2021 (1) TMI 488 - SUPREME COURT

Deduction u/s 80P(2)(a) (i) - the credits given to such members being for purposes other than agricultural credit - eligibility after introduction of section 80P(4) - Assessee stated to be providing credit facilities to their members for agricultural and allied purposes, have been classified as primary agricultural credit societies by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies under the Kerala Co-operative Societies Act, 1969 - HELD THAT:- The ratio decidendi of Citizen Cooperative Society Ltd. [2017 (8) TMI 536 - SUPREME COURT], must be given effect to. Section 80P of the IT Act, being a benevolent provision enacted by Parliament to encourage and promote the credit of the co-operative sector in general must be read liberally and reasonably, and if there is ambiguity, in favour of the assessee.

A deduction that is given without any reference to any restriction or limitation cannot be restricted or limited by implication, as is sought to be done by the Revenue in the present case by adding the word “agriculture” into Section 80P(2)(a)(i) when it is not there.

Section 80P(4) is to be read as a proviso, which proviso now specifically excludes co-operative banks which are cooperative societies engaged in banking business i.e. engaged in lending money to members of the public, which have a licence in this behalf from the RBI. Judged by this touchstone, it is clear that the impugned Full Bench judgment is wholly incorrect in its reading of Citizen Cooperative Society Ltd. (supra). Clearly, therefore, once section 80P(4) is out of harm’s way, all the assessees in the present case are entitled to the benefit of the deduction contained in section 80P(2)(a)(i), notwithstanding that they may also be giving loans to their members which are not related to agriculture. Also, in case it is found that there are instances of loans being given to non-members, profits attributable to such loans obviously cannot be deducted.

Thus, the giving of loans by a primary agricultural credit society to nonmembers is not illegal, unlike the facts in Citizen Cooperative Society Ltd. (supra).

Resultantly, the impugned Full Bench judgment is set aside. The appeals and all pending applications are disposed of accordingly.