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Jaypee Infra Insolvency: Lenders Discuss NBCC, Suraksha Bids

NBCC and Suraksha might be asked to submit final plans after further clarifications and negotiations.

Workers prepare reinforcing steel at a construction site. (Photographer: Sanjit Das/Bloomberg)
Workers prepare reinforcing steel at a construction site. (Photographer: Sanjit Das/Bloomberg)

Lenders of Jaypee Infratech Ltd. discussed the bids submitted by NBCC Ltd. and Suraksha Realty to acquire the debt-ridden firm in an insolvency process, and decided to meet again in November last week to negotiate with the two contenders, sources said.

A meeting of Committee of Creditors was held on Monday in Gurugram, Haryana to discuss NBCC and Suraksha Realty's resolution plans that were submitted on Sunday.

Jaypee Infratech's Interim Resolution Professional Anuj Jain had sought bids from state-owned NBCC and Mumbai-based Suraksha Realty as per the direction of the Supreme Court. This is the third round of bidding process.

According to the sources, senior officials of the NBCC and Suraksha Realty made their presentations before the CoC and highlighted main features of their resolution plans to revive Jaypee Infratech.

Lenders may seek certain clarifications from the two contenders, they said, adding that a next meeting of the CoC is likely to be convened in the last week of November, possibly on Nov. 28.

After further clarifications and negotiations, NBCC and Suraksha might be asked to submit final plans, sources said, adding that voting process could be conducted before Dec. 10. Some of the buyers present at the meeting venue demanded forensic audit of Jaypee Infratech to ascertain diversion of funds.

As many as 13 banks and over 23,000 home buyers have voting rights in the CoC. Buyers have nearly 60 percent votes. For the bid to be approved, 66 percent votes are required.

To settle an outstanding claim of nearly Rs 9,800 crore to bankers, NBCC has offered 1,426-acre land worth Rs 5,000 crore, 75 percent of the 858-acre land likely to be transferred to Jaypee Infratech and 50 percent of the sale proceeds of about 3,000 benami or unclaimed flats.

The public sector has proposed to transfer the Yamuna Expressway, which connects Noida and Agra, to the lenders, but before that it plans to take Rs 2,500 crore debt against the expressway for completion and delivery of over 20,000 flats to customers in next four years.

NBCC estimates the value of 640-acre land (75 percent of 858 acre) at around Rs 2,500 crore, while the Yamuna Expressway has been valued at Rs 2,000 crore after deducting the debt. The 50 percent sales proceeds of unclaimed flats would be worth about Rs 1,200 crore.

Meanwhile, Suraksha Realty has offered 1,934 acres worth Rs 7,857 crore to lenders. It proposed to bring in Rs 2,000 crore as working capital to complete construction in the next three years and will retain the Yamuna Expressway with itself. The Mumbai-based developer has proposed to complete flats in the next three years. After a certain grace period, it will pay delay charges to customers.

That apart, Suraksha Realty has proposed to set aside Rs 100 crore worth land for the welfare of the home buyers. Jaypee Infratech, which is a subsidiary of crisis-hit Jaiprakash Associates, went into insolvency process in 2017 after the National Company Law Tribunal admitted an application by an IDBI Bank-led consortium.

In the first round of insolvency proceedings conducted last year, Rs 7,350-crore bid of Lakshdeep, part of Suraksha Group, was rejected by lenders. The CoC rejected the bids of Suraksha Realty and NBCC in the second round held in May-June this year.

The matter reached to the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal and then to the apex court. On Nov. 6, the Supreme Court directed completion of Jaypee Infratech's insolvency process within 90 days and said the revised resolution plan will be invited only from NBCC and Suraksha Realty.

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