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The Companies Act, 2013

Chapter IX - Accounts of Companies (128-138)

Section 136- Right of member to copies of audited financial statement.

[Notification Date: 26.03.2014; Effective from: 01.04.2014]

Section 136- Right of member to copies of audited financial statement. [Corresponds to Section 219 of the Companies Act, 1956]; [Relevant Rule: 10, 11 of The Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014]

(1) Without prejudice to the provisions of section 101, a copy of the financial statements, including consolidated financial statements, if any, auditor’s report and every other document required by law to be annexed or attached to the financial statements, which are to be laid before a company in its general meeting, shall be sent to every member of the company, to every trustee for the debenture-holder of any debentures issued by the company, and to all persons other than such member or trustee, being the person so entitled, not less than twenty-one days before the date of the meeting:


The words "twenty one days", shall be substituted by the words "fourteen days" for Section 8 company -Notification F. No.1 /2/2014-CL.I dated 05.06.2015.


Provided that in the case of a listed company, the provisions of this sub-section shall be deemed to be complied with, if the copies of the documents are made available for inspection at its registered office during working hours for a period of twenty-one days before the date of the meeting and a statement containing the salient features of such documents in the prescribed form - [Rule 10] or copies of the documents, as the company may deem fit, is sent to every member of the company and to every trustee for the holders of any debentures issued by the company not less than twenty-one days before the date of the meeting unless the shareholders ask for full financial statements:

Provided further that the Central Government may prescribe the manner of circulation of financial statements of companies having such net worth and turnover  as may be prescribed - [Rule 11]:

Provided also that a listed company shall also place its financial statements including consolidated financial statements, if any, and all other documents required to be attached thereto, on its website, which is maintained by or on behalf of the company:

Provided also that every company having a subsidiary or subsidiaries shall,—

(a) place separate audited accounts in respect of each of its subsidiary on its website, if any;

(b) provide a copy of separate audited financial statements in respect of each of its subsidiary,

to any shareholder of the company who asks for it.


In case of Nidhis, Section 136 (1) shall apply, subject to the modification that, in the case of members who do not individually or jointly hold shares of more than one thousand rupees in face value or more than one per cent, of the total paid-up share capital whichever is less, it shall be sufficient compliance with the provisions of the section if an intimation is sent by public notice in newspaper circulated in the district in which the Registered Office of the Nidhi is situated stating the date, time and venue of Annual General Meeting and the financial statement with its enclosures can be inspected at the registered office of the company, and the financial statement with enclosures are affixed in the Notice Board of the company and a member is entitled to vote either in person or through proxy- Notification F.No. 2/11/2014-CL.V dated 05.06.2015.


(2) A company shall allow every member or trustee of the holder of any debentures issued by the company to inspect the documents stated under sub-section (1) at its registered office during business hours.

(3) If any default is made in complying with the provisions of this section, the company shall be liable to a penalty of twenty-five thousand rupees and every officer of the company who is in default shall be liable to a penalty of five thousand rupees.