Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has asked shareholders to claim their unpaid dividends before the due date to avoid transfer of these amounts to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF). The company’s statement is part of a regulatory requirement to inform shareholders before unclaimed dividends and corresponding shares are moved to IEPF’s account.
What is IEPF and why your dividends may go there
Under Section 124 of the Companies Act, 2013, any dividend that remains unpaid or unclaimed for seven consecutive years is transferred to IEPF. Along with the unclaimed dividend, corresponding shares on which dividends have not been claimed are also moved to the IEPF account.
RIL listed details of shareholders whose dividends from previous years remain unclaimed. These pertain to FY17, and the transfer to IEPF is scheduled later this year.
How to check if you have unclaimed dividends
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Shareholders can verify their dividend status on RIL’s website under ‘Investor Relations’ section. The company has also provided an email address and helpline for queries.
Steps to check and claim unpaid dividends:
Visit www.ril.com > Investor Relations > Unclaimed Dividend Section
Enter your folio number or DP/Client ID
View the list of unpaid dividends associated with your account
Contact RIL’s Registrar and Transfer Agent (KFin Technologies Ltd) for assistance
Claim process before IEPF transfer
Shareholders must apply in writing to KFin Technologies Ltd along with:
A duly signed application
Valid identity proof (PAN/Aadhaar)
Bank details and cancelled cheque
Proof of shareholding
All requests must be submitted before the stipulated cut-off to ensure the dividend is credited and shares are not transferred to the IEPF.
What if your dividends are already with IEPF?
If your dividends and shares have already been transferred to IEPF, you can still claim them by filing Form IEPF-5 online via the Ministry of Corporate Affairs website. Post submission, physical documents must be sent to RIL and the IEPF Authority for verification.