In a recent development, the Reserve Bank of India has disclosed new conditions that banks have to follow when current accounts are opened for large borrowers. This step has been implemented to enhance credit discipline, these conditions focus on customers who avail overdraft or cash credit facilities.
Current Accounts and the New RBI Conditions
Shaktikanta Das, RBI governor recently mentioned that several operating accounts that large borrowers use are both overdraft/cash and current accounts, and are prone to violating credit disciplines, he mentioned these details while talking about Development and Regulatory Policies.
RBI has released a notification that states that instead of opening any new current account, account holders should carry out all transactions through an overdraft or cash credit accounts.
Move Will Help Protect Depositor’s Money
RBI believes that this move can help avoid hoodwinking of the system and reduce all blind spots. These measures will, in turn, aid in protecting the money of depositors.
RBI has added that these revised norms are going to usher in the required discipline in terms of the collective actions that creditors take and assist in the faster dissolution of stress that borrower accounts have to bear.
Besides, it has been stated that banks should avoid routing withdrawals from term loans via current accounts. The reason is that these term loans serve a particular purpose, and as such, the funds need to be remitted straight to goods and services suppliers.
Moreover, day to day operating expenses of borrowers need to be routed via OD/CC accounts, in case the borrower has an OD/CC account. Otherwise, those expenses should be routed via a current account.
Why has this step been taken?
RBI has not clearly stated a reason for this move, but experts believe that the step has been taken due to the four thousand crore scam that happened in PMC co-operative bank in which scammers opened several accounts.
In the present state, multiple accounts can be opened by a customer, and huge amounts can be withdrawn from multiple accounts by such customers from that bank. Such activity can result in scams as well as fraud cases.
This policy is certainly a step that will help in preventing bank scams that have occurred in the past few years.
