State of Punjab - Act
The Punjab Insolvency Rules
PUNJAB
India
India
The Punjab Insolvency Rules
Rule THE-PUNJAB-INSOLVENCY-RULES of 1936
- Published on 4 June 1936
- Commenced on 4 June 1936
- [This is the version of this document from 4 June 1936.]
- [Note: The original publication document is not available and this content could not be verified.]
1. Title and application
- These rules may be cited as "The Punjab Insolvency Rules" and shall apply to all proceedings under the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1920.2. Adaptation of forms prescribed.
- The forms annexed to these rules (printed at the end of this Chapter), with such variations as circumstances may require, shall be used for the matters to which they severally relate.3. Definitions.
- (i) In these rules, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context -"The Act" means the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1920."Receiver" means a Receiver appointed by the Court under section 56 (1) of the Act."Interim Receiver" means a Receiver appointed by the Court under section 20 of the Act."Proved debt" means the claim of a creditor so far as it has been admitted by the Court, or by the Official Receiver empowered under section 80(1)(b) of the Act.4. Persons by or against whom a petition for insolvency may be filed.
- A petition for insolvency under the Provincial Insolvency Act may be filed by or against any individual or firm but not against any association, corporation or company registered under any enactment for the time being in force.4A. Insolvency Notice. - (1) A creditor, desirous that an insolvency notice under sub-section (2) of section 6 of the Act may be issued, shall produce a certified copy of the decree or order on which the notice is found and file the notice together with a request to the Court for issue. The creditor shall at the same time lodge with the Court two copies of the insolvency notice to be sealed and issued for service :
Provided that the notice if required to be served upon a debtor residing, whether permanently or temporarily, outside India, shall not be issued unless prior leave of the Court is obtained for the service thereof by making an application in that behalf.4B. Service. - (1) The insolvency notice shall be served on the debtor personally or by registered post acknowledgement due.
5. Registers prescribed for entry of insolvency petitions and other applications.
6. Persons entitled to inspect proceedings and fees for inspection.
- All insolvency proceedings may be inspected by the Receiver, the debtor, and any creditor, who has proved, or any legal representative on their behalf at such times and subject to the same rules as other court records (vide Volume IV, Chapter 16 - Records) provided that no fee shall be charged for inspection made by the Receiver.Notices7. Memorandum of publication in Gazette to be kept on record.
- Whenever publication of any notice or other matter is required by the Act to be made in an official gazette, a memorandum referring to, and giving the date of, such advertisement shall be filed with the record and noted in the order-sheet.8. Manner of notifying dates of hearing.
- (i) Notices of order fixing the date of the hearing of petition under section 19(2) may, in addition to the publication thereof in the official gazette, be also advertised in such newspaper or newspapers as the Court may direct. A copy of the notice shall also be forwarded by registered post to each creditor, at the address given in the petition, or served on the creditor in the manner prescribed for the service of summonses, as the Court thinks fit. The same procedure shall be followed in respect of notices of the date for the consideration of the proposal for composition or scheme of arrangement under section 38(1).9. Manner of notifying, order of adjudication and orders cancelling adjudication.
- Notices of order of adjudication under section 30 shall be published in the official gazette and may also be published in such newspaper or newspapers as the court may think fit. When the debtor is a Government servant, a copy of the order shall be sent to the head of the office in which he is employed.The same procedure shall be followed in regard to notice of orders, annulling adjudication under section 37(ii).10. Persons on whom notices under Section 33(3) are to be served.
- The notices to be given under section 33(3) of the Act shall be served only on the Receiver and on the creditors who have proved their debts and may, if the Court so direct, be served on any or all such creditors by registered post.11. Service of notice under section 50.
- The notice to be given by the Court under section 50 shall be served on the creditor or his pleader, or shall be sent through the post by registered letter.12. Service of notice under section 64.
- The notice to be issued by the Receiver under section 64 before the declaration of a final dividend to the person whose claims to be creditors have been notified, but not proved, shall be sent through the post by registered letter.13. Creditors to file address for service.
- When the creditors appear in Court in answer to the notice issued under section 19(2) of the Act or appear to prove their debts, they shall be required to give their addresses for service by post.14. Manner of notifying date of hearing of discharge applications.
