Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor SS Mundra on Friday said banks should increase the provision coverage ratio ( PCR) and aim to raise it to 70 per cent, the amount lenders were mandated to maintain earlier. “We do not have a prescribed level. We would encourage that on their own, they should inch it up to the extent possible. I don’t have any percentage in mind. There is no prescription at this point of time but let’s say there was a benchmark earlier, it would be a good thing to at least aim for that benchmark,” said Mundra. Earlier, banks were required to mandatorily maintain a PCR of 70 per cent. But, the mandate was withdrawn in September 2011 after most banks had met the criterion. Now, with the rise in bad loan, banks are increasingly reducing the PCR to ensure that the profitability is not hit adversely. In fact, several public sector banks ( PSBs) have seen a reduction in their PCR, as non- performing assets ( NPAs) in balance sheets have increased. Several banks’ P