State-run Bank of Baroda (BoB) technically wrote off loans worth Rs 35,715 crore involving borrowers with outstanding dues of Rs 100 crore and above between FY21 and FY26, while recovering Rs 9,946 crore, according to figures disclosed under the RTI Act. The data, provided in response to an RTI application by activist Vivek Velankar, showed that the largest write-offs were recorded in FY21 and FY22, at Rs 11,916 crore and Rs 11,261 crore respectively. BoB clarified that these were “technical write-offs”, meaning the loans were removed from its books for accounting purposes while recovery efforts could continue. The bank also reported Rs 7,817 crore in write-offs or haircuts linked to settlements of loans above Rs 100 crore through the NCLT and other forums during the same period. BoB declined to disclose borrower-wise details, citing exemptions under the RTI Act and concerns over the resources required to compile certain information. Velankar questioned the scale of the write-offs and the lack of public disclosure of large borrowers. However, the RTI data does not establish whether any specific loan was sanctioned improperly, whether borrowers were wilful defaulters or whether bank officials faced disciplinary or legal action. The figures highlight the scale of large-loan write-offs while showing that recovery efforts continued on technically written-off accounts.
