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2007 Supreme(P&H) 1903

PUNJAB & HARYANA HIGH COURT
M.M.Kumar and Ajay K.Mittal JJ.
Knittex Overseas Pvt.Ltd.
Versus
State Bank Of Patiala
Civil Writ Petition No. 1152 of 2007,
Decided On : OCTOBER 30, 2007

One Time Settlement Schemes issued by Reserve Bank of India do not have any Statutory roots. Therefore, such schemes do not confer any Statutory right on a borrower to seek their enforcement by issuance of a mandamus, nor it create any corresponding legal duty on the financial institution.

Headnote:Banking Law--One time settlement-Contractual matters-Writ of mandamus-The guidelines issued by the Chief General Manager cannot be regarded as Statutory-It primarily deals with the power of the Reserve Bank of India, to issue instructions concerning rate of interest which may be in public interest-OTS has no roots in a Statute so as to enforce the same by issuing a writ in the nature of mandamus-Held; Interalia-

       (i) In the absence of any statutory obligation created by guidelines or instructions, a writ of mandamus cannot be sought.

       (ii) Moreover, in contractual matters the Courts are reluctant to issue a writ of mandamus.

       (iii) The One Time Settlement Schemes issued by Reserve Bank of India do not have any statutory roots. Therefore, such schemes do not confer any statutory right on a borrower to seek their enforcement by issuance of a mandamus nor it create any corresponding legal duty on the financial institution.

       (iv) There is no provision made by Section 21 and Section 35A of the Act, which may empower a Chief General Manager to issue One Time Settlement Scheme. Therefore, for this reason also it lacks statutory content.

       (v) The Courts can, in deserving cases in the interest of justice and to balance equities may issue mandamus. However, it has to be strictly to avoid injustice to the parties as an exception and not in a routine manner--Banking Regulations Act, 1935, Sections 21 and 35-A-Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, Section 3--Constitution of India, 1950, Article 226. (Para 21)

       

Judgment

M. M. KUMAR, J.

1. This order shall dispose of C. W. P. Nos.1152,1239, 1240 and 1241 of 2007 as all the petitions relate to one group of companies. Even questions of law and facts involved are common to all the petitions. However, the facts are being referred from C. W. P. No.1152 of 2007, which has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution with a prayer for issuance of direction to the State Bank of Patiala-respon-dent Nos.1 and 2 to settle the loan account of the petitioner-company in terms of the guidelines/directives issued by the Reserve bank of India-respondent No.3 from time to time for settlement of accounts which have been rendered Non-Performing Asset (N. P. A. ). The petitioner-company has also sought further direction to respondent No.3 to exercise its power under the Banking regulation Act, 1949 (for brevity, the Act)and get the guidelines/directives for the settlement of NPA account enforce by issuing directions/instructions to the respondent Bank. It has still further been prayed that sale notice dated 23-12-2006 (P.17) be quashed.

2. Facts in brief are that the petitioner-company is a Private Limited Company, which was incorporated on 11-2-1988 under the Companies Act, 1956. It is engaged in the business of hosiery goods and spinning of yarn, which were to be supplied to its concerns/groups as also to other manu-i facturers of knitwears. Those knitwears were to be exported out of India. For carrying on its business, the petitioner-company availed financial assistance in the form of Cash credit Hypothecation Limited (CCL) and medium Term Loan (MTL) from the respondent Bank. It is claimed that uptil 1994 the petitioner-company continued to serve its financial liabilities towards the respondent bank, however, in the year 1994 a major fire broke out in the unit of the petitioner -company resulting into loss of around Rs.5.0 crores of raw material and semi-finished goods, which were to be exported. The machinery and building were also damaged. It is asserted that on account of aforementioned incident of fire the petitioner-company could not adhere to the repayment schedule and resultantly on 31-3-1995 its account with the respondent Bank became a Non-Performing Asset. In the year 1997, the claim lodged by the petitioner-company with Insurance Company was also rejected. Accordingly, the petitioner-company approached the respondent Bank with a rehabilitation proposal. After considering the rehabilitation proposal, the respondent bank conveyed its approval with some modifications to the petitioner -company vide letter dated 20-8-1999 (P-l), wherein properties which were kept as collateral securities as also the repayment schedule were also specified. However, there was change brought-about in the constitution of the petitioner-company in pursuance to some family settlement and the petitioner-company instead of accepting the rehabilitation proposal sought one time settlement of its account with the respondent Bank so as to discharge its continuing and recurring future liabilities. In this regard, the petitioner-company while making payment of Rs.4.06.331/-, vide letter dated 22-1-2000 (P.2), requested the respondent Bank for one time settlement of its account. It is claimed that on 27-7-2000, the Reserve Bank of India-respondent No.3 made amendments in the guidelines/policy for recovery of NPAs with a view to effect maximum recoveries from the NPA accounts of the banks. The said guidelines were issued in public interest in general and in the interest of banking policy in particular. The guidelines were to be applied uniformly without any discretion and discrimination as per the settlement formula stated in the guidelines itself (P.3 ).

3. On 26-9-2000, the petitioner-company again applied for one time settlement under the guidelines dated 27-7-2000, while giving the calculation of the outstanding amount which were payable. It was also requested that the earlier paymentof Rs,.4,06,331/- be adjusted towards




































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