Speaking to newspersons here on Friday, IGF president Kirit Somaiya claimed that these firms have either given an address where they could not be traced or, who over a period of time, are not responding to the complaints of the investors. Of this, he said, genuinely sick companies amounted to less than 10 per cent.

Appealing to the public to come out with more names, Somaiya said these companies were mainly floated during the early 90s. These companies subsequently vanished without any trace. The Bombay Stock Exchange itself has between 1995-98 cancelled registration/delisted over 700 and clubbed over 295 companies in the newly formed Z category, he said.

Somaiya said a central act should be introduced in line with the Investors Protection Act of Maharashtra, giving powers tothe executive to fight against such companies. Somaiya asked the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India to hand over its list to the Central Bureau of Investigation and the local Police for action.

The IGF list includes defaulting companies like Hico Products, Hotel Krishna International, Nova Steels (I), Nova Iron & Steels, Maharashtra Steels, East West Travel Trade Links, Sanathana Dharma Gurukul, Asup Synthetics & Chemicals, Bopana Oil, Chesak Consfresh Ltd,G M Mittal Steamless Steels, Gold Wyn Ind, Gem Refumn Ind, Hindustan Thermo Fab Ind, International Dmp Co, Jindal Steel Tubes, Karnasak Steel Twix Products, Madras Motor Fan, Saraswati Steel & Allop Ind and Swadesh Alloys Ltd.

Usha Microprocess, Shri chamunda Mopas, Vis Polycrete, Dynamic Forging, Bombay Silk Mills, ACE Agro Products, Mittal Steels, Bene-Chlor Chemicals, Vatsa Ind, Arrow Global Agrotech, Hamco Mining & Smelting, Surlex Healt Centres, Andhra Cement Co, Konkan Group of Companies, Avon Container Printers, Rhino Tyres,Lactose (I), Consolidated Containers, Manav Pharma, Nova Iron & Steel, Orton Synthetics, Velvette Intl. Pharma Products, Gujarat Perstorp Electronics, World Digital Sound, Tatanagar Bricks, Hindustan Indl. Chemicals, Gurukrupa Teak Unit Scheme, Maxworth Orchards, Intercard (I), Sree Rayalaseems Petrochemicals, Shri Narayan Agro, Karnataka Chemicals, Continental Pumps, Beta Nphthol, All Seasons Foods, Ambik Protins, BTW Industries, Cochin Refuneries Baliner, Cosdidated Fibra & Ch, Compact Disc, Chhuf Diamond, Indin Magnetics, International Data Management, Kuku Motor Finance, Kumar's Metalurgicals, Lan Eseda Industries, Marmagao Steel, Ravindra Stell, Searsolex Chemicals, Alpine Solvose, Kehtan Mukarji, N G Export Industries, Orkay Industries, Prestige Foods, Nova Udyog, Ravdon Pen Company, Joshiwal Agro Chem, Viral Filament, Viral Synthetic, Nath Pulp & Papers Mills, Unicon Tyres, Indian Towers & Develop, Usha Industries.