- Notices of the date of hearing of applications for discharge under section 4(1) shall be published in the official gazette and may also be published in such newspapers as the Judge may direct, and copies shall be sent by Registered post to all creditors, whether they have proved or not, or served on them in the manner prescribed for service of summons, as the Court thinks fit.15. Proof of Service by Post.
- A certificate of an officer of the Court or of the Official Receiver or an affidavit by a Receiver that any of the notices referred to in the preceding rule has been duly posted, accompanied by the post-office receipt, shall be sufficient evidence of such notice having been duly sent to the person to whom the same was addressed.16. Court's discretion to adopt any other mode of service.
- In addition to the methods of publication prescribed in these rules, the notices issued thereunder may be served in the discretion of the Court in such other manner as the Court may direct, for instance, by affixing copies on the Court house or by beat of drum in the village where the insolvent resides.17. Notices should be issued or published a fortnight before date.
- Every notice issued under rules 7, 8, 11 and 12 shall be published or issued at least 14 days before the doing of the act of which warning is given in such notice.Mode of recovery of cost of service stamps. - Note. - Every notice is to be sent by registered post with acknowledgement due. Service stamps should ordinarily be used and the cost thereof drawn from the deposit made under Rule 55 of this Chapter or from the funds of the Estate concerned and credited to "065 - Other Administrative Services - Administration of Justice - Other Receipts" with full details of recoveries entered in the Treasury Challan or repayment voucher, as the case may be.Receivers and Interim Receivers18. Order for appointment of a Receiver to be served on the debtor.
- Every appointment of a Receiver shall be by order in writing signed by the Court. Copies of this Order, sealed with the seal of the Court, shall be served on the debtors and forwarded to the person appointed.19.
Every Receiver or Interim Receiver, other than an Official Receiver, shall be required to give such security as the Court thinks fit. (As regards security to be taken from Official Receivers, See Chapter 4-D of this Volume).20. Schedule of creditors & all subsequent entries in it to be notified to Receiver.
- As soon as the Schedule of creditors has been framed, a copy thereof shall be supplied to the Receiver or Interim Receiver, as the case may be, and all subsequent entries and alterations made therein, shall be communicated to the Receiver or the Interim Receiver.21. Remuneration of Receiver.
- (i) A Court when fixing the remuneration of Receiver should, as a rule, direct it to be in the nature of a commission of percentage not exceeding 7½ per cent of the amount of the dividends, of which one part should be payable on the amount realized, after deducting any sums paid to secured creditors out of the proceeds of their securities and the other part on the amount distributed in dividends.This commission is intended to cover all office expenditures including cost of establishment, if any, to be maintained by the Receiver for the discharge of his duties, and contingencies such as purchase of account books and forms and issue of notices, etc., incurred by the Receiver in connection with the administration of the Insolvents' estates.22. Remuneration of Interim Receiver.
- If a person is specially appointed an Interim Receiver and is afterwards appointed Receiver in the case, his realizations in both the capacities can be treated alike and the ordinary commission charged. Other cases, in which an Interim Receiver does work, but there is no adjudication or substantive receiverships, are few, but in them if any real work is done beyond the taking charge of such insignificant movable as the debtor produces voluntarily, it will probably have to be done quickly and be of a definite character and if any remuneration has to be fixed separately in those cases, it should be such sum as the Insolvency Judge may decide on the Receiver's appointment, subject to a maximum of one per cent on the estimated value of the property.23. Receivers should give security, amount and form of security bonds.
- The Court should be careful to take adequate security from the Receiver with due regard to the value of the assets likely to pass through his hands.The Court should use due discretion in fixing the amount of security to be taken in such cases. It is suggested as a principle which might usefully be adopted that the amount should roughly be equal to half the average annual realizations calculated on the realizations of the last five years.The forms of security and security bonds should be the same as those prescribed for Official Receivers in Chapter 4-E, of this Volume, the word "General" being substituted for the word "Official" wherever it occurs in the Bond.24. Books to be kept by the Receiver. Submission of accounts and their audit.
- The Receiver shall keep a Cash Book, a Dividend Register, and such other books as may be required to give a correct view of his administration of the Estate, and shall submit his accounts at such times and in such forms as the Court may direct. In the absence of any such directions, the Receiver shall submit to the Court for each quarter, not later than the 10th day of the month next following, an account showing all the receipts and disbursements in cases in which he is a Receiver. The Receiver's accounts shall be audited by the Local Audit Department of the Accountant General, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh Administration, as the case may be. The cost of the Audit shall be paid out of the estate at the rate of 1¼ per cent of the total realizations.A receiver, appointed under Rule 21, clause (iv), above shall continue to keep all registers and accounts in the same form and on the same system as are prescribed for Official Receivers in Part E of this Chapter.25. Transactions of interim proceedings should be kept separate.
