State Legislature lacks competence to tax electricity generation; Section 17 struck down for excessive delegation.

Various hydroelectric power companies (appellants/petitioner) challenged the constitutional validity of "The Uttarakhand Water Tax on Electricity Generation Act, 2012".

The Act sought to levy a tax on the drawal of water for electricity generation.

A Division Bench of the Uttarakhand High Court previously delivered a split verdict in October 2023: one judge upheld the Act, while the other struck it down as ultra vires.

Consequently, the matter was referred to a third judge (Justice Alok Kumar Verma) to resolve the conflict.

The appellants argued lack of legislative competence and invoked promissory estoppel based on implementation agreements with the State.

1. Whether the tax imposed by the Act is in pith and substance a tax on "drawal of water" or a tax on the "generation of electricity"

2. Whether the State Legislature possesses the competence to enact the law under Entries 17, 18, 45, 49, or 50 of List II or Article 288 of the Constitution

3. Whether Section 17 of the Act suffers from the vice of excessive delegation by allowing the Government to fix tax rates without guidelines

4. Whether the State is barred by the doctrine of promissory estoppel from levying the tax due to prior contractual exemptions

The Court applied the Doctrine of Pith and Substance to determine the true nature of the levy, holding that nomenclature is not conclusive.

It relied on Article 246 read with List II, noting that taxation is a distinct matter and power to tax cannot be inferred from general legislative entries (State of West Bengal v. Kesoram Industries Ltd.).

The Court referred to Article 265, which mandates that no tax shall be levied except by "authority of law".

Regarding delegation, it applied the principle that while rate-fixing can be delegated, the legislature must provide policy guidelines to avoid "naked delegation".

Finally, the Court applied the rule that there is no promissory estoppel against the legislature or against the exercise of sovereign legislative functions (M/s Hero Motocorp Ltd. v. Union of India).

The Court examined the charging provisions (Sections 2, 12, and 17) and concluded that since the tax is triggered only when water is drawn specifically for electricity generation, the taxable event is the generation itself, not the mere drawal of water.

It rejected the State’s reliance on Entry 49 (Taxes on land) and Entry 50 (Taxes on mineral rights) of List II, clarifying that water used for power is not "land" as a unit of taxation and the State has no universal power to classify water as a "mineral" for taxing purposes.

The Court found that Article 288 is an enabling/saving provision and not an independent source of legislative competence.

Furthermore, because Section 17 allows the executive to vary tax rates without any upper limit or statutory guidance, it constitutes "excessive delegation".

Regarding promissory estoppel, the Court reasoned that while the State Government made promises in agreements, it cannot bind the State Legislature from exercising its plenary powers, though this was moot as the Act itself lacked competence.

It held that the tax is in pith and substance a tax on electricity generation, which falls outside the State’s legislative competence under List II.

Section 17 was held to be bad for excessive delegation.

The Court rejected the plea of promissory estoppel, holding that it cannot be invoked against the legislature.

The reference was answered by striking down the Act.