Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Partial notification of Companies (Second Amendment) Act, 2002 dated July 10, 2012


In exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Companies (Second Amendment) Act, 2002 (11 of 2003), the Central Government has now issued notification dated 10/07/2012 and fixed the 12th day of August of 2012 as the date on which the provisions of sections 7, 8, 20 and 25 of the said Act shall come into force.

As a result of this notification, with effect from 12th day of August of 2012, Companies Act, 1956 will have following effective amendments:

  1. The authority governing the change in Registered Office from one State to another will be shifted from Company Law Board to Central Government.
  2. The authority for registration of charges as provided in section 141 of the Companies Act will be shifted from Company Law Board to Central Government.
  3. The authority to move application for non-circulation of certain statements along with notice of general meeting will be shifted from Company Law Board to Central Government.

In all the above cases the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has further delegated its powers under the amended provision to the concerned Regional Directors through another Notification dated July 10, 2012.

For governance of the above changes, A new Rule 4BBB has been inserted after Rule 4BBA in Companies (Central Government’s) General Rules and Forms Rules, 1956, detailing the procedure of petition to be made to the Regional Director.

Now, petition for change in registered office from one state to another has to be made in Form 1 as referred in Annexure “E” along with Form 24AAA as referred in Annexure ‘A’. Before filing petition along with said forms to Regional Director, newspaper publication of the notice of intension to shift registered office from one state to another has to be published in the state where the registered office is situated in at least English and principal language of state. Further individual notice of intension to shift registered office from one state to another will also be required to be sent by the company to all debenture-holders and creditors under certificate of posting. The petition shall set forth the details as follows:
  • The name of the company, with its status
  • Date of incorporation
  • The address of its registered office
  • Authorized capital paid-up capital with division of different classes of shares and terms of issue of any in the case of preference shares
  • Main objects in brief for which the company was formed
  • Present business activities of the company
  • Grounds for such petition and the nature of relief (s) prayed for.

Such petition for alteration of M.O.A / A.O.A. needs to be accompanied by:

  • Copy of notice calling for meeting with explanatory statement.
  • Copy of the special resolution sanctioning the alteration in M.O.A. / A.O.A. By the members of the company.
  • Copy of the minutes of the meeting at which special resolution was passed.
  • Affidavit verifying the petition.
  • Memorandum of appearance with the copy of the board resolution or duly executed vakalatnama as the case may be.
  • Affidavit proving dispatch and service of notice to creditors / debenture-holders together with news paper cuttings.
  • Affidavit verifying list of creditors as per regulation 36(7).
  • Acknowledgement receipt from the chief secretary of the state government / administrator, where ever applicable.



Thursday, July 19, 2012

Introduction of e-voting for passing specified resolutions


In the process of decision making process of incorporated companies in India, the year 2001 has seen a big change with introduction of section 192 A of Companies Act providing for postal ballot for some specified resolutions as the same turned around towards more democratic and more participation of shareholders.
Now it’s turn of e-voting, which will be compulsory for top 500 listed companies with effect from 01/10/2012. SEBI has issued circular no. CIR/CFD/DIL/6/2012 dated 13/07/ 2012 which provides for inclusion of clause 35B in listing agreement, requiring for listed companies to undertake for transacting specified business for postal ballots through e-voting also.

The e-voting facility will be an additional one and hence those shareholders who do not have access of this facility may continue to send their assent or dissent in writing through postal ballot.

For providing e-voting facility, said listed companies will have to hire services of agency having certification from Standardization Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate, Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Communication and IT, Government of India, New Delhi. At present only CDSL and NSDL has been given said certification for such services.