Banking Regulation Act, 1949
24. Maintenance of a percentage of assets
(1) After the expiry of two years from the
commencement of this Act, every banking company shall maintain [in India] in
cash, gold or unencumbered approved securities, valued at a price not exceeding
the current market price, an amount which shall not at the close of business on
any day be less than 20 per cent of the total of its [demand and time
liabilities] [in India].
Explanation : For the purposes of
this section, "unencumbered approved securities" of a banking company
shall include its approved securities lodged with another institution for an
advance or any other credit arrangement to the extent to which such securities
have not been drawn against or availed of.]
(2) In computing the amount for the purposes
of sub-section (1), the deposit required under sub-section (2) of section 11 to
be made with the Reserve Bank by a banking company incorporated outside India
and any balances maintained in India by a banking company in current account
with the Reserve Bank or the State Bank of India or with any other bank which
may be notified in this behalf by the Central Government, including in the case
of a scheduled bank the balance required under section 42 of the Reserve Bank
of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934), to be so maintained, shall be deemed to be cash
maintained in India.]
(2A) (a) Notwithstanding anything contained in
sub-section (1) or in sub-section(2), after the expiry of two years from the
commencement of the Banking Companies (Amendment) Act, 1962 (36 of 1962):-
(i) a scheduled bank,
in addition to the average daily balance which it is, or may be, required to
maintain under section 42 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934),
and
(ii) every other
banking company, in addition to the cash reserve which it is required to
maintain under section 18, 106[shall maintain in
(A) in cash, or
(B) in gold valued at a price not exceeding
the current market price or in unencumbered approved securities valued at a
price determined in accordance with such one or more of, or combination, of the
following methods of valuation, namely, valuation with reference to cost price,
market price, book value or face value, as may be specified by the Reserve Bank
from time to time, an amount which shall not, at the close of business on any
day, be less than twenty-five per cent or such other percentage not exceeding
forty per cent as the Reserve Bank may, from time to time, by notification in
the Official Gazette, specify, of the total of its demand and time liabilities
in India, as on the last Friday of the second preceding fortnight;
(b) in computing the amount for the purposes
of clause (a)-
(i) the deposit
required under sub-section (2) of section 11 to be made with the Reserve Bank
by a banking company incorporated outside India;
(ii) any cash or
balances maintained in India by a banking company other than a scheduled bank
with itself or with the Reserve Bank or by way of net balance in current
account in excess of the cash or balance or net balance required to be
maintained under section 18;
(iii) any balance
maintained by a scheduled bank with the Reserve Bank in excess for the balance
required to be maintained by it under section 42 of the Reserve Bank of India
Act, 1934 (2 of 1934);
(iv) the net balance
in current accounts maintained in
(v) any balance
maintained by a Regional Rural Bank in call or fixed deposit with its sponsor
bank, shall be deemed to be cash maintained in
Explanation : For the purposes of
clause (a) of this sub-section, the market price of an approved security shall
be the price as on the date of the issue of the notification or as on any
earlier or later date as may be notified from time to time by the Reserve Bank
in respect of any class or classes of securities.
(2B) The Reserve Bank may, by notification in
the Official Gazette, vary the percentage referred to in sub-section (2A) in
respect of a Regional Rural Bank
(3) For the purposes of ensuring compliance
with the provisions of this section, every banking company shall, not later
than twenty days after the end of the month to which it relates, furnish to the
Reserve Bank in the prescribed form and manner a monthly return showing
particulars of its assets maintained in accordance with this section, and its
demand and time liabilities in India at the close of business on each alternate
Friday during the month, or if any such Friday is a public holiday, at the
close of business on the preceding working day:
PROVIDED that every Regional Bank shall also
furnish a copy of the said return to the National Bank.
(4)(a) If on any alternate Friday or, if such
Friday is a public holiday, on the preceding working day, the amount maintained
by a banking company at the close of business on that day falls below the
minimum prescribed by or under clause (a) of sub-section (2A), such banking
company shall be liable to pay to the Reserve Bank in respect of that day's
default, penal interest for that day at the rate of three per cent per annum
above the bank rate on the amount by which the amount actually maintained falls
short of the prescribed minimum on that day; and
(b) If the default occurs again on the next
succeeding alternate Friday, or, if such Friday is a public holiday, on the
preceding working day, and continues on succeeding alternate Fridays or
preceding working days, as the case may be, the rate of penal interest shall be
increased to a rate of five per cent per annum above the bank rate on each such
shortfall in respect of that alternate Friday and each succeeding alternate
Friday or preceding working day, if such Friday is a public holiday, on which
the default continues.
(5)(a) Without prejudice to the provisions of
sub-section (3), the Reserve Bank may require a banking company to furnish to
it a return in the form and manner specified by it showing particulars of its
assets maintained in accordance with this section and its demand and time
liabilities in India, as at the close of business on each day of a month; and
(b) Without prejudice to the provisions of
sub-section (4), on the failure of a banking company to maintain as on any day,
the amount so required to be maintained by or under clause (a) of sub-section
(2A) the Reserve Bank may, in respect of such default, require the banking
company to pay penal interest for that day as provided in clause (a) of
sub-section (4) and if the default continues on the next succeeding working day,
the penal interest may be increased as provided in clause (b) of sub-section
(4) for the concerned days.
(6)(a) The penalty payable under sub-section
(4) and sub-section (5) shall be paid within a period of fourteen days from the
date on which a notice issued by the Reserve Bank demanding payment of the same
is served on the banking company and in the event of failure of the banking
company to pay the same within such period, the penalty may be levied by a
direction of the principal civil court having jurisdiction in the area where an
office of the defaulting banking company is situated, such direction to be made
only upon an application made by the Reserve Bank in this behalf to the court;
and
(b) When the court makes a direction under
clause (a), it shall issue a certificate specifying the sum payable by the
banking company and every such certificate shall be enforceable in the same
manner as if it were a decree made by the court in a suit.
(7) When under the provisions of clause (b) of
sub-section (4) penal interest at the increased rate of five per cent above the
bank rate has become payable by a banking company, if thereafter the amount
required to be maintained on the next succeeding alternate Friday, or if such
Friday is a public holiday, the next preceding working day, is still below, the
prescribed minimum, every Director, Manager or Secretary of the banking
company, who is knowingly and willfully a party to the default, shall be
punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees and with a further
fine which may extend to five hundred rupees for each subsequent alternate
Friday or the preceding working day, as the case may be, on which the default
continues.
(8) Notwithstanding anything contained in this
section, if the Reserve Bank is satisfied, on an application in writing by the
defaulting banking company, that the banking company had sufficient cause for
its failure to comply with the provisions of clause (a) of sub-section (2A),
the Reserve Bank may not demand the payment of the penal interest.
Explanation : In this section, the expression, "public holiday" means a day which is a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (26 of 1881).
