Delhi HC serves notice to Centre over MIP on steel

New Delhi, Mar 18 (KNN) A day after Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS) in the Central Board of Excise and Customs recommended extending the duties on some steel products up to March 2018, the Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice to the government seeking their response on the petition filed by Steel Wire Manufacturers Association of India.

"It is a matter which needs consideration. We cannot stay the government MIP notification for now," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said.

The bench, however, issued notice to Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Finance and Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) seeking their response within two weeks on the petition filed by Steel Wire Manufacturers Association of India.

"Notice. Response within two weeks. Whatever steps taken in pursuance to the notification will be subject to further order of this court. Call on April 6," the bench said.

The association has sought to declare the notification of February 5, 2016, imposing MIP for various steel products by the government as "illegal, arbitrary and unconstitutional" and a direction to restrain government from implementing it. (With Inputs from Media Reports)