PREFACE

This report for the year ended 31 March 2003 has been prepared for submission to the President under Article 151 of the Constitution.

The report presents the observations noticed in test audit of Indirect Taxes (Central Excise and Service Tax) of the Union Government. Section 1 of the report covers matters relating to "central excise" and section 2 covers "service tax".

The cases mentioned in the report are among those which came to notice in the course of audit during the year 2002-03 and early part of the year 2003-04, as well as those which came to notice in earlier years but were not reported.