The Supreme Court today ruled major industries and soft drink giants which extensively use water as a raw material for their products, are bound to pay higher rates of water cess imposed by government.
A bench of justices Mukundakam Sharma and A R Dave rejected the plea of a soft drink manufacturer that government's decision to adopt differential rates of cess for different users was discriminatory.
The bench passed the ruling while dismissing the appeal filed by the soft drink manufacturer challenging the decision of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation to increase by 10-fold the water cess imposed on water users in the State from 2001.