Nirmala Sitharaman said that RBI has been asked to assess causes of problems and identify the role played by individuals
RBI unveiled reconstruction scheme for crisis-hit Yes Bank and said said SBI expressed willingness to invest in private lender
Shares of Yes Bank came under massive selling pressure on Friday, plunging 56% at close, after the lender was placed under a 30-day moratorium
Even as panic-stricken depositors thronged the cash-strapped Yes Bank since Thursday evening after the govt capped withdrawls at Rs 50,000, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stepped in to allay the concerns of the customers of the private lender and assured that their interest will be protected and that their money is safe.
"We are ensuring that the customers interests are protected," Sitharaman said while addressing a press conference in Delhi on Friday afternoon.
"We can assure all depositors that their money is safe," she added. "I am closely monitoring every institution which requires that kind of monitoring along with RBI," the finance minister said adding that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been asked to assess the causes of problems and identify the role played by individuals.
The government, she said, wants the RBI to ensure that due process of law is followed with a sense of urgency.
Since 2017, the central bank noticed governance issues and weak regulatory compliance at Yes Bank, besides wrong asset classification and risky credit decisions, she said.
On finding risky credit decisions, the RBI advised change in management, she added.
Sitharaman said that State Bank of India has expressed willingness to invest in Yes Bank and that the restructuring scheme will be fully effective within 30 days. She also said that that employment and salary of Yes Bank employees have been assured for one year.
She said that the Anil Ambani Group, Essel, ILFS, DHFL and Vodafone were among the stressed corporates that Yes Bank had exposure to.
Retorting to former finance minister P Chidambaram's attack on the government over the Yes Bank crisis, Sitharaman said that the collapse of United Western Bank in 2006 had taken place under the "self-appointed competent doctors".
Chidambaram had termed Yes Bank crisis as a completely "regulatory failure" and said there is no need to panic as the Reserve Bank of India placed restrictions on the bank. "It shows completely regulatory failure and I wonder if this is the end or there will be more in the line. Yet the government keeps absolute silence. PMC bank depositors are agitating every day before RBI offices in Mumbai. But the government did not respond," Chidambaram told reporters in Delhi.
Earlier in the day, Sitharaman assured cash-starved Yes Bank depositors that their money is safe and the RBI is working on an early resolution of the issue.
“I'm in continuous interaction with the RBI. The central bank is fully seized of the matter and has assured they will give a quick resolution. I want to assure every depositor that their money shall be safe. Their monies are safe,” Sitharaman told reporters in Delhi.
RBI announces reconstruction scheme
Meanwhile, the RBI unveiled reconstruction scheme for the crisis-ridden Yes Bank.
The RBI said the State Bank of India (SBI) has expressed willingness to invest in Yes Bank.
The downgrade "is a result of an event of default triggered by the RBI's moratorium, which prevents Yes Bank from making a full and timely payment to its senior creditors," the rating agency said in a statement.
"Despite the event of default, the CAA3 rating takes into account Moody's expectation that although recovery rates for the banks' senior creditors may be high given the close involvement of the Indian authorities and stated intention to resolve the bank quickly, the ultimate timing and form of eventual resolution remains uncertain.
Panicked customers throng Yes Bank branches
Distress calls and long queues of customers were witnessed at various branches of Yes Bank after the RBI put a withdrawal limit of Rs 50,000 on Thursday. The cash-starved private sector lender has been placed under moratorium for one month.
On Thursday, the RBI in consultation with the Union government also superseded the bank's board of directors due to serious deterioration in the bank's financial position.
While customers complained about net banking not working, many resorted to microblogging site Twitter to express anguish that they were not able to withdraw money, posting screenshots that they were getting "connection error".
One of the customers wrote on Twitter that he wants to close his savings account but "how can I do it online?".
"We are facing intermittent issues in net banking. Request you to please try after some time," Yes Bank said in response to the tweet.
The Mumbai-headquartered private sector bank has also changed its toll-free phone banking number to 18001200 from 18002000.
However, it seems that the sense of crisis started brewing among the bank's customers even before the RBI's Thursday move as messags dating 3 and 4 March or before could be traced on its Twitter handle of customers complaining about banking issues. Some even left their personal mobile numbers, asking the bank to revert them back "ASAP".
Besides, the bank is also reported to be sending out messages to customers updating them about bank balances.
A customer of the bank said he faced no problem on Thursday night while transacting through his debit card at a fuel-refilling station.
