The country can’t afford a loan waiver for industry

Loan waivers for the industry may sound plausible, even enticing, but a closer examination of the ground realities almost rules out this line of action. Public-sector banks don’t have the financial muscle to afford large-scale loan waivers. Clearly, then, it would eventually have to be funded by the government. At a time when it is horribly stretched — having promised an INR20 lakh crore package — the government doesn’t have the wherewithal to bankroll this largesse.