49,000 ghost companies exist in southern region
Express News Service
Chennai:
More than 17,000 companies in Chennai region have flouted statutory norms including submission of balance sheets as well as annual general body reports over the last five years, according to Ministry of Corporate Affairs director B K Bansal.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, he said in Tamil Nadu there are 70,998 companies that are registered as of June 30, 2010 and of them about 54,402 are active. There are about 13,811 companies, which are already in the process of being struck off from the register under section 560 of the Companies Act.
He said as of now there are 49,000 ‘ghost’ companies or the firms that exist only in paper of the 2.04 lakh companies in southern region. Bansal said by August 31, he expects about 25,000 companies will be struck down from the register of companies after complying with the Easy Exit scheme which was introduced on May 30 along with the Company Law Settlement Scheme.
He said the ministry has introduced these two schemes to provide waiver of 75 per cent of additional fee besides granting the defaulters amnesty and an easy platform for defunct companies for getting their names struck off from the register of companies. Both the schemes will be in force till August 31, 2010. “After August 31st, we will be initiating legal action against the erring firms,” Bansal said.
“Under the Company Law Settlement Scheme, we will provide an opportunity to the defaulting companies to file their belated documents by paying addition fee of 25 per cent of the actual additional fee payable for filing belated documents under the Companies Act 1956,” Bansal said.
The scheme, which was introduced after 10 years, has already generated interest among the entrepreneurs and we have collected Rs 2.83 crore under the scheme in Chennai region and 9.17 crore in southern region from 1st June 2010 to 8th July 2010.
Under the Easy Exit Scheme the ministry is providing an easy platform for defunct companies for getting their name s struck off from the register of companies. The first of its kind was introduced in 2000 as Fast Track section 560 scheme and thereafter two more schemes were introduced in 2003 and 2005. The objective is to provide defunct companies an easy exit route rather than pursuing the protracted process of voluntarily winding up of the companies which involved and high cost and was time consuming.
Bansal said about 3,488 companies have availed the Company Law Settlement Scheme in Chennai and 12,442 companies in the southern region.
He said the schemes are to account all companies in the Companies Act. “If the erring companies don’t avail of the scheme then we will take legal action,” he added.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Huge demand for adoption in TN as infertility rises
Chennai:
Rise in infertility cases and awareness of adoption procedures has resulted in large queues of parents at adoption centers across Tamil Nadu, sources in adoption centers said.
“While there are 361 children available for adoption, we have received more than 1,167 applications from parents,” says Rangashree Srinivas the member secretary of Adoption Coordinating Agency, Tamil Nadu, an association of recognized or licensed agencies in Tamil Nadu.
“Infertility may be one of the cause for adoption. But mostly, it is awareness that has resulted in a spurt in applications. In earlier days, men remarry when there is no issue. But now people are aware of legal issues related to adoption and how simple it is to adopt a child,” she added.
Suganya, a social worker with the agency, says most of the parents who approach them are those facing problems of infertility. There is also a rise among single parents, mostly women who opt for adopting children. “Earlier there were one or two applicants but now we have nearly 13 to 15 applications,” says Suganya.
“There was also a case of a 25-year-old man who approached us for adopting a child. But as per rules those who are above 30 and below 45 are eligible as a single parent,” she adds.
Infertility specialist Gita Hari says the state has 15 per cent of couples who are infertile of which 60 per cent are male. “When their funds get exhausted and when they can’t go for donor egg, they resort to adoption as their only means,” she says.
She says cost factor also plays an important role as it costs Rs one lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh for treatment of infertility. “Many try one or two cycles and some register and also come for treatment,” she says.
Usually, consumption of alcohol, stress, smoking as well as environmental pollution and chemicals add up the agony of infertility. She also blames pesticides for the cause of infertility in rural areas. “I have come across lots of cases from agricultural areas close to Thiruvallur. I believe it may be due to pesticides which may have resulted in low sperm count,” she says.
Currently there are 21 legal adoption centers in Tamil Nadu and two in Pondicherry. The children in adoption centers are classified as surrendered babies as well as abandoned babies.
