TMI Blog2013 (1) TMI 1030X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... 1292/Hyd/2010 for A.Y. 2007-08. The Tribunal vide order dated 27.8.2012 held as follows: 22. We have heard both the parties and perused the material on record. In our opinion, this issue came for consideration before this Tribunal in the case of M/s. Koya Co. Construction (P) Ltd. v. ACIT, 51 SOT 203 (Hyd) (URO) wherein the Tribunal held as follows: 24. We find that the provisions of Section 80IA (4) of the Act when introduced afresh by the Finance Act, 1999, the provisions under section 80IA (4A) of the Act were deleted from the Act. The deduction available for any enterprise earlier under section 80IA (4A) are also made available under Section 80IA (4) itself. Further, the very fact that the legislature mentioned the words (i) developing or (ii) operating and maintaining or (iii) developing, operating and maintaining clearly indicates that any enterprise which carried on any of these three activities would become eligible for deduction. Therefore, there is no ambiguity in the Income-Tax Act. We find that where an assessee incurred expenditure for purchase of materials himself and executes the development work i.e., carries out the civil construction work, he ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... astructure. It is to be seen from the agreements entered into by the assessee with the Government. We find that the Government handed over the possession of the premises of projects to the assessee for the development of infrastructure facility. It is the assessee s responsibility to do all acts till the possession of property is handed over to the Government. The first phase is to take over the existing premises of the projects and thereafter developing the same into infrastructure facility. Secondly, the assessee shall facilitate the people to use the available existing facility even while the process of development is in progress. Any loss to the public caused in the process would be the responsibility of the assessee. The assessee has to develop the infrastructure facility. In the process, all the works are to be executed by the assessee. It may be laying of a drainage system; may be construction of a project; provision of way for the cattle and bullock carts in the village; provision for traffic without any hindrance, the assessee s duty is to develop infrastructure whether it involves construction of a particular item as agreed to in the agreement or not. The agreement is not ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ntract. The word contractor is used to denote the person who enters into such contract. Even a person who enters into a contract for development of infrastructure facility is a contractor. Therefore, the contractor and the developer cannot be viewed differently. Every contractor may not be a developer but every developer developing infrastructure facility on behalf of the Government is a contractor. 28. We find that the decision relied on by the learned counsel for the assessee in the case of CIT vs. Laxmi civil Engineering works [supra] squarely applicable to the issue under dispute which is in favour of the assessee wherein it was held that mere development of a infrastructure facility is an eligible activity for claiming deduction under section 80IA of the Act after considering the Judgement of the Mumbai High Court in the case of ABG Heavy Engineering [supra]. The case of ABG is not the pure developer whereas, in the present case, the assessee is the pure developer. We also find that Section 80IA of the Act, intended to cover the entities carrying out developing, operating and maintaining the infrastructure facility keeping in mind the present business models and intend to ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ings at the joints, testing pipe joints and pipeline. iii) Construction of pump house, providing and fitting of pump sets. Supply and fitting of submersible pumps, centrifugal pumps, turbine pumps, submersible motors, motors for turbines and centrifugal pump sets, transformer, generator, panel boards etc. iv) Design and construction of raw water pumping stations, water treatment plant, treated water pumping station, treated water transmission main, construction of surge tank and pipe connection arrangement, booster stations, internal transmission main and feeder mains, construction of service reservoirs and master reservoirs. v) Mobilisation of labourers, [preparation of plans technical expertise, supervision, co-ordination and control, set up manufacturing facility nearby the project site to manufacture project specific pipes as per the required specifications which requires well equipped machines, employment of skilled labour and technical experts, equipment to transport heavy pipes to laying sites, equipment to lift and lowering of pipes at the excavated sites, provide qualified and experience engineer for each project site etc to bring in to existence an infrastructure ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... that deduction u/s. 80IA is available to developers who undertake entrepreneurial investment risk and not for the contractors, who undertake only business risk. Without any doubt, the assessee clearly demonstrated that the plant and machinery, technical know-how, expertise and financial resources. Therefore, if the contracts involve design, development, operation maintenance, financial involvement and defect correction and liability period, then such contracts cannot be called as simple works contract, to deny the deduction under section 80IA. The contracts which contain above features to be segregated have to be granted deduction under section 80IA and the other agreements which are pure works contracts hit by the Explanation to section 80IA(13) are not entitled for deduction under section 80IA. The profit from the contracts which involve design, development, operating maintenance, financial involvement and defect correction and liability period is to be computed by the Assessing Officer on pro rata basis of turnover. The Assessing Officer is directed to examine the records, accordingly, and grant deduction on eligible turnover. 4. In the case of KMC Construction Ltd. v. A ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... . While doing so, the Assessing Officer has to see whether the assessee carried on contract for sale or contract for work and the applicability of Explanation below section 80IA(13) of the Act. The Assessing Officer is directed to examine the terms of contract including the nature of obligation to be discharged by the assessee while executing the contract. For claiming deduction u/s. 80IA(4) the assessee shall satisfy the two conditions viz., investment in eligible projects and (2) execution of project by itself. If the assessee satisfies the above conditions and the above Explanation if not applicable then only the assessee is entitled for deduction u/s. 80IA(4) of the Act. With this observation, we remit the entire issue back to the file of the Assessing Officer for fresh consideration and to decide in accordance with law. 7. In view of the above order of the Tribunal, we are inclined to remit the issue back to the file of the Assessing Officer with a direction to examine the issue afresh and to see whether the assessee carried on the development of infrastructure facilities cumulatively with the activities of design, development, operation, maintenance, financial involveme ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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