IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL F BENCH, MUMBAI BEFORE SHRI D.K. AGARWAL, JUDICIAL MEMBER AND SHRI J. SUDHAKAR REDDY, ACCOUNTANT MEMBER ITA NO.2723/MUM./2010 (ASSESSMENT YEAR : 2005-06 ) INCOME TAX OFFICER WARD-16(1)(4), MATRU MANDIR MUMBAI 400 007 .. APPELLANT V/S MRS. USHMA M. KARIA KONARK SHRAN, OFFICE NO.305 156, M.M. MALAVIA ROAD TARDEO, MUMBAI 400 034 .... RESPONDENT REVENUE BY : MR. R.K. GUPTA ASSESSEE BY : NONE DATE OF HEARING 21.7.2011 DATE OF ORDER 12.8.2011 O R D E R PER J. SUDHAKAR REDDY, A.M. THIS APPEAL PREFERRED BY THE REVENUE, IS DIRECTED A GAINST THE IMPUGNED ORDER DATED 29 TH JANUARY 2010, PASSED BY THE COMMISSIONER (APPEALS)-XXVII, MUMBAI, FOR ASSESSMENT YEAR 2005-0 6. 2. ON THE DATE OF HEARING, NONE APPEARED ON BEHALF OF THE ASSESSEE. HOWEVER, THE BENCH WAS OF THE VIEW THAT THE REVENUE S APPEAL CAN BE MRS. USHMA M. KARIA ITA NO.2723/MUM./2010 2 DISPOSED OFF IN THE ABSENCE OF THE RESPONDENT ASSES SEE AND, ACCORDINGLY, THE APPEAL WAS HEARD EX-PARTE, QUA THE RESPONDENT ASSES SEE. WE NOW PROCEED TO DISPOSE OFF THE APPEAL ON MERIT. 3. LEARNED DEPARTMENTAL REPRESENTATIVE AGREED BEFORE U S THAT THE TAX EFFECT IN THE REVENUES APPEAL IS LESS THAN ` 3,00,000. AS PER CBDT INSTRUCTION NO.3 OF 2011, DATED 9 TH FEBRUARY 2011, THE APPEAL BEFORE THE APPELLATE TRIBUNAL CAN BE FILED BY THE REVENUE, WHE N THE TAX EFFECT EXCEEDS THE MONITORY LIMIT OF ` 3,00,000. 4. THE HON'BLE BOMBAY HIGH COURT IN THE CASE OF CIT V/ S MADHUKAR K. INAMDAR (HUF), 318 ITR 149 (BOM.) HELD AS FOLLOWS:- THE CIRCULAR DATED MAY 15, 2008 IN GENERAL AND PAR AGRAPH (5) THEREOF IN PARTICULAR LAY DOWN THAT EVEN IF THE SAME ISSUE, IN RESPECT OF THE SAME ASSESSEE, FOR OTHER ASSESSMENT YEARS IS INVOLV ED, THE DEPARTMENT SHOULD NOT FILE APPEAL, IF THE TAX EFFEC T IS LESS THAN ` 4 LAKHS. IN OTHER WORDS, EVEN IF THE QUESTION OF LAW IS OF RECURRING NATURE, THE REVENUE IS NOT EXPECTED TO FILE APPEALS IN SUCH CASES, IF THE TAX IMPACT IS LESS THAN THE MONETARY LIMIT FIXE D BY THE CENTRAL BOARD OF DIRECT TAXES. THE BOARD HAS ALSO ISSUED A CIRCULAR ON JUNE 5, 2007, DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT TO EXAMINE ALL APPEA LS PENDING BEFORE THE COURT ON A CASE TO CASE BASIS WITH FURTHER DIRE CTION TO WITHDRAW CASES WHEREIN THE CRITERIA OF MONETARY LIMITS AS PE R THE PREVAILING INSTRUCTION ARE NOT SATISFIED, UNLESS THE QUESTION OF LAW INVOLVED OR RAISED IN APPEAL OR REFERRED TO THE HIGH COURT FOR OPINION IS OF A RECURRING NATURE REQUIRED TO BE SETTLED BY THE HIGH ER COURT. THE CIRCULAR MAKES IT CLEAR THAT ON THE DATE OF ISSUANC E OF THE CIRCULAR, PREVAILING INSTRUCTIONS FIXING MONETARY LIMIT WILL HOLD GOOD EVEN FOR PENDING CASES. THE CIRCULAR DATED MAY 15, 2008 WOUL D BE APPLICABLE TO PENDING CASES REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT TO WITHDRAW CASES WHEREIN THE TAX EFFECT IS LESS THAN THE PRESCRIBED MONETARY LIMITS. THE CIRCULAR DATED MAY 15, 2008, WOULD BE APPLICABLE TO CASES PE NDING BEFORE THE COURT EITHER FOR ADMISSION OR FOR FINAL DISPOSAL AN D IT IS BINDING ON THE REVENUE. 5. SIMILAR VIEW WAS TAKEN BY THE HON'BLE JURISDICTIONA L HIGH COURT IN THE JUDGMENT IN CIT V/S PITHWA ENGINEERING WORKS, (2005 ) 276 ITR 519 (BOM.), AND THE HON'BLE DELHI HIGH COURT IN M/S. P.S. JAIN & CO., 335 ITR 591 (DEL.). MRS. USHMA M. KARIA ITA NO.2723/MUM./2010 3 APPLYING THE PROPOSITIONS LAID DOWN IN THESE CASE L AWS TO THE FACTS OF THE PRESENT CASE, WE DISMISS THE REVENUES APPEAL. 6. IN THE RESULT, REVENUES APPEAL IS DISMISSED. ORDER PRONOUNCED IN THE OPEN COURT ON 12.8.2011 SD/- D.K. AGARWAL JUDICIAL MEMBER SD/- J. SUDHAKAR REDDY ACCOUNTANT MEMBER MUMBAI, DATED: 12.8.2011 COPY TO : (1) THE ASSESSEE; (2) THE RESPONDENT; (3) THE CIT(A), MUMBAI, CONCERNED; (4) THE CIT, MUMBAI CITY CONCERNED; (5) THE DR, F BENCH, ITAT, MUMBAI. TRUE COPY BY ORDER PRADEEP J. CHOWDHURY ASSISTANT REGISTRAR SR. PRIVATE SECRETARY ITAT, MUMBAI BENCHES, MUMBAI