Surrendered babies are those who have been discarded by women deserted by husbands, wives who have eloped with someone, unwed mothers as well as for many other reasons. There is a deadline for 60 days for the parents of the surrendered babies parents to lay claim to their babies. After 60 days, the child will be sent for adoption. There are a lot of parents who take back the children after 60 days.
“There were 13 children who were returned back to their parents of which one was male and 12 female,” Suganya says.
In the case of abandoned babies, they are handed over to child welfare committee who take over temporary custody before filing for abandonment certificate. A probation officer investigates and when the parents are not located abandonment certificate is issued.
Currently, there are 136 surrendered babies as well as 225 abandoned babies of which 101 are male, 258 female and two transgenders.
Interestingly, the demand for babies is such that parents have adopted children who are HIV positive turned negative children as well as those having cardiac problems.
But what happens to the children who don’t get adopted. “The children who can’t be placed are put under the care of directorate of social welfare, who send them to relevant homes,” says Suganya.
Chennai:
Rise in infertility cases and awareness of adoption procedures has resulted in large queues of parents at adoption centers across Tamil Nadu, sources in adoption centers said.
“While there are 361 children available for adoption, we have received more than 1,167 applications from parents,” says Rangashree Srinivas the member secretary of Adoption Coordinating Agency, Tamil Nadu, an association of recognized or licensed agencies in Tamil Nadu.
“Infertility may be one of the cause for adoption. But mostly, it is awareness that has resulted in a spurt in applications. In earlier days, men remarry when there is no issue. But now people are aware of legal issues related to adoption and how simple it is to adopt a child,” she added.
Suganya, a social worker with the agency, says most of the parents who approach them are those facing problems of infertility. There is also a rise among single parents, mostly women who opt for adopting children. “Earlier there were one or two applicants but now we have nearly 13 to 15 applications,” says Suganya.
“There was also a case of a 25-year-old man who approached us for adopting a child. But as per rules those who are above 30 and below 45 are eligible as a single parent,” she adds.
Infertility specialist Gita Hari says the state has 15 per cent of couples who are infertile of which 60 per cent are male. “When their funds get exhausted and when they can’t go for donor egg, they resort to adoption as their only means,” she says.
She says cost factor also plays an important role as it costs Rs one lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh for treatment of infertility. “Many try one or two cycles and some register and also come for treatment,” she says.
Usually, consumption of alcohol, stress, smoking as well as environmental pollution and chemicals add up the agony of infertility. She also blames pesticides for the cause of infertility in rural areas. “I have come across lots of cases from agricultural areas close to Thiruvallur. I believe it may be due to pesticides which may have resulted in low sperm count,” she says.
Currently there are 21 legal adoption centers in Tamil Nadu and two in Pondicherry. The children in adoption centers are classified as surrendered babies as well as abandoned babies.
Surrendered babies are those who have been discarded by women deserted by husbands, wives who have eloped with someone, unwed mothers as well as for many other reasons. There is a deadline for 60 days for the parents of the surrendered babies parents to lay claim to their babies. After 60 days, the child will be sent for adoption. There are a lot of parents who take back the children after 60 days.
“There were 13 children who were returned back to their parents of which one was male and 12 female,” Suganya says.
In the case of abandoned babies, they are handed over to child welfare committee who take over temporary custody before filing for abandonment certificate. A probation officer investigates and when the parents are not located abandonment certificate is issued.
Currently, there are 136 surrendered babies as well as 225 abandoned babies of which 101 are male, 258 female and two transgenders.
Interestingly, the demand for babies is such that parents have adopted children who are HIV positive turned negative children as well as those having cardiac problems.
But what happens to the children who don’t get adopted. “The children who can’t be placed are put under the care of directorate of social welfare, who send them to relevant homes,” says Suganya.
Resettlement horror
Chennai:
After eight years of resettling more than one lakh people in Okkium Thoraipakkam, Perumbakkam and Semencherry, the state government is still grappling to provide necessary infrastructure to the residents there, according to a report submitted by the state to the office of Supreme Court Commissioners.
