TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that the banks have agreed not to take harsh measures against mining loan defaulters. He also promised to try and clear all pending issues such as road tax waiver.
“There are certain issues which are legal. If you can extend NPA time frame…modification of NPA norms,” the chief minister told media after the meeting with officials of almost all banks including RBI officials.
“What has been agreed upon is a very humane approach by everyone. Number one, no harsh measures…like attaching items, auction will not take place till March at least… We have requested the bankers,” he said, but adding, “Notices might be issued as a requirement of the auditing but actual physical harsh measures will not be taken on those who have taken loans and are involved in mining.”
“Secondly almost all banks have agreed to work out on a case to case basis settlement with some write offs,” he said giving an example that if some barge owner wants to settle with the bank, “they can settle with the bank”, but clarified that “This is not like OTS. OTS is a general scheme given to everyone. This is on a case to case basis.”
He said that they had promised them “from our side that those hitches like waiver of road tax will be sorted out by the end of the month… so that these vehicles can be sold.”
There are total loans amounting to Rs 1700 crore in all banks and credit societies, of mining related machinery (including trucks, barges and other machinery), out of which Rs 570 are NPAs. Of these NPAs, Rs 214 crore are of cooperative banks.
