IN THE INCOME TAX APPELLATE TRIBUNAL JODHPUR BENCH, JODHPUR BEFORE SHRI HARI OM MARATHA , JUDICIAL MEMBER AND SHRI N.K.SAINI, ACCOUNTANT MEMBER ITA NO. 375 / JODH / 20 1 4 ASSESSMENT YEAR: 2 00 7 - 0 8 ITO, W ARD 1(1) , VS. SHRI MANGI LAL JAT, BIKANER. TILAK NAGAR, SAGAR ROAD, BIKANER. PAN NO. ABGPJ 7221 H (APPELLANT) (RESPONDENT) A SSESSEE B Y : NONE DEPARTMENT B Y : SHRI MAHESH KUMAR D R DATE OF H EARING : 1 7 . 09 .201 4 DATE OF PRONOUNCEMENT : 17. 09.2014 ORDER PER N.K. SAINI , A .M. TH IS APPEAL FILED BY THE REVENUE IS DIRECTED AGAINST THE ORDER OF THE LD. CIT(A) , BIKANER , DATED 2 4 . 0 3 .20 1 4 F OR A.Y 200 7 - 0 8 . 2 2. DURING THE COURSE OF HEARING , LD. D.R., ALTHOUGH SUPPORTED THE ORDER OF THE ASSESSING OFFICER , BUT COULD NOT CONTROVERT TH IS FACT THAT TAX EFFECT IN THIS APPEAL IS LESS THAN RS.3,00,000/ - . 3 . AFTER CONSIDERING THE SUBMISSIONS OF THE LD. D.R. AND THE MATERIAL ON RECORD, IT IS NOTICED THAT SECTION 268A HAS BEEN INSERTED BY THE FINANCE ACT, 2008 WITH RETRO SPECTIVE EFFECT FROM 01/04/99. THE PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN SECTION 268A READ AS UNDER: 268A. (1) THE BOARD MAY, FROM TIME TO TIME, ISSUE ORDERS, INSTRUCTIONS OR DIRECTIONS TO OTHER INCOME - TAX AUTHORITIES, FIXING SUCH MONETARY LIMITS AS IT MAY DEEM FIT, FOR THE PURPOSE OF REGULATING FILING OF APPEAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE BY ANY INCOME - TAX AUTHORITY UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER. (2) WHERE, IN PURSUANCE OF THE ORDERS, INSTRUCTIONS OR DIRECTIONS ISSUED UNDER SUB - SECTION (1), AN INCOME - TAX AUTHORITY HAS NOT FILED ANY APPEAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE ON ANY ISSUE IN THE CASE OF AN ASSESSEE FOR ANY ASSESSMENT YEAR, IT SHALL NOT PRECLUDE SUCH AUTHORITY FROM FILING AN APPEAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE ON THE SAME ISSUE IN THE CA SE OF 3 ( A ) THE SAME ASSESSEE FOR ANY OTHER ASSESSMENT YEAR; OR ( B ) ANY OTHER ASSESSEE FOR THE SAME OR ANY OTHER ASSESSMENT YEAR. (3) NOTWITHSTANDING THAT NO APPEAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE HAS BEEN FILED BY AN INCOME - TAX AUTHORITY PURSUANT TO THE ORDERS OR INSTRUCTIONS OR DIRECTIONS ISSUED UNDER SUB - SECTION (1), IT SHALL NOT BE LAWFUL FOR AN ASSESSEE, BEING A PARTY IN ANY APPEAL OR REFERENCE, TO CONTEND THAT THE INCOME - TAX AUTHORITY HAS ACQUIESCED IN THE DECISION ON THE DISPUTED ISSUE BY NOT FILING AN APPEAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE IN ANY CASE. (4) THE APPELLATE TRIBUNAL OR COURT, HEARING SUCH APPEAL OR REFERENCE, SHALL HAVE REGARD TO THE ORDERS, INSTRUCTIONS OR DIRECTIONS ISSUED UNDER SUB - SECTION (1) AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH SUCH APP EAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE WAS FILED OR NOT FILED IN RESPECT OF ANY