THE HON’BLE Ms. JUSTICE G. ROHINI COMPANY APPLICATION No.1573 OF 2010 IN R.C.C.No.2 of 1995 Dated: 31.12.2010 In the matter of the Companies Act, 1956 And In the matter of M/s. A.P. Steels Limited (in liqn.) The Official Liquidator, High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad. … Applicant THE HON’BLE Ms. JUSTICE G. ROHINI COMPANY APPLICATION No.1573 OF 2010 IN R.C.C.No.2 of 1995 ORDER : The present application has been filed by the Official Liquidator attached to this Court under Sections 457 & 462 of the Companies Act, 1956 read with Rules 302, 304, 306 and 309 of the Companies (Court) Rules, 1959 seeking approval of his action in appointing the Chartered Accountants for auditing the half-yearly accounts of the companies-in- liquidation for the period from 1.4.2010 to 30.9.2010 and for consequential directions. I have heard Sri M. Anil Kumar, the learned counsel representing the Official Liquidator. The material available on record shows that this Court by order dated 18.11.2008 in C.A.No.646 of 2008 in RCC.No.2 of 1995 directed distribution of the work of auditing in equal measures to a panel of auditors comprising of 5 Chartered Accountants namely M/s. Murthy & Kanth, M/s. Padmanabha Rao & Co., M/s. PSN Ravi Shankar & Associates, M/s. K.B.S. Associates and M/s. Sarathy & Balu. There was also a direction to continue the fee fixed by this Court in the earlier order dated 18.1.2008 in C.A.No.2262 of 2007. The panel of the 5 Chartered Accountants was again confirmed by this Court vide order dated 22.6.2010 made in C.A.No.469 of 2010. In the affidavit filed in support of the present application, it is stated by the Official Liquidator that in terms of the earlier order passed by this Court he had allocated 224 companies-in-liquidation wherever half-yearly accounts were due for the period from 1.4.2010 to 30.09.2010. While furnishing a statement of the number of cases allotted to each Chartered Accountant, the present application has been filed with a prayer to approve the said allocation of work. The Official Liquidator also seeks permission to file the audit report of the half-yearly accounts for the above said period within a month and to pay the fees to the Chartered Accountants out of the funds of the respective companies-in-liquidation in accordance with the order dated 18.11.2008 made in C.A.No.646 of 2008. Since it is clear from the material placed before this Court that the procedure adopted by the Official Liquidator for allocation of work of auditing to the Chartered Accountants is in accordance with the earlier orders passed by this Court, I deem it appropriate to grant the approval as prayed for. Accordingly, the Application is allowed as prayed for approving the allocation of work of auditing of half-yearly accounts among the 5 Chartered Accountants namely M/s. Murthy & Kanth, M/s. Padmanabha Rao & Co., M/s. PSN Ravi Shankar & Associates, M/s. K.B.S. Associates and M/s. Sarathy & Balu. The reliefs (ii) to (vi) in this Application are also hereby granted. ______________ G. ROHINI, J. Dt. 31.12.2010 gbs