Window dressing of banks balance sheets by Chartered Accountants colluding with top management has been going on for decades and now RBI's intervention by granting permission to banks the option to spread provisioning equally over up to four quarters for mark-to-market (MTM) losses on investments is one that recognises window dressing of figures officially. At this rate, when the banks would be disclosing their correct Financial position in the backdrop of staggering non performing loans, evergreening of loans through all imaginative accounting gimmicks to camouflage bad debts, write off of loans, inflating the deposits through grant of fresh loans at periodic intervals to impress / fool the owners and regulators and covering up all illegal and wrong doings through accounting jugglaries is a mystery unfathomable. Unfortunately the depositors and poor share holders bear the brunt directly and all the stake holders of the banks Viz the Government, shareholders, good borrowers , innocent tax payers , non borrowers of banks and general customers who support the banks by availing various services indirectly. How long this game of fooling the masses by intelligent presentation of banks'health which is actually an ICU case can go on is baffling indeed! Banks should come back to their basics and know their functions of mobilising deposits and lending these deposits who are involved in the development of the economy and this needs to be understood by staff, management, regulator and authorities. They are not to be used as conduits to loot without being noticed or seriously taken by those who matter in managing the economy and fiances of the Country. Banks cannot afford to be non performers to those who lend money to banks ie Depositors and to the economy which is dependent on banks for all its developmental needs. Banks and authorities are morally socially, ethically, and economically bound to serve the country and the people and this opportunity should not be abused or misused in any manner.
Dr T V Gopalakrishnan
