The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Grievance and Complaint Handling Procedure) Regulations, 2017 enable stakeholders to file a grievance or a complaint against service providers under the IBC. This was stated by the Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Shri Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

Besides this, the Minister stated, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI, the Regulator) also receives complaints and grievances from Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAM), Prime Minister’s Office, MCA and other authorities. Till 31^st July, 2022, the IBBI had received 6,231 such complaints and grievances, of which 6,172 have been disposed after examination.

The Minister said that the Ministry of Corporate Affairs does not have any role in corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) of a corporate debtor (CD) under the provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (the Code). CD undergoing CIRP is resolved through a resolution plan formulated by resolution applicants based on market driven process.

The Minister further stated that the Committee of Creditors (CoC) within its commercial wisdom assesses the feasibility and viability of the resolution plan submitted by the proposed resolution applicant which is then approved by the Adjudicating Authority (AA). Further, the realisation by creditors through CIRP under the Code is dependent on quality assets at the time of its resolution, the Minister stated.

Giving more details, the Minister stated that no such investigation has been initiated as section 29A of the Code enlists certain categories of undesirable persons which include related parties ineligible to submit a resolution plan during the CIRP. Regulation 36A(8) of IBBI (Insolvency Resolution Process for Corporate Persons) Regulations, 2016 imposes a duty on Resolution Professional (RP) to conduct due diligence to satisfy themselves that the prospective resolution applicant is not ineligible under section 29A of the Code. The resolution plan approved by the CoC, within its commercial wisdom is then approved by AA under section 31 of the Code thereby ensuring that any undesirable persons under section 29A are unable to take over the CD. Likewise, during liquidation proceedings of CD, the proviso to Section 35(1)(f) bars a liquidator from selling immovable and movable property to any person who is ineligible to be a resolution applicant.

Further, the Minister stated that as per information available, Directorate of Enforcement has received one complaint against an RP of one CIRP in which appropriate action under applicable law has been taken. Further, CBI has received one complaint regarding abuse of process in one CIRP matter which was forwarded to the Regulator and on examination, the Regulator has not found any actionable material.

Ineligible resolution applicants prevented from taking over; regulator disposed majority of grievances and enforces due diligence. The IBBI received 6,231 complaints and disposed of 6,172; the Ministry of Corporate Affairs does not participate in CIRP. Resolution plans are market-driven, assessed by the Committee of Creditors and approved by the Adjudicating Authority. Regulatory safeguards address ineligible resolution applicants: Resolution Professionals must conduct due diligence to detect ineligibility, CoC commercial vetting precedes AA approval, and liquidators are barred from selling assets to persons who would be ineligible as resolution applicants. Enforcement agencies have pursued isolated complaints against practitioners.