CTO v .Bombay Machinery stores (2020) 77 GSTR 304; Manu/SC/ 0419/2002 (SC) www.itatonline .org

Central Sales Tax Act, 1956
S.3 :Constructive delivery – Interpretation – legal fiction- The Tax Administration Authorities cannot give their own interpretation to legislative provisions on the basis of their own perception of trade practice. This administrative exercise, in effect, would result in supplying words to legislative provisions, as if to cure omissions of the legislature. [ S.6 ]

The concept of “constructive delivery” of goods as expounded in Arjan Dass Gupta   v CST  (1980) 45 STC 52 (Delhi) (HC)  is not proper to interpret the provisions of s. 3 of the CST Act. A legal fiction is created s. 3 that the movement of goods, from one State to another shall terminate, where the good have been delivered to a carrier for transmission, at the time of when delivery is taken from such carrier. There is no concept of constructive delivery either express or implied in the said provision. On a plain reading of the statute, the movement of the goods would terminate only when delivery is taken. There is no scope of incorporating any further word to qualify the nature and scope of the expression “delivery” within the said section. If the authorities felt any assessee or dealer was taking unintended benefit under the aforesaid provisions of the 1956 Act, then the proper course would be legislative amendment. The Tax Administration Authorities cannot give their own interpretation to legislative provisions on the basis of their own perception of trade practice. This administrative exercise, in effect, would result in supplying words to legislative provisions, as if to cure omissions of the legislature. (CA NO. 2217 OF 2011 dt. 27/4/2020)