PSBs write-off bad loans worth Rs 516 crore of 38 wilful defaulters in H1 FY18

05 Mar 2018 Evaluate

India’s state-owned banks have written off Rs 516 crore worth of bad loans owed by wilful defaulters in the first half of fiscal year 2017-18 (H1 FY18). As per the finance ministry data, 38 loan accounts of wilful defaulters were written off the books of banks during April-September period of FY18. Write-off in banking parlance means that the bank has made 100% provision from its earning against that account. Following this, non-performing asset (NPA) is no longer part of its balance sheet. However, the write-off puts pressure on bank's balance sheet as it erodes operating profit.

According to the data, the country’s largest bank by asset, State Bank of India (SBI) accounts for 27% of the total outstanding loans run up by wilful defaulters as on March 31, 2017. Data further showed that of the total number of the wilful defaulters, as many as 1,762 wilful defaulters owed Rs 25,104 crore to SBI as on March 31, 2017, putting stress on the bank's balance sheet. It also highlighted that Punjab National Bank (PNB) is number two on the list with 1,120 wilful defaulters with outstanding loans to the tune of Rs 12,278 crore. The two banks account for Rs 37,382 crore or 40% of the total bad loans. It added that total outstanding loans due to public sector banks (PSBs) by 8,915 wilful defaulters amounted to Rs 92,376 crore.

The Reserve Bank of India in its direction to banks in 2015 had said that lenders should initiate legal proceedings wherever warranted, against the borrowers or guarantors and foreclosure for recovery of dues should be initiated expeditiously. The lenders may initiate criminal proceedings against wilful defaulters, wherever necessary.

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