20 Sep 2023| 06:07am ISTHigh Court upholds Green Cess ActDismisses pleas of five companies handling coal and other hazardous chemicals & petroleum products; petitioners had argued that State had no power to levy green cessTeam HeraldPANJIM: The Bombay High Court at Goa has upheld the Goa Cess on Products and Substances Causing Pollution (Green Cess) Act, 2013, and dismissed pleas of five companies handling coal and other hazardous chemicals and petroleum products, against the law. The petitioners – South Port Ltd, M/s BMM Ispat Limited, M/s Vedanta Limited, M/s Goa Carbon Limited and Zuari Agro Chemicals Limited in separate writ petitions had challenged the constitutional validity of impugned Green Cess Act implemented by the State government in 2013. The petitioners had argued that the State government had no power to levy green cess when such powers vested with the Government of India. He submitted that the impugned Act and the levy thereunder were to promote steps to reduce carbon footprint, but the same did not relate to the regulation and control of pollution. The Court also declined to extend the interim relief granted in April 2016 stating that no assessment had started or any demand notices had been issued under the impugned Act.

Source: The Herald September 19, 2023 19:57 UTC