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TMI Blog2019 (7) TMI 1729X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... s in its appeal except for figures: - 1. On the facts and circumstance of the case and in law the Ld. C1T(A) has erred in; (i) confirming the disallowance of the claim of the Appellant under section 80P(2)(d) of the Act, in respect of interest income aggregating to ₹ 10,88,577/- earned by the Appellant (being a Co-Operative Housing Society) on the deposits placed by the Appellant with Co-operative Banks, relying on the provisions of section 80P(4) of the Act and which disallowance ought to be deleted; (ii) not appreciating that all Co-operative Banks wherein the Appellant has invested its funds are primarily Co-operative Societies registered under the Co-operative Societies Act with license to undertake banking activities and the Appellant therefore was fully entitled to the full deduction of interest earned from such banks u/s 80P(2)(d) of the Income Tax Act, 1961; (iii) applying the decisions in the case of Shri Saidatta Cooperative Credit Society Ltd. Vs. ITO, Totgars Co-operative Sale Society Ltd. Vs. ITO (2010) and Vaibhav Co-operative Credit Society vs. ITO when the facts of the case are distinguished from the Appellant's case and the CIT(A) has therefo ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... by the assessee in providing credit facilities to its members as cooperative society and not a cooperative bank. No appeal by the Revenue challenging this finding of the Ld.CIT(A). He quantified the deduction to be allowed at ₹.8,07,963/- and ₹.10,34,063/- for the A.Ys. 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively. However, the Ld.CIT(A) held that the assessee is not entitled for deduction u/s.80P(2)(d) of ₹.15,38,417/- and ₹.17,72,197/- for A.Ys. 2013-14 and 2014-15 respectively on the interest income earned by the assessee from cooperative banks and in coming to such conclusion the Ld.CIT(A) referred to the decision of the Coordinate Bench and also the decision of the Hon'ble Apex court in the case of The Totgar Cooperative Sales Society Limited v. ITO [322 ITR 283]. He also relied on the Coordinate Bench decision in the case of Vaibhav Cooperative Credit Society v. ITO in ITA.No. 5819/Mum/2014 dated 17.03.2017. 4. Ld. DR vehemently supported the orders of the authorities below. 5. Heard rival submissions, perused the orders of the authorities below. The issue in the case of The Totgar Cooperative Sales Society Limited v. ITO (supra) is as to whether the in ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... is relevant to note that in the case of Pr.CIT v. Totgar Cooperative Sales Society Limited [392 ITR 74] the Hon'ble Karnataka High Court considered the meaning of the word cooperative society within the provisions of section 80P(2)(d) and held that cooperative society includes cooperative bank for the purpose of deduction u/s.80P(2)(d) of the Act. Therefore, it has been held that interest received by the cooperative society from the cooperative bank is eligible for deduction u/s. 80P(2)(d) of the Act. While holding so, the Hon'ble High Court also considered the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of the very same assessee reported in 322 ITR 283 as The Totgar Cooperative Sales Society Limited v. ITO. The Hon'ble High Court held as under: - 5. The learned counsel for the Revenue has pleaded that two substantial questions of law are raised in the present appeal, namely, 1. Whether the learned Tribunal was justified in deleting the additions made by the Assessing Authority being the disallowed deduction claimed u/S 80P(2)(d) of the Income Tax Act and in the light of the decision of the Supreme Court with regard to the same exact assessee as the ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... n the words Co-operative Society . 10. Admittedly, the interest which the assessee respondent had earned was from a Co-operative Society Bank. Therefore, according to Sec. 80P(2)(d) of the I.T. Act, the said amount of interest earned from a Cooperative Society Bank would be deductable from the gross income of the Co-operative Society in order to assess its total income. Therefore, the Assessing Officer was not justified in denying the said deduction to the assessee respondent. 11. The learned counsel has relied on the case of The Totgars Co-operative Sale Society Ltd. Vs. Income Tax Officer, (supra). However, the said case dealt with the interpretation, and the deduction, which would be applicable under Section 80P(2)(a)(i) of the I.T. Act. For, in the present case the interpretation that is required is of Section 80P(2)(d) of the I.T. Act and not Section 80P(2)(a)(i) of the I.T. Act. Therefore, the said judgment is inapplicable to the present case. Thus, neither of the two substantial questions of law canvassed by the learned counsel for the Revenue even arise in the present case. 10. Following the above said decision, similar view has been taken by the Coordinate Bench ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... more be applicable in relation to any co-operative bank, other than a primary agricultural credit society or a primary co-operative agricultural and rural development bank, but however, are unable to subscribe to their view that the same shall also jeopardise the claim of deduction of a co-operative society under Sec. 80P(2)(d) in respect of the interest income on their investments parked with a co-operative bank. We have given a thoughtful consideration to the issue before us and are of the considered view that as long as it is proved that the interest income is being derived by a co-operative society from its investments made with any other co-operative society, the claim of deduction under the aforesaid statutory provision, viz. Sec. 80P(2)(d) would be duly available. We may herein observe that the term co-operative society‟ had been defined under Sec. 2(19) of the Act, as under: - (19) Co-operative society means a cooperative society registered under the Co-operative Societies Act, 1912 (2 of 1912), or under any other law for the time being in force in any state for the registration of cooperative societies; We are of the considered view, that though the co-op ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... 283(S.C) being distinguishable on facts, thus, had wrongly been relied upon by him. The adjudication by the Hon ble Apex Court in the aforesaid case was in context of Sec. 80P(2)(a)(i), and not on the entitlement of a co-operative society towards deduction under Sec. 80P(2)(d) on the interest income on the investments parked with a co-operative bank. We further find that the reliance place by the ld. D.R on the order of the ITAT F bench, Mumbai in the case of M/s Vaibhav Cooperative Credit Society Vs. ITO-15(3)(4) (ITA No. 5819/Mum/2014, dated 17.03.2017 is also distinguishable on facts. We find that the said order was passed by the Tribunal in context of adjudication of the entitlement of the assessee co-operative bank towards claim of deduction under Sec.80P(2)(a)(i) of the Act. We find that it was in the backdrop of the aforesaid facts that the Tribunal after carrying out a conjoint reading of Sec. 80P(2)(a)(i) r.w. Sec. 80P(4) had adjudicated the issue before them. We are afraid that the reliance placed by the ld. D.R on the aforesaid order of the Tribunal being distinguishable on facts, thus, would be of no assistance for adjudication of the issue before us. Still further, t ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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