The Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla has said that gross bad loans in Indian banks surged to more than Rs 9.61 lakh crore by the end of 2017-18, while loans to industries formed a major chunk of such non-performing assets. He added that after the asset quality review (AQR) directed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to lenders in 2015, transparent recognition of stressed assets as non-performing assets (NPAs) began.
Shukla further said as a result of transparent recognition of stressed assets as NPAs, aggregate gross non-performing assets of scheduled commercial banks, as per Reserve Bank data for domestic operations, increased to Rs 9,61,962 crore as on March 31, 2018. Of this, Rs 85,344 crore worth of NPA pertained to agriculture and allied activities and Rs 7,03,969 crore pertained to industries. He added that in the course of last ten years, 2015-16 witnessed the highest increase in aggregate gross NPAs in the banking system.
The Minister also said that Rs 1,51,482 crore of loan amount has been written-off (including compromise) by the banks during 2017-18. He said ‘Banks write-off NPAs as part of their regular exercise to clean up their balance-sheet, tax benefit and capital optimisation. Borrowers of such written-off loans continue to be liable for repayment. Recovery of dues takes place on ongoing basis under legal mechanisms...Therefore, write-off does not benefit the borrower.’
Shukla said over the last three fiscal years to March 2018, gross domestic loans outstanding of banks for retail, agriculture and allied activities and micro and small enterprises showed significant growth. Separately, about 19 nationalised banks, he said that their gross NPAs increased by Rs 1,54,470 crore in 2017-18. Talking on loans disbursed under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Loan Scheme, he said over 13.30 crore loans were sanctioned to borrowers as on July 7, 2018 since inception of the scheme in April 2018.
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