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2022 (12) TMI 1164 - AT - Income TaxRevision u/s 263 - assessees claimed deduction u/s.80P in respect of interest from cooperative banks and nationalized banks which got allowed by the AO - HELD THAT:- Insofar as the allowability of deduction u/s.8P(2)(a)(i) is concerned, we find that the Pune Tribunal in Sureshdada Jain Nagari Sahakari Patsanstha Maryadit [2019 (4) TMI 682 - ITAT PUNE] has decided the question of availability of deduction u/s 80P on interest income by noticing that the Bench in an earlier case of Shri Laxmi Narayan Nagari Sahakari Pat Sanstha Maryadit [2015 (8) TMI 1085 - ITAT PUNE] has allowed similar deduction. In the said case, the Tribunal discussed the contrary views expressed in Tumkur Merchants Souharda Credit Cooperative Ltd. [2015 (2) TMI 995 - KARNATAKA HIGH COURT] allowing deduction u/s. 80P on interest income and that of Mantola Cooperative Thrift Credit Society Ltd. [2014 (9) TMI 833 - DELHI HIGH COURT] not allowing deduction u/s.80P on interest income earned from banks. Both the Hon’ble High Courts took into consideration the ratio laid down in the case of Totgar’s Cooperative Sale Society Ltd. [2010 (2) TMI 3 - SUPREME COURT]. No direct judgment from the Hon’ble jurisdictional High Court on the point having been pointed out, the Tribunal in Shri Laxmi Narayan Nagari Sahakari Pat Sanstha Maryadit (supra) preferred to go with the view in favour of the assessee by the Hon’ble Karnataka High Court in the case of Tumkur Merchants Souharda Credit Cooperative Ltd. (supra). The position continues to remain the same before this Tribunal also. We thus hold that no exception can be taken to the granting of deduction on interest income by the AO u/s 80P(2)(a)(i) of the Act. Deduction u/s.80P(2)(d) of the Act, it is crystal clear from the language of the provision that though co-operative banks, other than primary agricultural credit society or a primary co-operative agricultural and rural development bank, are not eligible for deduction pursuant to insertion of section 80P(4) w.e.f. 1.4.2007, but this provision does not dent the otherwise eligibility u/s 80P(2)(d) of the Act of a co-operative society on interest income on investments/deposits parked with a co-operative bank, which is a registered co-operative society as per section 2(19) of the Act, defining co-operative society to mean a co-operative society registered under the Co-operative Societies Act, 1912 or under any law for the time being in force. The assessees are also Co-operative societies registered under the Act and hence qualify for the grant of the deduction. Similar view has been taken by the Pune Tribunal in several cases including The Sesa Goa Employees Coop. Credit Society Ltd. [2022 (12) TMI 959 - ITAT PUNE] We hold that the impugned orders questioning the grant of deduction u/s.80P(2)(a)(i)/80P(2)(d) in respect of interest income, cannot be sustained. Appeals are allowed.
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