PFC aims for Rs 800cr provision write-back from govt projects

Mumbai: State-run Power Finance Corporation is aiming to get a provision write-back of over Rs 800 crore through upgradation of distressed government assets in the current financial year, a top company official said.

Out of the total government loans as on March 31, 2018, nearly 89 per cent or Rs 2.03 lakh crore are standard assets, nine per cent or Rs 19,167 crore are restructured standard assets and two per cent or Rs 5,016 crore is NPA.

"There are no stressed government projects. There may be issues with a few, but then they are regularly servicing the debt," PFC chairman and managing director Rajeev Sharma told reporters here today.

The company plans to upgrade Rs 12,000 crore worth of restructured assets to standard assets in 2018-19, while out of the Rs 5,016 crore NPA, it aims to upgrade nearly Rs 4,600 crore this fiscal, he said.

"For upgradation of NPAs, we expect a reversal of Rs 230 crore, while for the restructured assets, we expect a reversal of Rs 600 crore," he added.

During the March quarter, the company managed to decrease the restructured assets by 53 per cent to Rs 19,167 crore, compared with Rs 40,852 crore in the previous quarter.

Loans worth Rs 21,963 crore were upgraded to the standard category as they achieved the date of commencement of commercial operations, he said.

Similarly, nearly 20 per cent of government NPAs were reduced in the March quarter to Rs 5,016 crore, from the December quarter last year.

In terms of private players, the company has stressed loans worth Rs 31,000 crore.

"We have undertaken various resolution plans which are under process. There are four projects with an exposure of Rs 4,300 crore which are in advanced stage of resolution, and we don't expect major haircut in them," he said.

Sharma further said four other projects with exposure of Rs 6,300 crore are under bidding for change of management, while it is in talks with the Maharashtra government to take over one of the asset of Rattan India in Nashik, which has an exposure of Rs 3,000 crore.

"We are getting good response for our bids as the players participating are well established. We believe this trend will continue as there is a lot of capacity that may come up on block and there are many serious players who are keenly looking at such projects," he added.

Nearly nine projects, with exposure to the extent of Rs 8,100 crore, are being resolved through NCLT, and resolution plans for six projects (with Rs 8,700 crore exposure) are under finalisation, according to Sharma.

PFC is also planning to realign its lending portfolio to diversify into new areas including railway electrification, smart cities infrastructure, e-vehicle charging stations and battery manufacturing units for solar projects.