( 1. ) IN this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution the petitioner is challenging levy of duty on pigment slurry and nitrocellulose lacquer under Central Excises and Salt Act, 1944, and also challenging Section 51 of the Finance Act, 1982 and Notification dated 20-2-1982 giving retrospective effect to Rules 9 and 49 of the Central Excise Rules, 1944, from the date of framing of the rules.

( 2. ) THE petitioner is a Company incorporated under the provisions of the Indian Companies Act, 1956. The petitioner has a factory at Dewas wherein it is manufacturing finished leather, garments and shoe uppers. These products are exempted from excise duty. For the completion of manufacturing of finished leather, the petitioner apply pigment slurry and nitrocellulose lacquer to the leather in the course of manufacture of finished leather. At the said factory, the petitioner has a Research and Development Cell in a separate building about 100 metres from the factory and within the same campus where amongst other activity, the petitioner mixes pigment powders like titanium dioxide with certain solvents. These pigment powders and solvents are obtained from the market and are prod