Perhaps you know, Sir, that for tea the licence can be sold and purchased in the market. If somebody has got an export licence and he has not been able to arrange the goods, he can sell this licence in the market and somebody else can purchase it. The time lag between the purchase and export of tea from here and the auctions abroad is always naturally short and sometimes it became very difficult to export it in time because auctions take place abroad, and in that auctioneering period certain commitments are made and then the things have to be supplied in a definite period. Now, in that period if a licensee has got the actual possession of the licence but he is sure to get it, in such a case the Customs authorities have been exercising their discretion and taking the responsibility on their own shoulders. They have been doing this thing for years and this measure only give legal sanctity to what they have been doing. As I said, under executive orders, they were exercising their own discretion in the matter. They have been accepting these bonds taking the responsibility upon themselves. As I said, I think it is more secure for those Customs collectors to have legal sanctity behind their actions. So, before taking any steps, they themselves will be conscious of the legal consequences of the whole thing. Now, if they take certain bonds in an irresponsible manner, the responsibility is not only of the importer of the exporter, the responsibility in legal terms is of the Customs collectors also. Therefore, Sir, the apprehension that has been expressed by the hon. Member sitting opposite is not quite connect. I can still assure the House on the point that so far as the Customs collectors are concerned, there is a code of conduct and in exercising their discretion they are guided by the instructions.
