CHAPTER IV

CENTRAL REGISTRY

20. Central Registry

(1) The Central Government may, by notification, set-up or cause to be set-up from such date as it may specify in such notification, a registry to be known as the Central Registry with its own seal for the purposes of registration of transaction of securitisation and reconstruction of financial assets and creation of security interest under this Act.

(1) The head office of the Central Registry shall be at such place as the Central Government may specify and for the purpose of facilitating registration of transactions referred to in sub-section (1), there may be established at such other places as the Central Government may think fit, branch offices of the Central Registry.

            (3) The Central Government may, by notification, define the territorial limits within which an office of the Central Registry may exercise its functions.

            (4) The provisions of this Act pertaining to the Central Registry shall be in addition to and not in derogation of any of the provisions contained in the Registration Act, 1908 (16 of 1908), the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958), the Patents Act, 1970 (39 of 1970), the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988) and the Designs Act, 2000 (16 of 2000) or any other law requiring registration of charges and shall not affect the priority of charges or validity thereof under those Acts or laws.

21. Central Registrar

(1) The Central Government may, by notification, appoint a person for the purpose of registration of transactions relating to securitisation, reconstruction of financial assets and security interest created over properties, to be known as the Central Registrar.

(2) The Central Government may appoint such other officers with such designations as it thinks fit for the purpose of discharging, under the superintendence and direction of the Central Registrar, such functions of the Central Registrar under this Act as he may, from time to time, authorise them to discharge.

COMMENTS

Central Registry is defined as the registry set up or caused to be set up under s. 20(1).  Sec. 20(1) provides that the Central Government may, by notification, set up or cause to be set up from such date as it may specify in such notification, a registry to be known as the Central Registry with its own seal for the purposes of registration of transaction of securitisation and reconstruction of financial assets and creation of security interest under the Act. Any provisions of the Act specified in s. 20(4), or any other law requiring registration of changes are in addition to the registration with the Central Registry.

22. Register of securitisation, reconstruction and security interest transactions

(1) For the purposes of this Act, a record called the Central Register shall be kept at the head office of the Central Registry for entering the particulars of the transactions relating to--

(a) securitisation of financial assets;

(b) reconstruction of financial assets; and

(c) creation of security interest.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), it shall be lawful for the Central Registrar to keep the records wholly or partly in computer, floppies, diskettes or in any other electronic form subject to such safeguards as may be prescribed.

(3) Where such register is maintained wholly or partly in computer, floppies, diskettes or in any other electronic form, under sub-section (2), any reference in this Act to entry in the Central Register shall be construed as a reference to any entry as maintained in computer or in any other electronic form.

            (4) The register shall be kept under the control and management of the Central Registrar.

23. Filing of transactions of securitisation, reconstruction and creation of security interest

            The particulars of every transaction of securitisation, asset reconstruction or creation of security interest shall be filed, with the Central Registrar in the manner and on payment of such fee as may be prescribed, within thirty days after the date of such transaction or creation of security, by the securitisation company or reconstruction company or the secured creditor, as the case may be:

            PROVIDED that the Central Registrar may allow the filing of the particulars of such transaction or creation of security interest within thirty days next following the expiry of the said period of thirty days on payment of such additional fee not exceeding ten times the amount of such fee.

24. Modification of security interest registered under this Act

Whenever the terms or conditions, or the extent or operation, of any security interest registered under this Chapter, are, or is, modified, it shall be the duty of the securitisation company or the reconstruction company or the secured creditor, as the case may be, to send to the Central Registrar, the particulars of such modification, and the provisions of this Chapter as to registration of a security interest shall apply to such modification of such security interest.

25. Securitisation company or reconstruction company or secured creditor to report satisfaction of security interest

(1) The securitisation company or reconstruction company or the secured creditor, as the case may be, shall give intimation to the Central Registrar of the payment or satisfaction in full, of any security interest relating to the securitisation company or the reconstruction company or the secured creditor and requiring registration under this Chapter, within thirty days from the date of such payment or satisfaction.

(1A) On receipt of intimation under sub-section (1), the Central Registrar shall order that a memorandum of satisfaction shall be entered in the Central Register.

(2) If the concerned borrower gives an intimation to the Central Registrar for not recording the payment or satisfaction referred to in sub-section (1), the Central Registrar shall on receipt of such intimation cause a notice to be sent to the securitisation company or reconstruction company or the secured creditor calling upon it to show cause within a time not exceeding fourteen days specified in such notice, as to why payment or satisfaction should not be recorded as intimated to the Central Registrar.

(3) If no cause is shown, the Central Registrar shall order that a memorandum of satisfaction shall be entered in the Central Register.

(4) If cause is shown, the Central Registrar shall record a note to that effect in the Central Register, and shall inform the borrower that he has done so.

26. Right to inspect particulars of securitisation, reconstruction and security interest transactions

(1) The particulars of securitisation or reconstruction or security interest entered in the Central Register of such transactions kept under section 22 shall be open during the business hours for inspection by any person on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.

            (2) The Central Register, referred to in sub-section (1) maintained in electronic form, shall also be open during the business hours for the inspection of any person through electronic media on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.

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