- (1.) Heard Sri Mayank Kumar Agrawal, learned counsel for the petitioner. Learned Chief Standing Counsel and Sri A.K. Saxena, learned counsel appearing for the respondent nos. 2 and 3.
(2.) Petitioner, a company, duly incorporated and registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1956, set up an integrated paper manufacturing unity at Muzaffarnagar, wherein, one of the component raw-material is electricity, consequently, desired to set up an integrated steel plant. The unit came to be set up in 2005. It is urged that the company closed down its operation since 30 June 2015; presently the unit is not operational.
(3.) By the instant writ petition, petitioner, primarily, seeks a direction to the respondents to provide benefit mandated under the U.P. Industrial and Service Sector Investment Policy 2004 (hereinafter referred to as 'Policy-2004'), issued by the State Government on 19 February 2004 to accelerate industrial development in the State. Policy-2004, inter alia, provided incentives, benefits and facilities in the form of various subsidies. One such subsidy, vide clause 3.4.2.9, provided that all new units would be exempted from electricity duty for the first ten years and units declared pioneer unit under para 4.5 shall be given exemption for a period of 15 years. The clause reads thus: "All new units shall be exempted from electricity duty for the first 10 years. Units declared as pioneer units under para 4.5 shall be given this exemption for 15 years.";