NPAs of 18 public sector banks down 23% in H1

 During fiscal 2002-03, these banks had cut their NPAs by Rs 2,600 crore. In the aggregate, the net NPAs of 18 listed PSBs totalled Rs 15,312 crore as at the end of September 2003, compared with Rs 19,866 crore at the end of March 2003.

 Oriental Bank of Commerce has become a zero NPA bank after it provided for Rs 279.53 crore in the first half of the current fiscal. Among other PSBs, State Bank of Travancore reduced it net NPAs 50.5 per cent to Rs 138.50 crore.

 The NPAs of Andhra Bank and State Bank of India declined by over 42.5 per cent each, while Punjab Natioanl Bank was able to reduce its NPAs 37.5 per cent and Vijaya Bank 32.8 per cent.

 Most of these banks have stepped up their NPA provisions as they have migrated to the Reserve Bank of India