2,071 businessmen owe Rs 3.89 lakh crore

New Delhi: There are as many as 2,071 industrialists whose loan accounts with an exposure of Rs 3.89 lakh crore have turned into NPAs, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. All these industrialists had taken loan of Rs 50 crore or more.

As of June 30, 2016, NPA accounts above Rs 50 crore were 2,071 with outstanding amount of Rs 3,88,919 crore, minister of state for finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. “In terms of instructions of RBI, every bank has to have its own recovery policy, including the manner and procedure of write-offs,” he said.
Loans are written off after appropriate provisions have been made to take advantage of tax benefits and capital optimisation, he said.

In respect of technical write-offs, RBI has permitted write-offs at the head office level while recovery efforts are still continued at the branch level, he added. In reply to another question, Mr Gangwar said the government has not ordered any enquiry against any bank for allegedly depositing Rs 1 in large number of Jan Dhan accounts purportedly to minimise zero balance account.

As many has 25.45 crore Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY) accounts have been opened till November 2. With a view to increasing banking penetration and promoting financial inclusion and with the main objective of covering all households with at least one bank account per household across the country, PMJDY was formally launched on August 28, 2014.

To another question, Mr Gangwar said NITI Aayog has not moved any proposal to create a bad bank to hold the stresses and non-productive assets and loan recovery of banks.