IGI Logo

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) have written off loans amounting to Rs 10,09,511 crore during the last five financial years and the process of recovery of dues from the borrowers continues. She said recovery in NPA (non performing asset) accounts, including written-off loans, was an on-going process.

Sitharaman said according to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, public sector banks have recovered Rs 4,80,111 crore, including Rs 1,03,045 crore from written-off loans, during the last five financial years. The borrowers of written-off loans continue to be liable for repayment and the process of recovery of dues from the borrower in written-off loan accounts continues. She noted that banks continue to pursue recovery actions initiated in written-off accounts through various recovery mechanisms available. The actions include filing of a suit in civil courts or in Debts Recovery Tribunals, action under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002, filing of cases in the National Company Law Tribunal under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, through negotiated settlement and compromise and sale of NPAs. Therefore, write-off does not benefit the borrowers.

The minister said according to RBI guidelines and policy approved by banks' boards, NPAs, including those in respect of which full provisioning had been made on completion of four years, were removed from the balance sheet of the bank concerned by way of write-off. Banks evaluate and consider the impact of write-offs as part of their regular exercise to clean up their balance sheet, avail of tax benefit and optimise capital, in accordance with RBI guidelines and policy approved by their boards.