Companies Act, 1956
Sec 205C -
Establishment of Investor Education and Protection Fund.
(1) The Central Government shall establish a
fund to be called the Investor Education and Protection Fund (hereafter in this
section referred to as the "Fund") .
(2) There shall be credited to the Fund the
following amounts, namely:-
(a) amounts in the unpaid dividend accounts of
companies:
(b) the application moneys received by
companies for allotment of any securities and due for refund:
(c) matured deposits with companies:
(d) matured debentures with companies:
(e) the interest accrued on the amounts
referred to in clauses (a) to (d):
(f) grants and donations given to the Fund by
the Central Government, State Governments, companies or any other institutions
for the purposes of the Fund: and
(g) the interest or other income received out
of the investments made form the Fund:
Provided that no such amounts referred to in
clauses (a) to (d) shall form part of the Fund unless such amounts have
remained unclaimed and unpaid for a period of seven years from the date they
become due for payment.
Explanation :- For the removal of
doubts, it is hereby declared that no claims shall lie against the Fund or the
company in respect of individual amounts which were unclaimed and unpaid for a
period of seven years from the dates that they first became due for payment and
no payment shall be made in respect of any such claims.
(3) The Fund shall be utilized for promotion
of investor awareness and protection of the interests of investors in
accordance with such rules as may be prescribed.
(4) The Central Government shall, by
notification in the Official Gazette, specify an authority or committee, with
such members as the Central Government may appoint, to administer the Fund, and
maintain separate accounts and other relevant records in relation to the Fund
in such form as may be prescribed in consultation with the Comptroller and
Auditor-General of India.
(5) It shall be competent for the authority or
committee appointed under sub-section (4) to spend moneys out of the Fund for
carrying out the objects for which the Fund has been established.