Government data showing details of loans written off by scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) disclosed that total Rs 10,09,510 crore were written off during the last five financial years (FYs), the Finance Minister told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
The data on recovery of the written off loans said that Rs 1,32,036 have been recovered during the period.
The data showed that the amount written off by the banks has come down in the last few years.
It showed that in the Rs 1,61,328 crore was written off in 2017-18, Rs 2,36,265 crore in FY 2018-19, Rs 2,34,170 crore in FY 2019-20, Rs 2,02,781 Crore in FY 2020-21 and Rs 1,74,966 crore in FY 2021-22.
On recovery of written off loan, the data showed that Rs 12,881 crore was recovered in FY 2017-18, Rs 25,501 crore in FY 2018-19, Rs 30,016 crore in FY 2019-20, Rs 30,104 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 33,534 crore in FY 2021-22.
On questions regarding the names and details of the accounts in which loans were written off for amounts of Rs 10 crore and above and the names of top 25 loan defaulters in Public Sector Banks (PSBs), the reply said: “The RBI has informed that under the provisions of section 45E of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, RBI is prohibited from disclosing borrower-wise credit information.”
In another reply in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, the Minister said: “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. Banks continue to pursue recovery actions initiated in written-off accounts through various recovery mechanisms available, such as 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/compromise, and through sale of non-performing assets. Therefore, write-off does not benefit the borrowers.”
