, - IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL AHMEDABAD BENCH D BEFORE SHRI RAJPAL YADAV, JUDICIAL MEMBER AND SHRI AMARJIT SINGH, ACCOUNTANT MEMBER ./ ITA NO. 896/AHD/2018 / ASSESSMENT YEAR: 2015-16 AND ITA NO.1890 AND 1891/AHD/2017 ASTT.YEAR 2009-10 AND 2014-15 SHRI CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI SAHAKARI MANDALI LTD. RAYGAD, SHIVAJI CHOWK BARANPURA, VADODARA. VS DCIT, CIR.3(1) VADODARA. / (APPELLANT) / (RESPONDENT) ASSESSEE BY : MS.ADITYA SETH FOR SHRI M.K. PATEL, AR REVENUE BY : SHRI V.K. SINGH, SR.DR / DATE OF HEARING : 27/06/2018 /DATE OF PRONOUNCEMENT : 10/07/2018 O R D E R PER RAJPAL YADAV, JUDICIAL MEMBER : PRESENT THREE APPEALS ARE DIRECTED AT THE INSTANCE OF THE ASSESSEE AGAINS T ORDER OF LD.CIT(A)-3, VADODARA DATED 7.2.2018, 2.6.2017 AND 30.5.2017 PAS SED FOR THE ABOVE THREE ASSESSMENT YEARS. BY THESE THREE APPEALS, TH E ASSESSEE HAS CHALLENGED NON-ALLOWANCE OF DEDUCTION UNDER SECTION 80P OF THE INCOME TAX ACT, 1961. 2. AT THE OUTSET, THE LD.DR SUBMITTED THAT ISSUE IS COVERED IN FAVOUR OF THE REVENUE BY THE JUDGMENT OF THE HONBLE JURIS DICTIONAL HIGH COURT ITA NO.896 /AHD/2018 AND 1890 AND 1891/AHD/2017 - 2 - IN THE CASE OF STATE BANK OF INDIA CO-OPERATIVE SOC IETY VS. CIT, 72 TAXMANN.COM 64 (GUJ) WHEREIN IT HAS BEEN HELD THAT COOPERATIVE SOCIETY ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS OF PROVIDING CREDIT FACILIT IES TO ITS MEMBERS WHICH EARNS INTEREST INCOME ON THE SURPLUS FUNDS PA RKED WITH THE NATIONALISED BANKS, IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR DEDUCTION U NDER SECTION 80P OF THE ACT. SINCE IMPUGNED ORDERS OF REVENUE AUTHORITIES ARE IN TERMS OF JUDGMENT OF THE HONBLE HIGH COURT CITED SUPRA, NO INTERFERENCE THEREOF IS REQUIRED AND THE APPEAL OF THE ASSESSEE MAY BE D ISMISSED. HOWEVER, THE LD.COUNSEL FOR THE ASSESSEE DOES NOT CONTEST JU DGMENT OF HONBLE GUJARAT HIGH COURT, BUT SUBMITTED THAT IN CASE CLAI M OF THE ASSESSEE IS NOT FOUND TO BE ADMISSIBLE, THEN PROPORTIONATE ADMI NISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL EXPENSES INCURRED FOR EARNING SUCH INTERE ST/INVESTMENT INCOME BE ALLOWED TO THE ASSESSEE. 3. HAVING HEARD BOTH THE PARTIES AND ON PERUSAL OF THE RECORD, WE FIND THAT ASSESSEE IS A COOPERATIVE SOCIETY REGISTE RED UNDER GUJARAT CO- OPERATIVE SOCIETIES ACT, 1961 AND ENGAGED IN PROVID ING CREDIT FACILITIES TO ITS MEMBERS. IN THE RETURN OF INCOME, THE ASSESSEE HAS CLAIMED DEDUCTION UNDER SECTION 80P FOR THE INTEREST INCOME EARNED ON FDRS. WITH THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. THIS CLAIM WAS DE NIED BY THE AO ON THE GROUND THAT PROVISIONS OF SECTION 80P(2) DOES NOT C OVER ASSESSEE-SOCIETY. THE LD.CIT(A) CONCURRED WITH THE ORDER OF THE AO BY RELYING UPON THE JUDGMENT OF HONBLE JURISDICTIONAL HIGH COURT IN TH E CASE OF STATE BANK OF INDIA CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY (SUPRA). WE FIND THA T HONBLE JURISDICTIONAL HIGH COURT HAS HELD THAT INTEREST EA RNED FROM INVESTMENT MADE IN NATIONALIZED BANK BY A COOPERATIVE SOCIETY ENGAGED IN PROVIDING CREDIT FACILITIES TO ITS MEMBERS, IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR DEDUCTION UNDER SECTION 80P. THE TRIBUNAL IN EARLIER OCCASIO NS ON SIMILAR ISSUE HAS ITA NO.896 /AHD/2018 AND 1890 AND 1891/AHD/2017 - 3 - TAKEN A CONSISTENT VIEW BY FOLLOWING ABOVE JUDGMENT OF THE HONBLE JURISDICTIONAL HIGH COURT. SINCE ORDERS OF THE REVE NUE AUTHORITIES ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JUDGMENT OF THE HONBLE JURISDI CTIONAL HIGH COURT CITED SUPRA, NO INTERFERE IS CALLED FOR IN THE IMPU GNED ORDERS, WHICH WE CONFIRM. HOWEVER, ANY EXPENDITURE INCURRED BY THE A SSESSEE FOR EARNING SUCH INCOME COULD BE ALLOWED TO IT, IF NOT ALREADY ALLOWED. IN OTHER WORDS, THE LD.AO HAS TO DETERMINE THE NET INTEREST INCOME AS WELL AS MISC. INCOME EARNED BY THE ASSESSEE, AND ONLY THERE AFTER THAT INCOME HAS TO BE EXCLUDED FROM THE ADMISSIBILITY OF DEDUCTION UNDER SECTION 80P OF THE ACT. 4. IN THE RESULT, APPEALS OF THE ASSESSEE ARE PARTL Y ALLOWED FOR STATISTICAL PURPOSE. PRONOUNCED IN THE OPEN COURT ON 10 TH JULY, 2018. SD/- SD/- (AMARJIT SINGH) ACCOUNTANT MEMBER (RAJPAL YADAV) JUDICIAL MEMBER