New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Monday said the cash-strapped Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) and its group companies will not be declared as non-performing assets (NPA) without approval from the appellate tribunal.

A two-member bench headed by NCLAT Chairman Justice (Retd.) S.J. Mukhopadhyay was hearing an application moved by some of its lenders.

The order comes after the NCLAT on February 11 said that subsidiaries of IL&FS would be divided into three categories -- Green (companies that can meet all debt obligations), Amber (firms that can meet some debt obligations) and Red (companies that can't meet any debt obligations).

--IANS rrb/nir