Kingfisher: What about loan recovery from others, Mallya asks bank chiefs

What about loan recovery from those other than Kingfisher (Airlines), tweeted promoter Vijay Mallya taking a dig at bank chiefs for their "constant speak" on getting back dues from the grounded airline.

"I seriously wonder what motivates the bank chairmen to constantly speak to the media on loan recovery from Kingfisher Airlines. What about others?"

"We are blazing all guns and taking all steps to recovery (of Kingfisher loans)," Pratip Chaudhuri, chairman of SBI, the lead lender to Kingfisher, had said on Monday.

Kingfisher Airlines owes a whopping Rs 7,500 crore to a consortium of 17 public banks, mostly state-run banks. It is grounded since last October and its licence also expired on December 31, 2012.

Mr Chaudhuri's assertion on loan recovery from Kingfisher also coincided with Finance Minister P Chidambaram asking banks to take firm steps to recover loans from wilful defaulters.

"The country cannot afford to have affluent promoters and sick companies," Mr Chidambaram had said yesterday after meeting heads of PSU banks and financial institutions in New Delhi.