Govt not considering PSU bank mergers: MoS Finance Pankaj Chaudhary

The government is not considering merger of public sector banks, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said on Tuesday.

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, he said several steps have been taken by the government to strengthen the financial condition of public sector banks (PSBs).

Chaudhary said the reforms undertaken by the government in the banking sector have created systemic improvements and instituted checks and controls to minimise the risk of recurrence of excessive stress.

To a question on whether the merger of public sector banks is being considered, Chaudhary replied: "No sir".

Chaudhary further said PSU banks have shown improvement in their capital adequacy ratio and gross non-performing assets position post-merger.

"The merger has helped in improved synergies, economies of scale, better technology integration and the same has resulted in uniform improvement across all key financial parameters," Chaudhary added.

In the biggest consolidation exercise in the banking space, the government in August 2019, had announced four major mergers of public sector banks, bringing down their total number to 12 from 27 in 2017, a move aimed at making state-owned lenders global-sized banks.

United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce were merged with Punjab National Bank; Syndicate Bank with Canara Bank; Allahabad Bank with Indian Bank; and Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank with Union Bank of India, effecive April 1, 2020.

In 2019, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank were merged with the Bank of Baroda. Prior to this, the government had merged five associate banks of SBI and Bharatiya Mahila Bank with the State Bank of India.