RBI unveiled reconstruction scheme for crisis-hit Yes Bank and said said SBI expressed willingness to invest in private lender
Shares of Yes Bank came under massive selling pressure on Friday, plunging 56% at close, after the lender was placed under a 30-day moratorium
Even as panic-stricken depositors thronged the cash-strapped Yes Bank since Thursday evening after the govt capped withdrawls at Rs 50,000, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stepped in to allay the concerns of the customers of the private lender and assured that their interest will be protected and that their money is safe.
"We are ensuring that the customers interests are protected," Sitharaman said while addressing a press conference in Delhi on Friday afternoon.
"We can assure all depositors that their money is safe," she added. "I am closely monitoring every institution which requires that kind of monitoring along with RBI," the finance minister said adding that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been asked to assess the causes of problems and identify the role played by individuals.
The government, she said, wants the RBI to ensure that due process of law is followed with a sense of urgency.
Since 2017, the central bank noticed governance issues and weak regulatory compliance at Yes Bank, besides wrong asset classification and risky credit decisions, she said.
On finding risky credit decisions, the RBI advised change in management, she added.
Sitharaman said that State Bank of India has expressed willingness to invest in Yes Bank and that the restructuring scheme will be fully effective within 30 days. She also said that that employment and salary of Yes Bank employees have been assured for one year.
She said that the Anil Ambani Group, Essel, ILFS, DHFL and Vodafone were among the stressed corporates that Yes Bank had exposure to.
Retorting to former finance minister P Chidambaram's attack on the government over the Yes Bank crisis, Sitharaman said that the collapse of United Western Bank in 2006 had taken place under the "self-appointed competent doctors".
Chidambaram had termed Yes Bank crisis as a completely "regulatory failure" and said there is no need to panic as the Reserve Bank of India placed restrictions on the bank. "It shows completely regulatory failure and I wonder if this is the end or there will be more in the line. Yet the government keeps absolute silence. PMC bank depositors are agitating every day before RBI offices in Mumbai. But the government did not respond," Chidambaram told reporters in Delhi.
Earlier in the day, Sitharaman assured cash-starved Yes Bank depositors that their money is safe and the RBI is working on an early resolution of the issue.
“I'm in continuous interaction with the RBI. The central bank is fully seized of the matter and has assured they will give a quick resolution. I want to assure every depositor that their money shall be safe. Their monies are safe,” Sitharaman told reporters in Delhi.
RBI announces reconstruction scheme
Meanwhile, the RBI unveiled reconstruction scheme for the crisis-ridden Yes Bank.
The RBI said the State Bank of India (SBI) has expressed willingness to invest in Yes Bank.
The downgrade "is a result of an event of default triggered by the RBI's moratorium, which prevents Yes Bank from making a full and timely payment to its senior creditors," the rating agency said in a statement.
"Despite the event of default, the CAA3 rating takes into account Moody's expectation that although recovery rates for the banks' senior creditors may be high given the close involvement of the Indian authorities and stated intention to resolve the bank quickly, the ultimate timing and form of eventual resolution remains uncertain.
Panicked customers throng Yes Bank branches
Distress calls and long queues of customers were witnessed at various branches of Yes Bank after the RBI put a withdrawal limit of Rs 50,000 on Thursday. The cash-starved private sector lender has been placed under moratorium for one month.
On Thursday, the RBI in consultation with the Union government also superseded the bank's board of directors due to serious deterioration in the bank's financial position.
While customers complained about net banking not working, many resorted to microblogging site Twitter to express anguish that they were not able to withdraw money, posting screenshots that they were getting "connection error".
One of the customers wrote on Twitter that he wants to close his savings account but "how can I do it online?".
"We are facing intermittent issues in net banking. Request you to please try after some time," Yes Bank said in response to the tweet.
The Mumbai-headquartered private sector bank has also changed its toll-free phone banking number to 18001200 from 18002000.
However, it seems that the sense of crisis started brewing among the bank's customers even before the RBI's Thursday move as messags dating 3 and 4 March or before could be traced on its Twitter handle of customers complaining about banking issues. Some even left their personal mobile numbers, asking the bank to revert them back "ASAP".
Besides, the bank is also reported to be sending out messages to customers updating them about bank balances.
A customer of the bank said he faced no problem on Thursday night while transacting through his debit card at a fuel-refilling station.
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