In Brief
This case involved industrial companies in Goa seeking to avoid repayment of electricity tariff rebates. A 1991 notification promised a 25% rebate for five years from the date power supply started. The companies applied for power while the notification was active, but received actual supply after the notification had been rescinded in 1995. The State, relying on a 2002 Act, demanded repayment of rebates already received. The Supreme Court dismissed the companies' appeals, holding that benefits under the notification could only be claimed if power supply was actually provided while the notification was in force. The Court also applied the doctrine of res judicata, as the same issue had been decided in an earlier case binding the same parties, and held that public interest overrides any promise of continued benefits.
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