Bihar State Election Authority has announced the election schedule of district central cooperative banks of state, amidst giving a big relief to co-operators who are struggling with the appointment of administrators in DCCBs.
The elections are scheduled for 12th April 2023. The banks which will go to the polls include Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Siwan, Purnea, Samastipur, Vaishali, Gopalganj, Motihari, Ara, Nawada, Magadh, Patliputra, Sasaram, Munger, Sitamarhi, Bettiah, Katihar DCCB and others
It bears recall that the state government had appointed administrators in the majority of DCCBs, in the wake of completion of tenure of board of directors.
There are 23 district central cooperative banks in Bihar, out of which the election schedule has been released only for 19 DCCBs because the term of board of directors of Begusarai and Aurangabad is yet to complete. Besides, the Nalanda DCCB election was held a few months back and the recently established Supaul DCCB is still being run by the administrator.
Meanwhile, talking to the Indian Cooperative Gopalganj District Central Cooperative Bank Chairman Mahesh Rai said, “We have started campaigning for wooing the voters and will again contest the election for the post of Chairman. There will be 297 voters who will cast their votes for electing the board of Gopalganj DCCB”.
These banks’ board consists of 13 members, which include Chairman, Vice-Chairman and 11 board of directors. The candidates can file their nomination papers on 27th March and 28th March 2023. The counting of votes will be done soon after the voting.
It is said that the term of the board of directors of Bihar State Cooperative Bank will be completed in April 2023 and the speculation is that the elections will be announced then.
Indian Cooperative have highlighted the issue with the title “Bihar: When govt apathy leads to supersession of 22 DCCBs’ board!” The boards of 22 district central cooperative banks of Bihar were superseded on 17th January 2023, as the existing boards of directors completed their term and no elections took place despite several reminders and letters to the concerned authority.
After superseding the boards, administrators were appointed in these banks. The last elections in Bihar State Cooperative Bank and DCCBs were held in 2018.