COPIES OF MEMORANDUM, ARTICLES, ETC., TO BE GIVEN TO MEMBERS
Section 17 deals with the list of documents that are to be made available to the shareholders on the Request.
A company shall, on being so requested by a member, send to him within 7 days of the request and subject to the payment of such fees as may be prescribed, a copy of each of the following documents, namely:—
(a) the memorandum;
(b) the articles; and
(c) every agreement and every resolution referred to in sub-section (1) of section 117, if and in so far as they have not been embodied in the memorandum or articles.
(2) If a company makes any default in complying with the provisions of this section, the company and every officer of the company who is in default shall be liable for each default, to a penalty of one thousand rupees for each day during which such default continues or one lakh rupees, whichever is less.
COMMENT: SECTION 117 CONTAINS THE LIST OF RESOLUTIONS AND AGREEMENTS TO BE FILED WITH THE ROC.
(1) A copy of every resolution or any agreement, in respect of matters specified in sub-section (3) together with the explanatory statement under section 102, if any, annexed to the notice calling the meeting in which the resolution is proposed, shall be filed with the Registrar within thirty days of the passing or making thereof in such manner and with such fees as may be prescribed:
Provided that the copy of every resolution which has the effect of altering the articles and the copy of every agreement referred to in sub-section (3) shall be embodied in or annexed to every copy of the articles issued after passing of the resolution or making of the agreement.
(2) If any company fails to file the resolution or the agreement under sub-section (1) before the expiry of the period specified therein, such company shall be liable to a penalty of one lakh rupees and in case of continuing failure, with further penalty of five hundred rupees for each day after the first during which such failure continues, subject to a maximum of twenty-five lakh rupees and every officer of the company who is in default including liquidator of the company, if any, shall be liable to a penalty of fifty thousand rupees and in case of continuing failure, with further penalty of five hundred rupees for each day after the first during which such failure continues, subject to a maximum of five lakh rupees.
(3) The provisions of this section shall apply to—
(a) special resolutions;
(b) resolutions which have been agreed to by all the members of a company, but which, if not so agreed to, would not have been effective for their purpose unless they had been passed as special resolutions;
(c) any resolution of the Board of Directors of a company or agreement executed by a company, relating to the appointment, re-appointment or renewal of the appointment, or variation of the terms of appointment, of a managing director;
(d) resolutions or agreements which have been agreed to by any class of members but which, if not so agreed to, would not have been effective for their purpose unless they had been passed by a specified majority or otherwise in some particular manner; and all resolutions or agreements which effectively bind such class of members though not agreed to by all those members;
(e) [Omitted]
(f) resolutions requiring a company to be wound up voluntarily passed in pursuance of section 59 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016
(g) resolutions passed in pursuance of sub-section (3) of section 179
Provided that no person shall be entitled under section 399 to inspect or obtain copies of such resolutions;
Provided further that nothing contained in this clause shall apply to a banking company in respect of a resolution passed to grant loans, or give guarantee or provide security in respect of loans under clause (f) of sub-section (3) of section 179 in the ordinary course of its business; and.
(h) any other resolution or agreement as may be prescribed and placed in the public domain.
Disclaimer: The Article is based on the Relevant Provisions and as per the information existing at the time of the preparation. In no event I shall be liable for any direct and indirect result from this Article. This is only a knowledge sharing initiative.
The Author – CS Deepak Seth (Associate Partner at Helpinghands Professionals LLP) and can be reached at contacthhpro@gmail.com or 9910248911.
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