CIT KOTA vs. K.U.M.S. BHAWANI MANDI

By way of this appeal, the appellant has challenged the judgment and order of the Tribunal whereby the Tribunal has allowed the appeal of the original assessee reversing the order of AO.

This Court while admitting the matter framed the following substantial questions of law: “(i) Whether under the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal is justified in holding that the appeals of the assessee and the appeals of the revenue have become infructuous since the assessee Samiti has been allowed registration u/s 12A of the Act whereas the issue before the Tribunal was that whether the assessee Samiti falls under the four corners of Explanation to Section 10(20) of the Act? (ii) Whether the Income of Krishi Upaj Mandi Samiti can be held to be exempt from tax under the facts and circumstances of the case? (iii) Whether under the facts and circumstances of (2 of 4) [ITA-747/2008] the case, the Tribunal has erred in not deciding the legal issues and has simplicitor held that the income of the assessee Samiti is not liable to tax? 3. has been held as under:- “10. We have considered the rival submissions and we are in agreement with learned Counsel for the Respondents that so far as the case before the hon'ble Supreme Court of Agricultural Produce Market Committee, Narela's case [2008] 305 ITR 1 is concerned, the present controversy with regard to the registration under Section 12A of the agricultural produce marketing committees and the consequent exemption as a result thereof under Sections 11 and 12 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 was not involved in the said case. Independent of the registration under Section 12A, the said judgment would have been applicable to the facts and circumstances in case the Respondents- Assessees were claiming the exemption under Section 10(20) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 as they had been doing, prior to the amendment by virtue of the Finance Act, 2002, when the Explanation was added below Clause (20) of Section 10 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 which came into force on April 1, 2003 i.e. the assessment year 2002-03. 11. In the present case, however, the K.U.M.S. have applied for being registered under Section 12A and for the grant of consequent exemption under Section 11 as a result of having been registered as a charitable institution. In case such registration is valid and the K.U.M.S. are entitled to such registration, the consequence thereof provided under Chapter III of the Income-tax Act by virtue of Sections 11 and 12 are (3 of 4) [ITA-747/2008] bound to follow on the satisfaction of the required grounds. In support of the judgment of the learned Tribunal, learned Counsel for the Respondents- Assessees submitted that this Court in several cases has upheld the orders of the learned Income-tax Appellate Tribunal upholding the registration of the K.U.M.S. under Section 12A of the Income-tax Act and holding them entitled for the grant of consequent exemption under the provisions of Section 11 of the Income-tax Act. Learned senior counsel Mr. N. M. Ranka further submitted that several other High Courts have also taken the same view. Learned Counsel for the Assessees-Respondents submitted that the Division Bench of this Court in the case of CIT v. K. U. M. S., Jaisalmer reported in (Raj) 331 ITR 135 (Raj) : 2008 216 CTR 277 has upheld the contention of the Assessees that the agricultural produce market boards constituted under the Rajasthan Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1961 are entitled to be registered under Section 12A of the Income-tax Act, 1961 looking to the nature of the work which these boards are performing under the provisions of the Rajasthan Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1961 and on being so registered under Section 12A they would be entitled to claim the benefit of the exemption under the provisions of Sections 11 and 12 of the Income-tax Act, 1961.” The court further held as under:- “21. There is, therefore, no substance in the aforesaid objection of the learned Counsel for the Revenue that the Assessees having already claimed exemptions prior to April 1, 2003 under Section 10(20) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 as a local authority it could not apply for registration as a charitable institution under Section 12A of the Income-tax Act, 1961 and claim consequent exemption on that basis. Similar views with regard to the registration under Section 12A have been taken by the Allahabad High Court in the case of CIT v. Krishi Utpadan Mandi Samiti reported in [2011] 331 ITR 154 (All) : 231 CTR 505 (All)(I.T. Appeal Nos. 80 to 83 of 2007 decided on December 2, 2009).

In the light of the aforesaid discussion, we are of the view that these appeals preferred by the Revenue against the decision of the learned Income-tax Appellate Tribunal, in the facts and circumstances, deserve to be dismissed. Our answer to the question, therefore, is that the learned Income-tax Appellate Tribunal has rightly held that looking to the activities of the Assessees-K.U.M.S. and the Rajasthan State Agriculture Marketing Board enshrined under the Rajasthan Agricultural Produce Markets Act, 1961 and the Rules framed thereunder are such which would bring these

The view taken by this Court is required to be followed.

In that view of the matter, both the issues are answered in favour of assessee against the Department. Consequently, the appeal stands dismissed. (VINIT KUMAR MATHUR)J. (K.S. JHAVERI)J. A.Sharma/124