The ‘name and shame campaign’ initiated by Catholic Syrian Bank Employees and Retirees against wilful defaulters in Kerala seems to have started paying dividends.

Of the 30 defaulters identified by the bank with dues of more than ₹50 lakh each, 10 borrowers have already approached the bank with settlement proposals, following dharnas organised at 20 locations in the State.

According to EJ Kurien, DGM in charge of Asset Recovery, the bank has already received firm assurance for payments worth ₹25 crore from defaulters.

The bank is now looking at getting these accounts closed before March. However, non-availability of adequate cash with the borrowers post demonetisation is posing a challenge, he said.

The benefit derived from the campaign is that the bank has succeeded in sending a strong message to defaulters not to avoid loan repayments, KV Babu, Head of Thrissur College Road branch, said.

The first round of campaign witnessed participation by employees and retirees. As employees intensify the activity, their family members are also expected to participate in the next round of the campaign, he said.

There are also plans to take up similar campaigns in Tamil Nadu once the political situation there stabilises, EG Jairaj, Convenor, Publicity Committee for Chennai, said.

However, the core committee meeting held in Chennai has decided to form smaller groups to approach the customers with a request to repay the dues. All defaulting accounts will be approached in a phased manner.

CSB employees had started the campaign last week by forming small voluntary groups to stage silent dharnas outside the office/ residential premises of the defaulters.

The movement comes in the wake of the support sought by the management from employees for speeding up recovery after identifying NPAs and prevention of slippage as one of the core focus areas.

As on September 2016, the bank’s NPA stood at ₹500 crore and the losses had affected its ability to raise fresh capital.

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