Satish Marathe, a senior cooperator and a member of RBI’s central board has reacted strongly against the statement of Maharashtra Revenue Minister who talked of calling an all-party meeting to introduce reservation in such co-op banks in which there is no govt share capital and are completely owned by members.
“This move is against the Directive Principles of State Policy enshrined in the Constitution. Co-operative Banks will oppose Maharashtra Govt’s move and if necessary challenge this unnecessary interference”, he wrote his reaction on the social media.
This is nothing but cheap appeasement politics! , added an anguished Marathe.
It bears recall that last week, speaking in the State Legislative Council Maharashtra Minister for Revenue Chandra Kant Patil assured the House that the govt is thinking aloud about the idea of enforcing reservation in such co-op bodies where the state govt has no share capital.
Reactions against the minister’s statement have come from many other quarters with one Mr Vilas Sonawane castigating the move in strong words. Sonawane wrote “This decision, if made, will also be against the fundamental rights secured by Indian Constitution and will surely destroy the Co Op movement.
“The said decision will destroy the co-operation movement, like that of the undue interference of politicians in privatization of Co Op institution. The said decision shall be opposed and if made, shall be challenged in the Court of Law”, he concluded.
Readers would recall that in a rather regressive move, reservation was proposed by the Maharashtra govt in the case of the District Co-operative Bank Yavatmal. Cooperatives are run in the spirit of cooperation and any attempt to introduce caste into it would amount to killing the spirit, felt a number of cooperators Indian Cooperative talked to.
Patil was, however, seconded by Co-op Minister Subash Deshmukh who said district co-operative banks are governed by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Revenue minister Chandra Kant Patil said an all-party meeting in this regard will be convened soon. Patil was replying to a question raised by one of the House members on the recruitment in the District Co-operative Bank Yavatmal, in which all the candidates were selected from the open category.
According to the Maharashtra Reservation Act 2004, there cannot be reservation in those DCCBs where Government did not have any share capital. Patil vowed to change the status quo in the matter.
