Amendment of section 127C.
124. In the Customs Act, in section 127C, after sub-section (8), the following sub-section shall be inserted, namely: ––
“(8A) The order under sub-section (5) shall be passed within a period of nine months from the last day of the month in which the application under section 127B is made, and if, no order is passed within the said period, the settlement proceedings shall abate, and the adjudicating authority before whom the proceeding at the time of making the application was pending shall dispose of the application in accordance with the provisions of this Act as if no application under the said section had been made:
Provided that the period specified under this sub-section may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, be extended by the Settlement Commission for a further period not exceeding three months:
Provided further that in respect of any application pending under sub-section (5) as on the date on which the Finance Bill, 2023 receives the assent of the President, the said period of nine months shall be reckoned from the date on which the said Finance Bill receives the assent of the President.”.
Notes on Clauses:
Clause 124 of the Bill seeks to amend section 127C of the Customs Act by inserting a new sub-section (8A) therein to provide that an order under sub-section (5) shall be passed within nine months from the date of making application under section 127B, and if no order is passed within the said period, the settlement proceeding shall abate and the case shall be reverted back to the adjudicating authority.