- Receivers should not amalgamate their transactions relating to interim proceedings with those of Insolvent Estates.26. Cash realized by Interim Receiver not to be mixed up with insolvents' Estates Fund.
- The cash which is realized or collected by an Interim Receiver should be deposited in the State Bank of India or some other approved Bank and not mixed up with the Insolvent Estates Fund of which an account is kept in the treasury.27. Books kept by Interim Receiver.
- An Interim Receiver shall be required to maintain only the following books and forms:-28. No audit of Interim Receiver's accounts required.
- A separate audit of interim accounts is unnecessary because if the interim appointment leads to full receivership after adjudication the Interim Accounts will be incorporated in the Receiver's accounts which will then be audited as such in the usual way. If, however, the petition for insolvency is dismissed, no audit is required because the debtor would, under the circumstances, himself take back the estate from the Interim Receiver.29. Proved creditor entitled to a copy of Receiver's accounts.
- Any creditor who has proved his debt may apply to the Court for a copy of the Receiver's accounts, or any part thereof, relating to the Estate as shown by the Cash Book up to date and shall be entitled to such copy on payment of the charges laid down in the rules of this Court regarding the grant of copies.30. Directions as to safe custody of valuable securities and cash secured by Receiver and as to the investment of sums exceeding Rs. 500.
- The Receiver shall deposit all valuable securities and cash for safe custody with the Nazir (who shall enter the same in the Malkhana Register to be maintained in form 22 and paste a label thereon in form 23 as prescribed for Official Receivers at the end of Part E of this Chapter or in the State Bank of India, or any other approved Bank, as the Court may direct and whenever a sum exceeding Rs. 500 shall stand to the credit of any one Estate, the Receiver shall give notice thereof to the Court; and, unless it shall appear that a dividend is about to be shortly declared, he shall obtain the Court's order as to investment of the same in a suitable manner, e.g., in securities or as a fixed deposit with a Bank, etc.31. Duty of Receiver to deliver up assets and books, etc., on being removed, or on annulment of adjudication.
- (i) The Court may remove or discharge any Receiver or Interim Receiver, and any Receiver or Interim Receiver so removed or discharged shall, unless the Court otherwise orders, deliver up any assets of the debtor in his hands and any books, accounts or other documents relating to the debtor's property which are in his possession or under his control, to such person as the Court may direct.32. Receiver shall submit an early report as to conduct of the debtor and other matters.
- (i) Unless the Court otherwise directs, the Receiver or Interim Receiver shall, as soon as may be, after his appointment, and in any case before the hearing of the debtor's application for discharge, draw up a report upon the cause of the debtor's insolvency, the conduct of debtor so far as it may have contributed to his insolvency and also his conduct during the insolvency proceedings, and in particular such report shall state specifically whether any of the facts mentioned in each of the clauses of sub-section (1) of section 42 exist or do not exist.33. Receiver to be deemed an Officer of the Court.
- Every Receiver or Interim Receiver shall be deemed for the purposes of the Act and of these rules to be an officer of the Court.Proof of Debts34. Proof of debt by affidavit.
- A creditor's proof may be by an affidavit in Form No. 6 with such variations as circumstances may require.35. Proof of wages of workmen etc., employed by the debtor.
- In any case in which it appears from the debtor's statement that there are numerous claims for wages by workmen and others employed by the debtor, it shall be sufficient if one proof for all such claims is made either by the debtor or by some other person on behalf of all such creditors. Such proofs should be in Form No. 7.Dividends36. Provisions as to declaration of dividend notifying its distribution and remission and other connected matters.
- (i) A dividend should be declared in each estate ordinarily every six months, i.e., on the 1st July and the 1st January, each year.37. Mode of signing on behalf of the firm.
- Where any notice, declaration, petition or other document requiring attestation is signed by a firm of creditors or debtors in the firm's name, the partner signing for the firm shall also add his own signature, e.g., "Brown & Co., by James Green, a partner in the said firm".38. Mode of personal service on a firm.
