The Union Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley said that the Government has taken various measures to deal with the issue of Non Performing Assets (NPAs) in Banking Sector especially in case of Public Sector Banks (PSBs). The Finance Minister said that there are two categories of defaulters, viz. those who are unable to pay back due to economic slowdown both in domestic and global market and other reasons outside their control as well as wilful defaulters including loans sanctioned without due diligence by the banks. The Finance Minister said that the Government has taken various measures to deal with both these categories of defaulters. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley was making his Opening Remarks at the Second Meeting of the Consultative Committee attached to the Ministry of Finance on the subject: “NPAs in Banking Sector” here today.

The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley further said that in order to deal with default due to economic slowdown, the Government has taken various measures to revive the stressed sectors which mainly include steel, textiles, power and roads among others. Shri Jaitley said that the Government has also done recapitalization of banks by providing Rs. 25,000 crore in the last year Union Budget 2015-16 as well as in this year’s budget 2016-17. He said that transparency and professionalism has been brought in appointment process for top management positions in the PSBs including Chairmen and Managing Directors. He said the Government has taken various measures to make the management professional, has given full autonomy to the banks in taking commercial decisions without any interference from the Government..

The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley said that Bankruptcy Law has been cleared by the Joint Parliament Standing Committee and is likely to be discussed in the current Budget Session of the Parliament. The Finance Minister also said that SARFAESI Act and DRT Act have been amended to make the recovery process more efficient and expedient. The Finance minister said that wherever it was observed that number of cases in which action taken by the banks against guarantors for recovery of defaulted loans is insufficient, the Government has advised the banks to take action against guarantors in the event of default by borrowers under relevant Sections of SARFAESI Act, Indian Contract Act and RDDB & FI Act. The Finance Minister said that a direction to this effect has been issued to the banks last month. The Finance Minister also highlighted the various measures taken by the Government for revival of stressed sectors such as steel, road, power and textile sectors among others.

Later the Members of the Consultative Committee gave their suggestions with regard to recovery of loans and bringing NPAs under control. Members suggested that there is need for bringing more transparency in the system and list of all the defaulters whose loans have been written off by the PSBs be made public. They asked for exemplary action against the wilful defaulters so that others do not indulge in similar activities. Some members appreciated the Government’s effort to make the appointment process for the top management positions of banks professional. Some members also suggested that there is need for restructuring of agricultural loans in order to help the farmers. Members also suggested that there should be no employment cut due to any amalgamation or merger of banks. Members asked the Government to ensure level playing field to all Indian entrepreneurs across the board. They suggested that due to wilful default by some prominent business men, others may not be considered and treated in a similar fashion. Some members suggested that a committee be constituted to finalise recovery process in case of loans given to big corporate houses by various PSBs.

The Members of the Consultative Committee who participated in the aforesaid Meeting include Shri Anirudhan Sampath, Shri Baijayanta Jai Panda, Shri Dilip Kumar Mansukhlal Gandhi, Shri Kailkesh Narayan Singh Deo, Smt. Poonam Mahajan, Shri PrabhatsinhPratapsinh Chauhan, Shri Ram Charitra Nishad, Shri Sriram Malyadri, Shri Subhash Chandra Baheria, Smt. Supriya Sadanand Sule, Shri Suresh Chanabassappa Angadi (all members of Lok Sabha); Shri Anil Desai, Shri Digvijaya Singh, Dr. K.P. Ramalingam, Shri Rajkumar Dhoot, Shri Ranvijay Singh Judev, Shri Satish Chandra Misra, Kumari Selja and Shri Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (all members of Rajya Sabha).

Along with the Finance Minister, the Minister of State for Finance Shri Jayant Sinha, Shri Ratan P. Watal, Finance Secretary, Shri Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, DEA, Dr. Hasmukh Adhia, Revenue Secretary, Ms. Anjuly Chib Dugal, Secretary, Financial Services, Shri Neeraj Kumar Gupta, Secretary, DIPAM, Dr. Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Adviser (CEA), and other senior officers of the Ministry of Finance attended the aforesaid Consultative Committee Meeting.

PIB

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Mumbai, May 22: Employees of public sector banks, old generation private sector banks and some foreign banks will be a happy lot as they will soon get 15 per cent pay hike, arrears for the last 30 months, and other benefits as part of a deal that the unions and bank managements have reached.

Unions, under the aegis of the United Forum of Bank Unions, and bank managements, represented by the Indian Banks’ Association, have worked out a detailed Bipartite Settlement/ Joint Note and the same will be formalised on May 25.

The benefits that about 7.50 lakh bank employees stand to get are a special pay, a new hospitalisation scheme backed up by insurance and holiday on every second and fourth Saturday in a month.

The back wages (arrears) that bank employees will get for the last 30 months will warm the cockles of their heart. Income tax authorities too will be happy as arrears will be taxable.
S Nagarajan, General Secretary, All India Bank Officers’ Association, said “A special allowance has been introduced for employees… there is a new hospitalisation scheme backed up by insurance.” The wage settlement will benefit 3,04,000 odd officers (as on March 31, 2012) in the banking sector.

Officers will get health insurance cover of Rs. 4 lakh and the clerical and sub-staff will get Rs. 3 lakh cover, he added.

A corporate buffer will be created by banks to reimburse hospitalisation expenditure exceeding the abovementioned limits.

Pointing out that the last wage settlement expired in October 2012, Nagarajan, in a lighter vein, observed that “Five years is the tenure of the wage settlement. We have already exhausted 30 months in coming to a settlement. It’s time now to submit the next charter of demands.”

Vishwas Utagi, Vice President, All India Bank Employees Association, said the wage settlement will benefit about 4.50 lakh clerical and sub-staff in the banking sector.

Bank employees will get close a couple of lakh rupees, on an average, as arrears in gross terms, he explained. Since payrolls are computerised, the arrears could be credited to employees’ accounts in a month.

Utagi said the issue of upgradation of pension of retirees and 100 per cent neutralisation of dearness allowance will be taken up by the United Forum of Bank Unions separately.

Read at: The Hindu Businessline

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