BackBank frauds of ₹1 lakh and above decline
Bank frauds involving amount of ₹1 lakh and above fall to ₹6,735 crore in 2018-19 from ₹9,866 crore in 2017-18Nirmala Sitharaman says comprehensive measures have been taken to tighten fraud prevention systems and deter perpetration of frauds in banks
PremiumNEW DELHI : The amount lost in bank frauds of ₹1 lakh and above has been on a decline since 2016-17, Parliament was informed Tuesday.
Banks and select financial institutions reported to RBI that frauds of ₹1 lakh and above amounting to ₹25,884 crore occurred during 2016-17 .
The amount involved in such frauds in 2017-18 and 2018-19 stood at ₹9,866 crore and ₹6,735 crore, respectively, as per a written reply by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Rajya Sabha.
She said comprehensive measures have been taken to tighten fraud prevention systems and deter perpetration of frauds in banks.
These measures include giving powers to banks to initiate criminal proceedings against wilful defaulters, government backed framework for timely detection, reporting and investigation of large value bank frauds in public sector banks.
Enactment of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 as well as authorisation to PSBs to obtain certified copy of passport of promoters/directors of companies availing loans of more than ₹50 crore are among other measures that have been adopted by the government.
"Proactive action has been taken against wilful defaulters, with FIRs being registered by PSBs against 3,154 wilful defaulters," she said.
The government has formed an inter-agency coordination committee to look into the large value bank frauds, she said.
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