters with the direction to recover it from the officers responsible for the delay as we are of the view that these officers must be made accountable. It has not had any salutary effect and that the present matter should have been brought up, really takes the cake!
6.The aforesaid itself shows the casual manner in which the petitioner has approached this Court without any cogent or plausible ground for condonation of delay. In fact, other than the lethargy and incompetence of the petitioner, there is nothing which has been put on record. We have repeatedly discouraged State Governments and public authorities in adopting an approach that they can walk in to the Supreme Court as and when they please ignoring the period of limitation prescribed by the statutes, as if the Limitation statute does not apply to them. In this behalf, suffice to refer to our judgment inState of M.P.v.Bherulal[State of M.P.v.Bherulal, (2020) 10 SCC 654 : (2021) 1 SCC (Civ) 101 : (2021) 1 SCC (Cri) 117 : (2021) 1 SCC (L&S) 84] andState of Odishav.Sunanda Mahakuda[State of Odishav.Sunanda Mahakuda, (2021) 11 SCC 560] . The leeway which was given to the Government/public authorities on account of innate inefficiencies was the result of certain
orders of this Court which came at a time when technology had not advanced and thus, greater indulgence was shown. This position is no more prevalent and the current legal position has been elucidated by the judgment of this Court inPostmaster Generalv.Living Media (India) Ltd.[Postmaster Generalv.Living Media (India) Ltd., (2012) 3 SCC 563 : (2012) 2 SCC (Civ) 327 : (2012) 2 SCC (Cri) 580 : (2012) 1 SCC (L&S) 649] Despite this, there seems to be a little change in the approach of the Government and public authorities.
7. We have also categorised such kind of cases as "certificate cases" filed with the only object to obtain a quietus from the Supreme Court on the ground that nothing could be done because the highest Court has dismissed the appeal. The objective is to complete a mere formality and save the skin of the officers who may be in default in following the due process or may have done it deliberately. We have deprecated such practice and process and we do so again. We refuse to grant such certificates and if the Government/public authorities suffer losses, it is time when officers concerned responsible for the same, bear the consequences. The irony, emphasised by us repeatedly, is that no action is ever taken against the officers and if the Court pushes it, some mild warning is all that happens.
8. Looking to the gross negligence and the impunity with which the Union of India had approached this Court in a matter like this, we consider it appropriate to impose special costs of Rs 1 lakh in this case to be recovered from the officer(s) concerned, to be deposited with the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Welfare Fund within four weeks.
9. The special leave petitions are dismissed as time-barred in terms aforesaid. Pending application stands disposed of.
10. Incidentally, the judgment of the Apex Court in the case of Central Tibetan Schools (supra) is a judgment by three Hon'ble Judges.
11. The Apex Court in the case of Volex Interconnect (supra) has held has under:-
"2.This is one more case of what we have already categorised as "certificate cases" and we do not delve further, as the purpose seems just to bring the matter to the Courts to put a closure to the same without giving any cogent explanation for condonation of delay in terms ofPostmaster Generalv.Living Media (India) Ltd.[Postmaster Generalv.Living Media (India) Ltd., (2012) 3 SCC 563 : (2012) 2 SCC (Civ) 327 : (2012) 2
SCC (Cri) 580 : (2012) 1 SCC (L&S) 649].
3.We have also examined the case on merits despite the aforesaid and find that a correct view has been taken by the Tribunal as the Department itself is treating the assessee in the same manner for subsequent years so far as classification is concerned.
4.We are thus of the view that for both the aforesaid reasons, the appeal is not liable to be entertained. The appeal is dismissed accordingly."
12. Considering the aforesaid judgments of the Apex Court what is to be seen is as to whether any plausible reason has been indicated by the revisionist in filing the instant revisions.
13. A perusal of paragraphs 3 to 8 of the application of condonation of delay would indicate that a very cavalier and casual attitude has been shown by the revisionist in filing the instant revision inasmuch as file and papers/permissions have been shunted from one desk to the other. Even though the file has reached the "ultimate destination" for drafting of the revision i.e to the concerned learned counsel for drafting of the revision in August, 2019 yet it has taken more than four months for the revision to be drafted despite limitation period of three months being prescribed under the statute for filing of a revision. All these facts indicate the casual and cavalier attitude on the part of the department in filing of the revision belatedly, rather, as observed by the Apex Court in the case of Central Tibetan Schools (supra) other than the lethargy and incompetence of the revisionist, there is nothing which has been brought on record to explain the delay.
14. Keeping in view the aforesaid discussion including the judgments of the Apex Court in the cases of Living Media India Ltd (supra), Central Tibetan Schools (supra) & Volex Interconnect (supra) , all judgments being of a latter date to the judgments cited by learned counsel for the revisionist including the judgment of Central Tibetan Schools (supra) being a three judges judgment, the Court does not find any plausible or cogent reason for condoning the delay. Accordingly, the application for condonation of delay is rejected."
7. Considering the aforesaid judgments in the case of M/s. R.C. & Sons (supra) , and the delay in the instant case of 751 days and there being no plausible and cogent reasons for condoning the delay, the application for condonation of delay is rejected.
(Order on the Memo of Revision)
The application for condonation of delay having been rejected, the revision is also dismissed .
Order Date :- 5.2.2024 J.K. Dinkar
Digitally signed by :- JESHU KUMAR DINKAR High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench
2 issues framed by the court
Whether the application for condonation of delay of 751 days, explained by bureaucratic inefficiency, is allowable.
Whether the High Court can condone such a long delay without plausible and cogent reasons distinct from routine bureaucratic lethargy.
Colour shows how this judgement treated each authority
Commissioner Commercial Tax U.P. Lko. Vs. M/s. R.C. & Sons.Distinguished¶9
Sales/Trade Tax Revision Defective No.6 of 2020 (Commissioner Commercial Tax U.P. Lko. Vs. M/s. R.C. & Sons., Rakabganj, Lucknow)
M/s. R. C. & Sons (supra)Explained¶11
Living Media India Ltd (supra)Explained¶14
Central Tibetan Schools (supra)Explained¶19
State of M.P.v.BherulalReferred¶22
State of Odishav.Sunanda MahakudaReferred¶22
Postmaster Generalv.Living Media (India) Ltd.Distinguished¶23
Volex Interconnect (supra)Explained¶28
Commissioner Commercial Tax
M/S Shiv Construction Lko.
Abdul Moin
Jeshu Kumar Dinkar
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
