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2015 (4) TMI 118 - HC - Central ExciseDenial of refund claim - rebate under Rule 18 of Central Excise Rules 2002 - Bar of limitation - Held that:- The rebate of duty under Rule 18 should be as per the notification issued by the Central Government. The Notification bearing No.19/2004 dated 6.9.2004 prescribes the conditions, limitations and procedures for considering the claim for refund. Under Clause 2(d) of the notification, the rebate claim may be allowed from such place of export and such date, as may be specified by the Board, by filing electronic declaration. This Notification dated 6.9.2004 superseded the previous notification bearing No.41/1994 dated 12.9.1994. At the time when the 1994 notification was issued, the procedure for filing electronic declaration had not been made. Since everything was made manually at that time, the notification of the year 1994 prescribed a time limit for filing claim. But, the 2004 notification did not contain the prescription regarding limitation. This was a conscious decision taken by the Central Government and hence, the view taken by the learned Judge is fair and reasonable. Therefore, the understanding of the Ministry of Finance itself is quite different from what the appellant now contends. Moreover, the Department, many a times, invokes the theory of unjust enrichment. This is seen even from para 6 of the Circular of the Ministry dated 28.4.2004. In the case on hand, there is no dispute about the fact that the first respondent actually exported the goods. Their entitlement to refund is not at all in doubt. The factum of their having exported the goods is borne out by ARE-1 forms. After the advent of online filing of applications, it is very easy to check up whether the exports have taken place and whether duty had been paid or not. Therefore, in the absence of any prescription in the scheme, the rejection of the application for refund as time barred, is unjustified. - Decided against Revenue.
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