- Any notice or petition for which personal service is necessary, shall be deemed to be duly served on all the members of a firm if it is served at the principal place of business of the firm within the jurisdiction of the Court, on any one of the partners or upon any person having at the time of service the control or management of the partnership business there.39. The preceding rule to apply to persons not carrying on business in their own name.
- The provisions of the last preceding rule shall, so far as the nature of the case will admit, apply in the case of any person carrying on business within the jurisdiction in name or style other than his own.40. Insolvency petition by a firm should show names of all the Partners and an affidavit that all partners concur in the filing of the petition.
- Where a firm of debtors files an insolvency petition, the same shall contain the names in full of the individual partners, and if such petition is signed in the firm's name the petition shall be accompanied by an affidavit made by the partner who signs the petition showing that all the partners concur in the filing of the same.41. Adjudication order against a debtor firm shall operate against all individual partners.
- An adjudication order made against a firm shall operate as if it were an adjudication order made against each of the persons who at the date of the order are partners in that firm.42. Each partner shall submit a schedule of his separate affairs.
- In cases of partnership, the debtors shall submit a schedule of their partnership affairs, and each debtor shall submit a schedule of his separate affairs.43.
The joint creditors and each set of separate creditors, may severally accept composition or schemes of arrangement. So far as circumstances will allow, a proposal accepted by joint creditors may be approved in the prescribed manner, notwithstanding that the proposals or proposal of some or one of the debtors made to their or his separate creditors may not be accepted.44. Composition with a firm. Annulment of adjudication where a composition or scheme is approved.
- Where proposals for compositions or schemes are made by a firm and by the partners therein individually, the proposals made to the joint creditors shall be considered and voted upon by them apart from every set of separate creditors and the proposal made to each separate set of creditors shall be considered and voted upon by such separate set of creditors apart from all other creditors. Such proposals may vary in character and amount. Where a composition or scheme is approved, the adjudication order shall be annulled only so far as it relates to the estate, the creditors of which have confirmed the composition or scheme.45. Disposal of assets of a separate firm formed by some members of a partnership.
- If any two or more of the members of a partnership constitute a separate and independent firm the creditors of such last mentioned firm shall be deemed to be a separate set of creditors and to be on the same footing as the separate creditors of any individual member of the firm. And when any surplus shall arise upon the administration of the assets of such separate or independent firm, the same shall be carried over to the separate estates of the partners in such separate and independent firm according to their respective rights therein.Summary Administrations46. Special procedure in case of summary administration.
- When an estate is ordered to be administered in a summary manner under section 74 of the Act, the provisions of the Act and Rules shall, subject to any special direction of the Court, be modified as follows, namely :-47. Notice shall be given to debtor before lodging a complaint.
- Before passing an order for making a complaint of any offence referred to in section 69, the Court shall issue a notice to the debtor calling upon him to show cause why such an order should not be passed against him.Discharge48. Application to be heard only after submission of creditor's schedule and Receiver's report.
- An application for discharge shall not ordinarily be heard until after the schedule of creditors has been framed and the Receiver has submitted his report (vide Rule 32). The Receiver, if he is in a position to make it and has not already done so, shall file his report in Court not less than fourteen days before the date fixed for the hearing of the application.49. Proved creditors only may oppose discharge.
- Every creditor who has proved shall be entitled in person or by pleader to appear at the hearing and oppose the discharge.50. In the matter of discharge court shall examine the debtor and may hear the Receiver, the debtor and creditors.
- At the hearing of the application the Court may hear any evidence which may be tendered by a creditor and also any evidence which may be tendered on behalf of the debtor and shall examine the debtor, if necessary, for the purpose of explaining any evidence tendered and may hear the Receiver, the debtor, in person or by pleader, and any creditor in person or by pleader.51. Procedure where debtor fails to apply for discharge within the fixed period or where no period has been fixed.
- Any case in which the debtor fails to apply for his discharge within the period allowed by the Court under section 27 shall be brought up for orders under section 43. If the Court has omitted to specify a period under section 27(1), and the debtor has not already applied for discharge, the Court upon receipt of the Receiver's report shall fix a period within which the debtor shall apply for an order of discharge. Notice of such period shall be given to the Receiver and the debtor, and if on its expiry the debtor has not applied accordingly, the case shall be brought up for orders under section 43.Sale of Immovable Property52. Sale by Court and preparation of sale deed where no Receiver is appointed.
