Question : SICK INDUSTRIES

THE MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI KAMAL NATH)

(a) & (b): As per the information received from the Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR), a total of 112 industrial companies have been declared sick under the provisions of the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985 during the period January, 2003 to December, 2005. The year wise breakup of the cases is as below:

YEAR	NO. OF CASES
2003	81
2004	29
2005	02

There is no increase in the number of cases declared sick during the last three years.

(c): Besides providing a policy regime that facilitates and fosters growth and development of industries, steps taken for revival of sick industrial units, inter-alia, include setting up of Board of Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) and issue of guidelines by Reserve Bank of India to banks for financial support and amalgamation of sick units with healthy units. Wherever feasible rehabilitation schemes are sanctioned for the revival of the units registered with the BIFR which, inter alia, include restructuring of the capital, induction of fresh funds by the promoters, Government assistance for public sector units, merger with other companies, relief and concessions in the form of rescheduling of dues by Financial Institutions, banks and Government and change of management.