Page 178 - GSTL_3rd September 2020_Vol 40_Part 1
P. 178

112                           GST LAW TIMES                      [ Vol. 40
                                                      ance of one’s business, unless restricted by Section 17 of the
                                                      CGST Act, 2017.
                                                  o   Since railway siding is essential/integral for transport of ma-
                                                      terials for the assessee to carry on its operations, credit of tax-
                                                      es paid on railway siding should be construed for use in the
                                                      course or furtherance of business and used for making out-
                                                      ward supply.
                                                  o   It is to be kept in mind that the words used in the explanation
                                                      are “used for making outward  supply” and not  “directly
                                                      used in making outward supply”. Any input/input service,
                                                      even if remotely essential, should be considered as eligible for
                                                      credit.
                                                  o   Also, unlike under  the  pre-GST law,  inputs/input services
                                                      were to be used “in or in relation to the manufacture” or “in
                                                      the factory by the manufacturer”, Section 16 of the CGST Act,
                                                      2017  allows  credit of taxes paid on inputs/input  services
                                                      “used or intended to be used in the course or furtherance of
                                                      business.” The said expression is of the widest possible im-
                                                      port and is in keeping with the spirit of the GST law to allow
                                                      seamless flow of credit.
                                            (ar)  The Appellant relied upon the following case laws, although under
                                                 the erstwhile indirect tax regime to support their submissions :-
                                                  o   In CCE v.  Solaris Chemtech Ltd., 2007 (214)  E.L.T.  481 (S.C.),
                                                      examining the phrase  “in  relation to manufacture”,  the Su-
                                                      preme Court observed that the said phrase has been used to
                                                      widen the scope and contents of the expression “inputs” and
                                                      allowed credit of taxes paid on Low  Sulphur  Heavy Stock
                                                      (LSHS)  and  furnace oil  used in generation of electricity,
                                                      which was further used in the manufacture of caustic soda.
                                                  o   In Oblum Electrical Industries Private Limited v.  Collr. of Cus.,
                                                      Bombay - 1997 (94) E.L.T. 449 (S.C.), the Supreme Court held
                                                      the expression “material required for manufacture”  would
                                                      also bring within its ambit material (which though not used
                                                      in the manufacture) is required for the purpose of manufac-
                                                      ture.
                                                  o   In Commissioner of Customs, Kolkata v. Rupa and Co. Ltd. - 2004
                                                      (170) E.L.T. 129 (S.C.), the SC observed that “goods required
                                                      for the manufacture of” used in the exemption notification is
                                                      of very wide import and includes not only the material which
                                                      directly goes into the manufacturing process but also the ma-
                                                      terial necessary for the act of ultimate manufacture.
                                                  o   In Industrial Machinery Manufacturers Private Limited v. State of
                                                      Gujarat, (1965) 16 STC 380, the Gujarat High Court held that
                                                      the humidifiers  used in order  to maintain certain  humidity
                                                      for the purpose of the strength of the yarn should be regard-
                                                      ed  as machinery used in manufacture of  goods  and that it
                                                      was not necessary to show that it was used in the actual pro-
                                                      cess of manufacture.
                                                  o   GTL Infrastructure Ltd. v. CST, Mumbai in 2015 (37) S.T.R. 577
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