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1995 DIGILAW 110 (MAD)

Commissioner of Income Tax v. Light Roofings Limited

1995-01-24

MISHRA, S.M.ALI MOHAMED

body1995
Judgment :- MISHRA, J. Two questions are referred to us. One, whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Appellate Tribunal is justified in holding that generators would come under the classification of plant and machinery and hence extra-shift allowance has to be allowed ; and second, whether, on the facts and in the circumstances of the case, the Appellate Tribunal is justified in holding that certain liabilities should not be taken into account in the computation of capital employed for allowing relief under section 80J of the Income-tax Act, 1961. The first-question is answered in CIT v. M. S. Sahadevan 1980 (123) ITR 820, 1980 (4) TAXMAN 188 by a Division Bench of this court, wherein it is pointed out that wherever the machinery is such that in-built into it is the electric motor, then it would be electrical machinery. The said view is reiterated by the Allahabad High Court in CIT v. Saran Khandsari Udyog 1994 (92) STC 311, 1993 (204) ITR 447, 1993 (114) CTR 410, 1994 (73) TAXMAN 303 and the Kerala High Court in CIT v. P. Veriah 1995 (211) ITR 244, 1994 (121) CTR 491. It appears the Central Board of Revenue has already issued Circular No. 1454, on the subject. This should satisfy all concerned. Thus, the Tribunal has committed no mistake in not treating a generator as electrical machinery. The second question, however, has been wrongly decided by the Tribunal, for, it has followed a decision of this court in Madras Industrial Linings Ltd. v. ITO 1977 (110) ITR 256, 1978 CTR(Mad) 45, which has since been overruled by the Supreme Court in Lohia Machines Ltd. v. Union of India 1985 AIR(SC) 421, 1985 (1) CompLJ 249, 1985 (152) ITR 308, 1985 (1) Scale 115 , 1985 (2) SCC 197 , 1985 (2) SCR 686 , 1985 (44) CTR 328, 1985 (20) TAXMAN 9, 1985 TaxLR 353, 1985 SCC(Tax) 245, 1985 (44) CTR(SC) 328. The Supreme Court has clearly laid down that rule 19A(2) and (3) of the Income-tax Rules, 1962, are valid and within the rule-making authority of the Central Board of Revenue under section 80J of the Act. The Supreme Court has clearly laid down that rule 19A(2) and (3) of the Income-tax Rules, 1962, are valid and within the rule-making authority of the Central Board of Revenue under section 80J of the Act. Rule 19A(2) of the Rules, in so far as it provided for computation of the " capital employed " as on the first day of the computation period, was within the rule-making authority of the Central Board under section 80J(1) of the Act, and 19A(3) of the Rules, the Supreme Court has held, and did not suffer from any infirmity in so far as it amended section 80J by incorporating the provisions of rule 19A as sub-section (1A) in section 80J with retrospective effect from April 1, 1972Since the Tribunal has proceeded on the second question on the basis of a wrong assumption of law, it is obvious the matter has got to go back to the Tribunal for a fresh hearing and determination in accordance with law in the light of the above. The reference is answered accordingly.