New Delhi: The 'Big Bull', late Harshad S Mehta, still remains the country's biggest defaulter on loans taken from public sector banks and financial institutions (FIs), with an outstanding of Rs 812.08 crore as on March 31, 2001, the Rajya Sabha was informed on March 18.

Mehta, who died last year, owed Rs 812.08 crore to the State Bank of India (SBI), Minister of State for Finance Balasaheb Vikhe Patil said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

"Under the current provisions of banking laws, disclosure of names of borrowers of banks and FIs is not permissible. However, there is no prohibition on disclosure of the names of defaulters against whom suits have been filed," the minister told Rajiv Ranjan Singh and Kapil Sibal.

Country's top 20 defaulters include India Charge Chrome Ltd, which owes Rs 493.28 crore to Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI), Hindustan Photofilms Manufacturing Co Ltd, which owes Rs 233.72 crore to SBI, and Premier Venyl Flooring, which owes Rs 227.58 crore to Canara Bank.

Giving details of other borrowers against whom public sector banks and FIs have filed recovery lawsuits, Patil said that Lloyd Steel Industries Ltd owed Rs 220 crore to Central Bank of India, Continental Float Glass Ltd Rs 209.82 crore to Industrial Finance Corporation of India, Mardia Chemicals Ltd Rs 184.81 crore to ICICI, Dynacraft Machine Co Ltd Rs 179.95 crore to Bank of India, Mackinnon Mackenzies & Co Ltd Rs 177.62 crore to Bank of India, and Mideast Integrated Steels Ltd owed Rs 174.81 crore to IDBI.

PTI