No. 5/7/2000-CL.V

Government of India

Ministry of Law, Justice & Company Affairs

Department of Company Affairs

 

5th floor, `A’ Wing, Shastri Bhavan,

Dr. R.P. Road, New Delhi.

Dated:  13th September, 2001

 

PRESS NOTE 5/2001

 

 

Subject:    Issue      of     notification     regarding          norms/directions relating to Nidhi companies.

     

            

The Central Government by an order dated 23.3.2000 had set up a Committee  of  experts  under  the chairmanship  of  Sri P. Sabanayagam, IAS(Retired), former Chief Secretary of Tamilnadu, to examine various  aspects of functioning  of  Nidhi  companies.  The said Committee had submitted its report on 29.9.2000. Nidhi  companies even though  of special class of  Non-Banking  Financial  Companies, are  outside   the regulatory framework of the Reserve Bank of India.  Owing to minimum regulation of this sector, of late the Central Government has come across many instances of default in repayment  of  deposits  to  deposit  holders  of   Nidhi companies.  

 

2.   The  various  recommendations  made by the aforesaid Committee were considered in consultation with Chambers, Federation of Benefit Funds, few  notified  nidhi companies,  potential  nidhi  companies  and also Reserve Bank of  India.      After   thoroughly   examining   the recommendations made by the Committee, Central Government has issued fresh set of guidelines/directions for Nidhi companies/Mutual Benefit   Societies   superceding   the earlier   notifications   dated   1.11.1999,  19.11.1999  and 25.4.2000.

3.     The two notifications published in the Gazette cover all  the matters concerning  functioning  and dynamics of Nidhi companies.

 

 

4.       A copy of this Press Note has also been placed at the Web page of the Department of Company Affairs at the Internet Address http://www.nic.in/dca.

 

 

 

(A. Ramaswamy)

Joint Secretary to the Govt. of India