New York, Oct 29 : Indian banks are now "on top of the situation" on the problem of the non-performing assets (NPA), State Bank of India Chairman Rajnish Kumar said.

Kumar said that going by the initial results that have started coming in September, it seems that many banks are returning to profit.

Elaborating further on the issue of NPAs, Kumar said last year the system was struggling with higher and elevated NPAs and largely it was the steel and power sectors that got impacted the most.

"The major challenge which the banks - public sector more and some of the private sector banks (in India) - they have been facing is the asset quality challenge. For the last three years, it has been going on but as of now we are now on top of the situation on the NPA problem," Kumar told PTI in an interview here.

"In the power sector, the banks have still not been able to resolve the issues. But the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has helped the banks and at least now there is a solution available," he said.

Kumar added that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has come as a "very good tool" in the hands of the banks and the financial creditors.

On the value of the rupee, which had this month fell below the 74 level compared to the dollar, Kumar said, "If the oil prices are stabilized, the exchange will also stabilize Domestic inflation is not as much a cause of worry because it is very much well within the target that the Reserve Bank of India has set."

He said domestically, the economy continues to do well but the oil prices are the "major culprit" because that impacts the country's current account deficit in a big way and it puts pressure on the exchange rate.

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Bengaluru, Jan 6: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched a health insurance scheme for the employees of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) called 'KSRTC Arogya' on Monday.

Speaking at the launch event, the CM said the doctors should not be dismissive of patients visiting hospitals under the scheme and treat everyone equally.

Karnataka's Minister for Transport and Muzrai, Ramalinga Reddy, who was also present, said around 34,000 employees of KSRTC and their dependents (approximately 1.5 lakh people) will be eligible for this scheme.

According to him, this scheme was the fulfilment of a demand raised by labour unions for many years.

"The scheme will also be implemented in organisations such as BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation), NWKRTC (North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation), and KKRTC (Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation) within the next three months," added Reddy.

Chairman of KSRTC and MLA of Gubbi Constituency, S R Srinivasa handed over a cheque of Rs 20 crore to the KSRTC Trust, to form a corpus fund for the implementation of the scheme. He also released the internal periodic magazine, 'Saarige Sampada' and the KSRTC Arogya Manual.

Under 'KSRTC Arogya' all 34,000 employees of the corporation are eligible even for eye and dental treatments, said a KSRTC press note.

To begin with, KSRTC has signed MOUs with 275 hospitals and four diagnostics centres for IP/OPD cashless treatments. Under the scheme, Rs 650 per month will be deducted from the salaries of the officers and staff of the corporation, added the note.

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