Indian banks take about Rs 70,000 cr hit due to frauds in last 3 fiscals

New Delhi: Indian banks reported a total loss of about Rs 70,000 crore due to frauds during the last three fiscals up to March 2018, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

The extent of loss in fraud cases reported by scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) for 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 was Rs 16,409 crore, Rs 16,652 crore and Rs 36,694 crore, respectively, Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla said in a written reply quoting RBI data.

The minister said that data of frauds is as per the year of reporting and not the year of occurrence of fraud or sanction of loan, letter of undertaking, which might be of an earlier period. The minister also informed the House that gross advances by SCBs increased from Rs 25.03 lakh crore as on March 31, 2008, to Rs 68.75 lakh crore on March 31, 2014.

As regards the stressed assets in the banking system, Shukla said the spurt was due to aggressive lending practices, wilful default, loan frauds, corruption in some cases and economic slowdown. Replying to another question, he said as per RBI data, there were 139 borrowers with aggregate gross NPAs of more than Rs 1,000 crore.

Shukla said the RBI has apprised that it issued directions to banks in June 2017, instructing them to file applications for initiation of corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IPC) in respect of 12 borrowers. The 12 borrowers had cumulative fund-based and non-fund based outstanding amount of Rs 1,97,769 crore as on March 31, 2017.

"It subsequently issued further directions to banks advising them to finalise and implement resolution plans in respect of 29 accounts by December 13, 2017, failing which these too had to be referred to CIRP under IBC," Shukla said.

The cumulative fund-based and non-fund based outstanding amount of these accounts was Rs 1,35,846 crore, as on June 30, 2017.