SCA/24233/2007

1/4

ORDER

INTHEHIGHCOURTOFGUJARATATAHMEDABAD
SPECIALCIVILAPPLICATIONNo.24233of2007
======================================
ESSAROILLTD&1Petitioner(s)
Versus
STATEOFGUJARATTHRO'SECRETARY&3Respondent(s)
======================================
Appearance:
MRKSNANAVATI,SR.ADVOCATEFORNANAVATIASSOCIATESfor
Petitioner(s):12.
MRKAMALB.TRIVEDI,ADVOCATEGENERALWITHMS.SANGITA
VISHENASSTGOVERNMENTPLEADERforRespondent(s):1,4,
DSAFF.NOTFILED(N)forRespondent(s):1,
NOTICESERVEDBYDSforRespondent(s):23.
======================================
CORAM: HONOURABLETHECHIEFJUSTICEY.R.MEENA
and
HONOURABLEMR.JUSTICEJ.C.UPADHYAYA

Date:02/04/2008
ORALORDER
ACivilApplication(fordirections)No.1828of2008wassubmitted
andlistedon19.02.2008.ShriK.S.Nanavati,learnedSeniorAdvocatefor
thepetitionersubmitsthatonthatday,thepetitionwasheardatlength
andthejudgmentwasdictatedinopenCourtandpronounced.Healso
submittedthatthegistoftheorder/judgmentdictatedandpronounced
on19.02.2008inpara4oftheaffidavitfiledbythepetitioner,buton
recordwealsofindanorderontheCivilApplicationNo.1828of2008
dated28.02.2008i.e.,subsequentorderofthesameBenchdirectingthe
RegistrytoplacetheSpecialCivilApplicationNo.24233of2007forfinal
hearingbeforetheappropriateBench.

SCA/24233/2007

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ORDER

TheappropriateBench,asperthepresentroster,isCourtNo.1.
Whenthematterwastakenupon29.02.2008beforethisBench,itwas
submittedthattherearetwodifferentordersi.e.,dated19.02.2008and
28.02.2008 of the same Bench comprising of Hon'ble Mr.Justice
M.S.Shah and Hon'ble Mr.Justice Ravi R. Tripathi. As per claim of
learnedSeniorAdvocateShriNanavati,thepetitionitselfwasdisposed
ofon19.02.2008.But,asperorderdated28.02.2008,thepetitionisyet
tobedisposedofandthemattershouldbeplacedbeforetheappropriate
Bench.

Heard learned Sr.Advocate Shri Nanavati for the petitioner and

learnedAdvocateGeneralShriTrivedifortheState.ShriNanavatihas
reiteratedthesamefactsthatfinalorderhasbeenpassedonthepetition
and also drew our attention to the order dictated, as per his
understandingintheCourt,whichisreferredinpara4oftheaffidavit.
Hefurthersubmitsthatoncethefinalorderispassed,nothingremainsin
thepetitionandthepetitionshouldnotbeheardagainforfreshorder.
LearnedAdvocateGeneralalsoconcededthatthemainmatterwasheard
atlengthandjudgmentwasdictatedintheopenCourtandpronounced.

ThereisnodisputeonthefactsthatCivilApplicationNo.1828of
2008waslistedformodificationoftheearlierorderon19.02.2008.But
asperthelearnedcounselsfortheparties,thepetitionwasheardonthat
dateandorderwasdictatedandpronouncedintheopencourt.

Affidavit is filed by the Joint General Manager (Legal) of the

petitionercompanyandinpara4ofthataffidavit,itisstatedthatthe

SCA/24233/2007

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ORDER

Hon'ble Court on 19.02.2008 dictated / pronounced the order /

judgment in the Court disposing of the main petition and Civil
ApplicationNo.1828of2008.Accordingtohim,thebriefunderstanding
oftheorder/judgmentpronouncedintheopencourtisasunder:

a.
The State Government shall exclude the period
commencing from 17.2.2000 (i.e. the date on which the
DivisionBenchofHighCourtofGujaratstarteddictatingits
judgmentforrestrainingtheStateGovernmentfromgranting
anyfurtherauthorizationsorpermissionstolaypipelinesin
the Marine and Sanctuary Areas including to EOL) to
27.2.2004 (i.e. the date on which Chief Wildlife Warden
granted formal authorization to EOL, as directed by the
Hon'bleSupremeCourtinitsjudgmentdated19.1.2004)for
computingthedateforthecommencementofthecommercial
production under the Incentive Scheme announced by the
StateGovernment.Theextendeddateforthecommencement
of the commercial production under the Scheme was
15.8.2003.
b.
The State Government is further directed to add the
aboveperiodtobeexcluded(whichworksoutto3years,7
months, and 11 days) to 15.8.2003. Hence, the period
available to EOL for the commencement of commercial
production under the Scheme would stand extended to
25.3.2007.
c.
EOL has commenced production in November 2006
(thatistosay,before25.3.2007,thetimeforcommencement
ofproductionasperthejudgmentoftheHon'bleCourt)and
startedpayingtaxonsaleofitsproducts.
d.
ThebenefitundertheSchemeisavailabletoEOLfora
periodof17yearscommencingfrom15.8.2003andnotfrom
25.3.2007. EOL, as such, would be required to avail the
benefitsundertheSchemeonorbefore14.8.2020(thatisto
say,withinaperiodof12yearsapprox.,fromnow.)
e.
TheBoardofDirectorsofEOLshouldpassandcauseto
furnish a resolution to the effect that EOL will not claim
benefitsundertheSchemebeyond14.8.2020.

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ORDER

The Hon'ble Court also issued the following directions

whichwerebroadlyasfollows:
a.
The State Government is directed to issue a final
Registration Certificate under the Scheme to EOL within a
periodofonemonthfromthedateofreceiptofthejudgment.
b. In consideration of the State Government extending
benefitsundertheScheme,EOLwillnot,asagoodgestureon
itspart,claimrefundoftaxalreadypaidbyittotheState
Government.
The same Bench consisting of Hon'ble Mr.Justice M.S.Shah and
Hon'bleMr.JusticeRaviR.TripathipassedtheorderonCivilApplication
No.1828of2008on28.02.2008andasperthatorder,thepetitioni.e.
Special Civil Application No.24233 of 2007 shall be placed before
appropriateBenchforfinalhearing.
LearnedSr.AdvocateShriNanavatisubmitsthattheorderwhich
wasdictatedinopenCourtondisposalofthepetition,shouldbegiven
effectandpetitionshouldnotbeheardafreshagainasthepetitionwas
alreadydisposedon19.02.2008.
Whetherthepetitionwasdisposedoffinallyon19.02.2008ornot,
that concerned Bench consisting of Hon'ble Mr.Justice M.S.Shah and
Hon'bleMr.JusticeRaviR.Tripathiknowsitbetter.Therefore,toavoid
furthercontroversy,wedeemitproperthatthematterbeplacedbefore
the same Bench on 4th April, 2008 to pass appropriate orders after
hearingboththeparties.
Listiton4thApril,2008.

(Y.R.MEENA,C.J.)

(J.C.UPADHYAYA,J.)
kailash