CASE. (5) EVERY ORDER, INSTRUCTION OR DIRECTION WHICH HAS BEEN ISSUED BY THE BOARD FIXING MONETARY LIMITS FOR FILING AN APPEAL OR APPLICATION FOR REFERENCE SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE B EEN ISSUED UNDER SUB - SECTION (1) AND THE PROVISIONS OF SUB - SECTIONS (2), (3) AND (4) SHALL APPLY ACCORDINGLY. ] 4 . IT IS NOT IN DISPUTE THAT THE BOARDS INSTRUCTION OR DIRECTIONS ISSUED TO THE OTHER INCOME - TAX AUTHORITIES ARE 4 BINDING ON THOSE AUTHORITI ES, THEREFORE, THE DEPARTMENT OUGHT NOT TO HAVE FILED THE APPEAL IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED SECTION 268A SINCE THE TAX EFFECT IN THE INSTANT CASE IS LESS THAN THE AMOUNT PRESCRIBED FOR NOT FILING THE APPEAL. 5 . IT IS NOTICED THAT THE CBDT HAS ISSUED INSTRUCTION NO.3 OF 2011 DATED 09.02.2011, BY WHICH THE CBDT HAS REVISED THE MONETARY LIMIT TO RS. 3,00,000/ - FOR FILING THE APPEAL BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL. 6 . KEEPING IN VIEW THE CBDT INSTRUCTION NO.3 OF 2011 DATED 09.02.2011 AND ALSO THE PROVISIONS OF SEC TION 268A OF INCOME TAX ACT, 1961, WE ARE OF THE VIEW THAT THE REVENUE SHOULD NOT HAVE FILED THE INSTANT APPEAL BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL. WHILE TAKING SUCH A VIEW, WE ARE FORTIFIED BY THE FOLLOWING DECISIONS OF HON'BLE PUNJAB & HARYANA HIGH COURT : - 1. CIT V OSC AR LABORATORIES P. LTD (2010) 324 ITR 115 (P&H) 5 2. CIT V ABINASH GUPTA (2010) 327 ITR 619 (P&H) 3. CIT V VARINDERA CONSTRUCTION CO. (2011) 331 ITR 449 (P&H)(FB) 7 . SIMILARLY THE HONBLE DELHI HIGH COURT IN THE CASE OF CIT V. DELHI RACE CLUB LTD. IN ITA NO. 128/2008, ORDER DATED 03.03.2011 BY FOLLOWING THE EARLIER ORDER DATED 02.08.2010 IN ITA NO.179/1991 IN THE CASE OF CIT DELHI - III V. M/S. P.S. JAIN & CO. HELD THAT SUCH CIRCULAR WOULD ALSO BE APPLICABLE TO PENDING CASES. 8 . FROM THE RATIO LAID DOWN BY TH E HONBLE DELHI HIGH COURT, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED IN THE CIRCULARS BY CBDT ARE APPLICABLE FOR PENDING CASES ALSO. THEREFORE, BY KEEPING IN VIEW THE RATIO LAID DOWN IN THE AFORESAID REFERRED TO CASES, WE ARE OF THE CONSIDERED VIEW THAT I NSTRUCTION NO.3/11 DATED 09.02.2011 ISSUED BY THE CBDT ARE APPLICABLE FOR THE PENDING CASES ALSO AND IN THE SAID INSTRUCTIONS, MONETARY TAX LIMIT FOR NOT FILING THE APPEAL BEFORE THE ITAT IS RS. 3.00 LAKH S. 6 9 . IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, WITHOUT GOING INTO MER ITS OF THE CASE, WE DISMISS THE APPEAL FILED BY THE REVENUE. 1 0 . IN THE RESULT, THE APPEAL OF THE REVENUE STAND S DISMISSED . ORDER PRON OUNCED IN THE COURT ON 1 7 . 09 .201 4 . S D/ - SD/ - ( HARI OM MARATHA ) (N.K.SAINI) JUDICIAL MEMBER ACCOUNTAN T MEMBER DATED : 1 7 TH SEPTEMBER , 201 4 VR / - COPY TO: THE APPELLANT THE RESPONDENT THE CIT BY ORDER THE CIT(A) THE DR SR. PRIVATE SECRETARY , ITAT, JODHPUR