Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) have reduced to Rs 7.73 lakh crore as of December 31, 2021, against Rs 10.36 lakh crore as of March 31, 2018, due to transparent recognition of stressed assets. She noted that primarily as a result of transparent recognition of stressed assets, gross NPAs of Scheduled Commercial Banks peaked at Rs 10,36,187 crore (gross NPA ratio of 11.8 per cent) as on March 31, 2018, from Rs 3,23,464 crore (Gross NPA ratio of 4.28 per cent) as on March 31, 2015, and as a result of government's strategy of recognition, resolution, recapitalisation and reforms, have since declined to Rs 8,35,051 crore (Gross NPA ratio of 7.33 per cent) as on March 31, 2021, and further to Rs 7,73,470 crore (Gross NPA ratio of 6.39 per cent) as on December 31, 2021.
The minister also disclosed that as per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, aggregate gross advances of SCBs increased from Rs 25,03,431 crore as of March 31, 2008, to Rs 68,75,748 crore as on March 31, 2014. As per RBI inputs, she said aggressive lending practices during this period along with wilful default/loan frauds/corruption in some cases, economic slowdown etc were observed to be primary reasons for the spurt in the stressed assets of SCBs and Asset Quality Review (AQR) initiated in 2015 for clean and fully provisional bank balance-sheets revealed high incidence of non-performing assets (NPAs).
Sitharaman stated that as a result of AQR and subsequent transparent recognition by banks, stressed accounts were reclassified as NPAs and expected losses on stressed loans, not provided for earlier under flexibility given to restructured loans, were provided for. She said comprehensive steps have been taken by the government to deter defaulters, and for effective action against and to recover the default amount from them, which enabled SCBs to recover Rs 8,19,892 crore during the last seven financial years and up to December 2021.
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