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2020 (4) TMI 269 - HC - GSTRecovery of GST - CIRP proceedings initiated against the company - Approval of Resolution Plan - petitioner contended that the issue regarding the resolution plan being final and binding on all parties; whether or not they had been heard by the resolution professional or the COC - whether the resolution plan approved by the COC is binding on the department or not? - HELD THAT:- It is trite to note that as per the amended Section 31 of the IBC referred to supra, the Central Govt., State Govt. or any other local authority to whom, a debt in respect of payment of dues arising under any law for the time being in force are owed, have been brought under the umbrella of the resolution plan approved by the adjudicating officer which has been made binding on such governments and local authorities. The purpose of the IBC is salutary as it has been enacted to ensure that an industry under distress does not fade into oblivion and can be revived by virtue of the resolution plan. Once the offer of the resolution applicant is accepted and the resolution plan is approved by the appropriate authority, the same is binding on all concerned to whom the industry concern may be having statutory dues. No right of audience is given in the resolution proceedings to the operational creditors viz. the Central Govt. or the State Govt. as the case may be. The purpose of the statute is very clear that it intends to revive the dying industry by providing an opportunity to a resolution applicant to take over the same and begin the operation on a clean slate. For that purpose, the evaluation of all dues and liabilities as they exist on the date of finalization of the resolution plan have been left in the exclusive domain of the resolution professional with the approval of the COC. The courts are given an extremely limited power of judicial review into the resolution plan duly approved by the COC. In the case at hand, the situation has proceeded much further. The operational creditors i.e. the Commercial Taxes Department of Govt. of Rajasthan as well as the respondent Commissioner of Goods and Service Tax assailed the resolution plan by filing appeals before Hon’ble the Supreme Court with a specific plea that their dues have not been accounted for by the COC in the resolution plan. Thus, the respondents would be acting in a totally illegal and arbitrary manner while pressing for demands raised vide the notices which are impugned in this writ petition and any other demands which they may contemplate for the period prior to the resolution plan being finalized - demand notices are ex-facie illegal, arbitrary and per-se and cannot be sustained - petition allowed - decided in favor of petitioner.
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