15. Duties of excise.—(1) There shall be levied and collected, as a cess for the purposes of this Act,
on every item specified in column 2 of the Schedule, which is produced in India (including the
continental shelf thereof) and—
(a) removed to a refinery or factory; or
(b) transferred by the person by whom such item is produced to another person,
a duty of excise at such rate not exceeding the rate set forth in the corresponding entry in column 3 of the
Schedule, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify:
Provided that until the Central Government specifies by such notification the rate of the duty of
excise in respect of crude oil (being an item specified in the Schedule) the duty of excise on crude oil
under this sub-section shall be levied and collected at the rate of rupees sixty per tonne.
(2) Every duty of excise leviable under sub-section (1) on any item shall be payable by the person by
whom such item is produced, and in the case of crude oil, the duty of excise shall be collected on the
quantity received in a refinery.
(3) The duties of excise under sub-section (1) on the items specified in the Schedule shall be in
addition to any cess or duty leviable on those items under any other law for the time being in force.
(4) The provisions of the Central Excises and Salt Act, 1944 (1 of 1944) and the rules made
thereunder, including those relating to refunds and exemptions from duties shall, as far as may be, apply
in relation to the levy and collection of duties of excise leviable under this section and for this purpose the
provisions of that Act shall have effect as if that Act provided for the levy of duties of excise on all items
specified in the Schedule.
16. Crediting of proceeds of duty to Consolidated Fund of India.—The proceeds of the duties of
excise levied under section 15 shall first be credited to the Consolidated Fund of India and the Central
Government may, if Parliament by appropriation made by law in this behalf, so provides, pay to the
Board from time to time, from out of such proceeds, after deducting the expenses of collection, such sums
of money as it may think fit for being utilised exclusively for the purposes of this Act.
17. Grants and loans by the Central Government.—The Central Government may also, after due
appropriation made by Parliament by law in this behalf, pay to the Board by way of grants or loans such
sums of money as the Central Government may consider necessary.
18. Oil Industry Development Fund.—(1) There shall be formed a Fund to be called the Oil
Industry Development Fund and there shall be credited thereto—
(a) any sums of money paid under section 16 or section 17;
(b) any grants that may be made by any person or institution for the purposes of this Act;
(c) any borrowings by the Board;
(d) the sums, if any, realised by the Board in carrying out its functions or in the administration of
this Act.
(2) The Fund shall be applied—
(a) for meeting the salaries, allowances, honoraria and other remuneration of the officers and
other employees of the Board and of the advisers, consultants or other agencies whose services are
availed of by the Board;
(b) for meeting the other administrative expenses of the Board;
(c) for rendering assistance under section 6;
(d) for repayment of any loans taken by the Board or for meeting other liabilities under this Act.
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[(e) for meeting any expenditure incurred by any Central Public Sector Undertaking in the oil
and gas sector, on behalf of the Central Government;
(f) for meeting expenditure on any scheme or activity by the Central Government relating to oil
and gas sector.]
19. Power to borrow.—Subject to such rules as may be made in this behalf, the Board shall have the
power to borrow on the security of the Oil Industry Development Fund or any other asset for carrying out
the purposes of this Act.
20. Accounts and audit.—(1) The Board shall maintain proper accounts and other relevant records
and prepare an annual statement of accounts, including the profit and loss account and the balance-sheet
in such form as may be prescribed by the Central Government in consultation with the Comptroller and
Auditor-General of India.
(2) The accounts of the Board shall be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India at
such intervals as may be specified by him and any expenditure incurred in connection with such audit
shall be payable by the Board to the Comptroller and Auditor-General.
(3) The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India and any person appointed by him in connection
with the audit of the accounts of the Board shall have the same rights and privileges and authority in
connection with such audit as the Comptroller and Auditor-General has in connection with the audit of
Government accounts and, in particular, shall have the right to demand the production of books, accounts,
connected vouchers and other documents and papers and to inspect any of the offices of the Board.
(4) The accounts of the Board as certified by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India or any
other person appointed by him in this behalf together with the audit report thereon shall be forwarded
annually to the Central Government and that Government shall cause the same to be laid before each
House of Parliament.