Ahead of the elections of Delhi-based Kangra Cooperative Bank, opposition candidates are accusing the bank management of keeping it in the family. The Himachal Pradesh Social Group Panel led by the outgoing Chairman Laxmi Das is the target of such accusations.
The elections of the bank are scheduled for 13th February in New Delhi and for 13 seats, 17 candidates are trying their luck.
One of the independent candidates namely Ram Kumar Attri said, “For many years the bank has been controlled by a single group of people. No new member has been inducted on the board of the bank apart from the existing directors’ relatives, friends or others”.
“In this election too, Laxmi Das Panel has fielded many candidates who are having family relations with the outgoing board of directors. For instance, after the death of then-director K D Sharma, the said panel has announced the name of his daughter Pooja Sharma to fight the election from Women Category”, claimed Attri to Indian cooperative correspondent on the phone.
“Besides, from the same panel, then director Late Jagdish Bisht’s son Gopal Bisht is also in the fray. This time also the panel fielded Avinash Swaroop Sharma who had been on the board for many years”, he added giving details how a group of people control the UCB.
Rejecting the charges, the outgoing Chairman Das said, “The one who is making allegations against us has fielded his wife”. “It is false to say that we are promoting dynastic rule in the bank. We have fielded candidates who have the required experiences and have a professional approach”, countered Das who is also on the Nafcub Board.
“The daughter of K D Sharma, an advocate by profession had been active in the co-op movement. And Gopal Bisht has a long experience in the sector. He was also one of the office-bearers in a Delhi-based thrift and credit cooperative societies. The third candidate Anoop Kumar Sharma has been on the board of the bank for nine years “, Das said giving details of the candidates.
Attri would not agree and as he continued in his vein saying the people associated with the Himachal Pradesh Social Group Panel threatened to withdraw the nomination papers to save the cost of elections in the interest of the bank. In contrast to this, we asked for one member to be inducted on the board but they denied it.
In his reaction, Das said, we have not threatened anybody not to contest the election of the bank. It is democracy; anybody can fight elections. It’s true that the election cost is about Rs 70 lakhs but how can we induct a member from the opposition who’s having no experience in the cooperative sector. We are ready to fight and the result will come in our favour, he claimed.
Attri also accuses the present management of not providing the voters’ list with mobile numbers to the candidates and are asking money for this. “The list cost is about 20k and anyone can take this list by paying the said amount. It is RCS rule”, clarified Das to Indian Cooperative correspondent.
Das has been elected unopposed as the Chairman with his deputy Rajendra Kumar Sharma as Vice-Chairman.
The bank’s board comprises 15 directors with one- seat each for Chairman and Vice-Chairman, 2 for women, and 11 for the directors. Amit Kumar Pamasi has been appointed as the returning officer to oversee the election process.
It is worth mentioning that the Kangra Cooperative Bank is the largest Urban Cooperative of Delhi-NCR. The total business mix of the bank is more than Rs 1800 crore and earned a gross profit of Rs 9.09 crore in the 2020-21 financial year. The bank has 12 branches across Delhi.