- If no Receiver is appointed and the Court, in exercise of its powers under section 58 of the Act, sells any immovable property of the Insolvent, the deed of sale of the said property shall be prepared by the purchaser at its own cost and shall be signed by the Presiding Officer of the Court. The cost of registration (if any) will also be borne by the purchaser.53. Sale shall ordinarily be by public auction.
- As a rule property should be sold by public auction at the spot. Full particulars of the property and encumbrances, if any, should be made known by customary methods, such as proclamation, beat of drum, hand bills, etc., sales in any other manner and at any other place should only be made with the sanction of the Court.Costs54. Cost up to order of adjudication shall be borne by petitioner but subsequent costs shall be met out of the estate.
- All proceedings under the Act, down to and including the making of an order of adjudication, shall be at the cost of the party prosecuting the same, but when an order of adjudication has been made on the petition of a creditor the cost of the petitioning creditor including the costs of the publication of all notices required by the Act or Rules shall be taxed and be payable out of the Estate.Note. - All expenses including the expenses of any travelling done by an Interim Receiver with the permission of the Court granted after hearing the applicant have to be met by the party prosecuting the application according to this rule, and if these expenses are not furnished the application for insolvency should be filed.55. Initial deposits by debtor to cover costs. This deposit shall cover postal charges but not process fees.
- A person applying to be adjudicated an insolvent shall deposit a fee of at least Rs. 20 or such further sums, if any, as the Court may, from time to time, direct to cover the cost of the issue of the prescribed notices, of their publication in the Official Gazette and of all other proceedings under the Act, down to and including the making of an order of adjudication. Each such deposit shall be treated as Revenue Deposit and entered in the Register of Receipts prescribed in Chapter 8-E of this Volume.Process fee shall be paid in court fee stamps. - Note No. 1. - This deposit does not cover process fees, which shall be realized as usual, in Court fee stamps according to the rules.Initial deposit to cover all costs up to order of adjudication. - Note No. 2. - This deposit is meant not only for paying the expenses of publication of certain notices in the official gazette, but also to cover the postage costs of issue of the prescribed notices and all other proceedings under the Act down to and including the making of the order adjudication.Disposal of balance of initial deposit. - Note No. 3. - The amount of undisbursed balance of these deposits should be transferred to the insolvent's assets after adjudication. Except as otherwise provided for, all expenses incurred after the order of adjudication can be met out of these assets.56. Cost of a debtor about composition or scheme when to be allowed out of the estate.
- No cost incurred by a debtor in connection with an application to approve of a composition or scheme shall be allowed out of the estate if the Court refuses to approve the composition or scheme.57. Cases when creditors shall supply funds for administration of the estate re-payment of small funds.
- If the assets available are not sufficient in any case for taking proceedings necessary for the administration of the estate, the Receiver or Interim Receiver or Official Receiver, as the case may be, may call upon the creditors or any of them to advance the necessary funds or to indemnify him against the cost of such proceedings. Any assets realized by such proceedings, shall be applied, in the first place, towards the repayment of such advances with interest thereon at 6 per cent per annum.Appointment and Procedure of the Committees of Inspection under Section 67-A of the Provincial Insolvency Act58. Appointment and procedure of Committees of Inspection.
- The following rules have been framed with respect to the appointment and procedure of Committees of Inspection :-| (1)(a) ____________________(a) Insert nameand address and description of debtor.(b) State name ofCourt and particulars of decree, in respect of which the orderof detention has been made only whereas an order of attachmenthas been made against debtor's property.(c) State whetherand how many of the debts are secured. | ordinarily residing at (or "carrying onbusiness at" or "personally working for gain at",or "in custody at") in consequence of the order of (b)being unable to pay my debts, hereby petition that I may beadjudged an insolvent. The total amount of all pecuniary claimsagainst me is Rs. _________(c) as set out in detail inSchedule A annexed hereunto which contains the names andresidences of all my creditors so far as they are known to or canbe ascertained by me. The amount and particulars of all myproperty are set out in Schedule B annexed hereunto together witha specification of all my property not consisting of money andthe place or places at which such property is to be found and Ihereby declare that I am willing to place all such property atthe disposal of the Court save in so far as it includes suchparticulars (not being my books of account) as are exempted bylaw from attachment and sale in execution of a decree. |