BoB NPAs surge six-fold, Indian Bank sees four-times rise in 6 years: RTI

Non-performing assets of Bank of Baroda soared more than six-fold to Rs 73,140 crore, while those of Indian Bank surged four-times to Rs 32,561.26 crore in six years, according to a Right to Information reply.

The NPAs of Bank of Baroda (BoB) rose from Rs 11,876 crore at March-end 2014 to Rs 73,140 crore at December-end 2019, the RTI reply showed.

The number of NPA accounts rose from 2,08,035 as of March 31, 2014, to 6,17,306 as of December 2019.

The NPAs of Indian Bank surged from Rs 8,068.05 crore as on March 31, 2014, to Rs 32,561.26 crore as on March 31, 2020.

The NPA accounts rose to 5,64,816 as on March 31, 2020, from 2,48,921 as on March 31, 2014, according to reply to Right to Information (RTI) queries on a number of NPA accounts and the total amount filed by Kota-based activist Sujeet Swami.

The RTI data also showed the state-run lenders earned a huge amount from SMS alert service fees, minimum balance charges, locker charges, debit-credit cards service charges, outward, inward, ledger follows charges, among others.

According to the reply, Bank of Baroda collected Rs 107.7 crore through SMS alert fee during April 1, 2018 to February 29, 2020. Indian Bank collected around Rs 21 crore through the SMS service fee during the same period.

Swami said, "My motive to file RTI was to unearth NPA amounts of two national banks between 2014 to 2020." He said he has sought same information from State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank but they are yet to provide the data.