Loan melas a short-term salve, may come back to bite NPA-hit banks

Banking and policy experts said government lending schemes had a track record of skimping on due diligence, leading to higher-than-normal levels of bad loans

Deen Dyal, who runs a tea stall on the outskirts of New Delhi, was beaming when he walked out of a community hall where Punjab National Bank was disbursing loans as part of government efforts to get credit flowing back into the economy.

A 50,000 rupees ($700) loan he applied for a year ago to expand his range of snacks had finally been approved.

Reviving a practice not used in three decades, India's government in September ordered state-run banks to hold more than 400 loan "melas" or fairs across the country over the following month - a measure aimed at boosting economic