In Brief
S.K.J. Coke Industries sought preferential coal pricing under a 1989 linking agreement. The appellant claimed it should pay the Government-notified linked price rather than the higher Liberalised Sales Scheme (LSS) price charged from January 1996. The Supreme Court held that the linking agreement covered only coal allocation (4000 MT monthly) and not preferential pricing. The 1996 Linkage Committee resolution explicitly stated the appellant would pay "price prevalent at any point of time" as decided by NEC, not the linked rate. Once the coal companies obtained exemption from price controls in January 1996, they could charge LSS prices. The Court dismissed the appeal, finding no vested legal right to preferential pricing for non-core sector consumers based merely on allocation status.
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