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1993 Supreme(SC) 83

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
L.M. Sharma, C.J.I. and A.M. Ahmadi, J.
Civil Appeal No. 289 of 1993
Decided On: 29.01.1993
Maharashtra Tubes Ltd. Appellants
Vs.
State Industrial & Investment Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd. and Anr. Respondent
Counsel for the Parties
For Appellant/Petitioner/Plaintiff: G.L. Rawal, Alpana Poddar and Kailash Vasdev, Advs.
For Respondents/Defendant: P.P. Rao and S.K. Dholakia, Sr. Advs., Sumant Bhardwaj, A.M. Khanwilkar and A.S. Bhasme, Advs.

Advocates:
A.M.KHANWILKAR, A.S.BHASME, ALPANA PODDAR, G.L.RAVAL, KAILASH VASUDEV, P.P.Rao, S.K.DHOLAKIA, SUMANT BHARDVAJ

Headnote:

State Financial Corporations Act, 1951 - Sections 29 and/or 31 – Debt Recovery and Monetary Laws – Bank – Loan - Default in repayment of any loan or advance or any instalment - State Government to establish a State Financial Corporation as a body corporate with an authorised capital of such sum as may be fixed by State Government in this behalf Section 9 provides that general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs and business of Financial Corporation shall vest in a Board of Directors which may exercise all powers and discharge all functions which may be exercised and discharged by Financial Corporation - Under Section 15 one of Directors may be nominated by State Government to be Chairman of Board of Directors. Section 25 enumerates the business which Financial Corporation may transact - These include among others, guaranteeing, on such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon, loans raised by industrial concerns which are repayable within twenty years and are floated in the public market, loans raised by industrial concerns from scheduled banks or State cooperative banks or other financial institutions and granting loans and advances to an industrial concern repayable within a period not exceeding twenty years from date on which they are granted - Held, Sections 15 to 19 of 1985 Act entire exercise under said provisions would be rendered nugatory by time BIFR is able to evolve a scheme of revival or rehabilitation of sick industrial concern by simple device of Financial Corporation resorting to Section 29 of 1951 Act – Court opinion that where an inquiry is pending under Sections 16/17 or an appeal is pending under Section 25 of 1985 Act there should be cessation of coercive activities of type mentioned in Section 22(1) to permit BIFR to consider what remedial measures it should take with respect to sick industrial company - Expression proceedings in Section 22(1), therefore, cannot be confined to legal proceedings understood in narrow sense of proceedings in a court of law or a legal tribunal for attachment and sale of debtors property - Before we part we must state that it has not been our endeavour to examine correctness or otherwise of decision of BIFR as an appeal under Section 25 is pending against same - BIFR will dispose of that appeal as early as possible on merits – Appeal allowed

JUDGMENT

Ahmadi, J.

1. Special leave granted.

2. The short but interesting question which arises for determination in this appeal is whether in a case where an industrial concern makes any default in repayment of any loan or advance or any instalment thereof or otherwise fails to meet its obligations under the terms of any agreement with the Financial Corporation, such as the respondent herein, can the latter take recourse to Sections 29 and/or 31 of the State Financial Corporations Act, 1951 (hereinafter called the 1951 Act) notwithstanding the bar of Section 22 of the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985 (hereinafter called the 1985 Ac!)? In order to answer the aforesaid question it is necessary to bear in mind the provisions of the aforesaid two statutes.

3. The 1951 Act was enacted to provide for the establishment of State Financial Corporations. Section 3 empowers the State Government to establish a State Financial Corporation as a body corporate with an authorised capital of such sum as may be fixed by the State Government in this behalf. Section 9 provides that the general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs and business of the Financial Corporation shall vest in a Board of Directors which may exercise all the powers and discharge all the functions which may be exercised and discharged by the Financial Corporation. Under Section 15 one of the Directors may be nominated by the State Government to be the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Section 25 enumerates the business which the Financial Corporation may transact. These include among others, guaranteeing, on such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon, loans raised by industrial concerns which are repayable within twenty years and are floated in the public market, loans raised by industrial concerns from scheduled banks or State cooperative banks or other financial institutions and granting loans and advances to an industrial concern repayable within a period not exceeding twenty years from the date on which they are granted. Section 29, insofar as relevant for our purpose, then provides as under:

"29. (1) Where any industrial concern, which is under a liability to the Financial Corporation under an agreement, makes any default in repayment of any loan or advance or any instalment thereof or in meeting its obligations in relation to any guarantee given by the corporation or otherwise fails to comply with the terms of its agreement with the Financial Corporation, the Financial Corporation shall have the right to take over the management or possession or both of the industrial concern, as well as the right to transfer by way of lease or sale and realise the property pledged, mortgaged, hypothecated or assigned to the Financial Corporation."

Where the Financial Corporation, in exercise of the aforesaid rights, transfers any property, Sub-section (2) provides that the same shall vest in the transferee all rights in or to the transferred property as if the transfer had been made by the owner of the property. Section 31 next provides as under:

"31. Where an industrial concern, in breach of any agreement, makes any default in repayment of any loan or advance or any instalment thereof or in meeting its obligations in relation to any guarantee given by the Corporation or otherwise fails to comply with the terms of the agreement with the Financial Corporation or where the Financial Corporation requires an industrial concern to make immediate repayment of any loan or advance under Section 30 and the industrial concern fails to make such repayment, then, without prejudice to the provisions of Section 29 of this Act and of Section 69 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 any officer of the Financial Corporation, generally or specially authorised by the Board in this behalf, may apply to the District Judge within the limits of whose jurisdiction the industrial concern carries on the whole or a substantial part of its business for one or







































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