In the report, which is available with Express, the government has stated that they are forming a committee headed by top officials to prepare a policy or a set of guidelines to be followed whenever rehabilitation and resettlement scheme comprising 5,000 households are proposed.
Interestingly, this decision comes eight years after the suffering of the people were highlighted through media reports and civil societies. “What compensation is the government providing for the innumerable sufferings they have endured due to the failure of government policies. This proves they are haphazardly evicting people without providing them basic infrastructure,” says Citizens Rights Forum member Vanessa.
“Whenever, there are 5,000 households (25,000 population), all facilities including infrastructure, funding, staffing, operational and maintenance issues related to this and delivery of services by the local bodies and all other departments should be included as part of the package and the committee should come up with a set of norms for this purpose,” the report stated.
The report stated that Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has created infrastructures like roads, streetlights, storm water drain, underground sewerage system and handed them over to the concerned local bodies for maintenance. However, the local bodies are unable to maintain them, therefore the TNSCB took over.
But surprisingly, the TNSCB neither has the infrastructure nor the staff to maintain the facilities as it is not a local body. The Housing and Urban development secretary in the minutes of the meeting has stated that if it is not possible for rural development and panchayat raj department to maintain it then TNSCB should be authorized to maintain the infrastructure and given necessary funds.
The rural development and panchayat raj secretary has stated that the panchayats are basically unable to deliver the services due to lack of funds or staff since this was decided based on census 2001 and they are unable to tax the residents to fund service delivery.
He felt that taxes should be collected or paid by the TNSCB but the Slumboard MD feels that tenements constructed by TNSCB has been allotted on hire purchase basis and in many cases ownership has been transferred to the residents by way of issue of sale deeds and hence TNSCB was not liable to pay taxes.
The slumboard managing director pointed out that when such huge resettlement projects are taken up there is a need for service delivery otherwise it brings bad name to government as well as renders the entire process infructous given that these people are the most disadvantaged sections and have been moved out from their homes in the city.
After eight years of resettling more than one lakh people in Okkium Thoraipakkam, Perumbakkam and Semencherry, the state government is still grappling to provide necessary infrastructure to the residents there, according to a report submitted by the state to the office of Supreme Court Commissioners.
In the report, which is available with Express, the government has stated that they are forming a committee headed by top officials to prepare a policy or a set of guidelines to be followed whenever rehabilitation and resettlement scheme comprising 5,000 households are proposed.
Interestingly, this decision comes eight years after the suffering of the people were highlighted through media reports and civil societies. “What compensation is the government providing for the innumerable sufferings they have endured due to the failure of government policies. This proves they are haphazardly evicting people without providing them basic infrastructure,” says Citizens Rights Forum member Vanessa.
“Whenever, there are 5,000 households (25,000 population), all facilities including infrastructure, funding, staffing, operational and maintenance issues related to this and delivery of services by the local bodies and all other departments should be included as part of the package and the committee should come up with a set of norms for this purpose,” the report stated.
The report stated that Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has created infrastructures like roads, streetlights, storm water drain, underground sewerage system and handed them over to the concerned local bodies for maintenance. However, the local bodies are unable to maintain them, therefore the TNSCB took over.
But surprisingly, the TNSCB neither has the infrastructure nor the staff to maintain the facilities as it is not a local body. The Housing and Urban development secretary in the minutes of the meeting has stated that if it is not possible for rural development and panchayat raj department to maintain it then TNSCB should be authorized to maintain the infrastructure and given necessary funds.
The rural development and panchayat raj secretary has stated that the panchayats are basically unable to deliver the services due to lack of funds or staff since this was decided based on census 2001 and they are unable to tax the residents to fund service delivery.
He felt that taxes should be collected or paid by the TNSCB but the Slumboard MD feels that tenements constructed by TNSCB has been allotted on hire purchase basis and in many cases ownership has been transferred to the residents by way of issue of sale deeds and hence TNSCB was not liable to pay taxes.
The slumboard managing director pointed out that when such huge resettlement projects are taken up there is a need for service delivery otherwise it brings bad name to government as well as renders the entire process infructous given that these people are the most disadvantaged sections and have been moved out from their homes in the city.
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