PSBs recapitalised with Rs 3.10 lakh cr over 5 years

The government has recapitalised public sector banks (PSBs) by infusing over Rs 3.10 lakh crore in the last five fiscals, a majority of which was through issuance of recapitalisation bonds, Parliament was informed on Monday.

"Government has infused Rs 3,10,997 crore to recapitalise banks during the last five financial years i.e., from 2016-17 to 2020-21, out of which Rs 34,997 crore were sourced through budgetary allocation and Rs 2,76,000 crore through issuance of recapitalisation bonds to these banks," Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

He was responding to a host of questions asked by Congress party's Member of Parliament Manish Tewari.

Asked whether heavy haircuts were doled out to large companies such as Essar, DHFL and Videocon, costing the banking sector thousands of crores, Karad said as per data from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), as on December 31, 2021, 43 large corporate debtors, each with total admitted claims of Rs 2,500 crore and above, were resolved through the market driven corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

"These corporate debtors (CD) owed a total of Rs 5.44 lakh crore to financial creditors while their liquidation value was Rs 1.06 lakh crore.

"Further, realisable value for financial creditors through the approved resolution plans was Rs 1.91 lakh crore, which is 179 per cent of the liquidation value of these corporate debtors, and 35 per cent of the admitted claims," he added.

The minister said the matter related to Videocon has not reached finality and fresh bids are being invited, as per the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's order dated January 5, 2022.

Further, the minister said as on September 30, 2021, ARCs (asset reconstruction companies) acquired assets valuing Rs 3.74 lakh crore from banks and financial institutions, with aggregate acquisition cost of Rs 1.04 lakh crore.

"As per inputs received from MCA, as on 31.12.2021, CIRP is ongoing in respect of 1,699 corporate debtors, out of which, process has exceeded the timeline of 180 days in respect of 1,355 corporate debtors," he added.