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Uncrystallized provident fund interest and damages need not be included in an approved insolvency resolution plan.
Unadjudicated interest and damages under provident fund law that remain undetermined and non-final when the corporate insolvency resolution process begins are contingent, uncrystallized liabilities. Although provident fund dues may be excluded from the liquidation estate, a resolution plan need not include such uncrystallized interest and damages. The Committee of Creditors may make a lump-sum provision in its commercial wisdom, but omission does not itself breach the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Resolution applicants are entitled to certainty over assumed liabilities, and a Committee-approved plan may be rejected only on the limited statutory grounds governing plan approval.
Uncrystallized provident fund interest and damages claims in corporate insolvency resolution - Clean slate principle in resolution plansUncrystallized provident fund interest and damages claims in corporate insolvency resolution - Clean slate principle in resolution plans - Exclusion of unadjudicated interest and damages under the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 from an approved resolution plan. - HELD THAT: - Though provident fund dues are excluded from the liquidation estate, the corporate debtor's liability for interest and damages, if not determined and finalised before commencement of CIRP, is a contingent liability. The Committee of Creditors may, in its commercial wisdom, make a lump-sum provision for such uncrystallized claims; but, if it does not do so, the resolution plan cannot be faulted, since permitting uncertain claims to survive would defeat the fixed timelines and clean-slate objective of CIRP. Approval may be declined only on the limited statutory grounds, and the plan provided for the crystallized provident fund dues. [Paras 11, 12]There being no blatant violation of the statutory mandate, exclusion of the uncrystallized claims for interest and damages was upheld.Final Conclusion: The appeal was dismissed and the approval of the resolution plan was sustained.