In a significant development, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah have granted his approval to inaugurate a two-day conference focusing on Urban Cooperative Banks.
The Nashik District Urban Cooperative Banks Association (NUBA), in collaboration with Maharashtra UCBs Federation and district UCBs associations, is organizing the event at the prestigious Dadasaheb Gaikwad Sabhagruha in Nashik.
Originally scheduled for January 12-14, 2024, the conference has been rescheduled and is now set to take place on January 27th and 28th, 2024. Union Cooperative Minister Amit Shah will do the honours of inaugurating the event, while Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is slated to grace the Valedictory function.
Talking to the Indian Cooperative, MUCBF Chairman Ajay Bramhecha expressed readiness for the conference, stating, “We are all set to organize a conference for urban cooperative banks, and the preparations are in full swing. The registration link has been distributed among the participants, and we anticipate the participation of around 3,000 representatives from 350 UCBs.”
Bramhecha further disclosed, “We have received consent from almost all the dignitaries, from Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar, and others have also given their nod to become a part of the event.”
The conference, tailored for representatives of Urban Cooperative Banks in the state, will feature several sessions over the two days. Discussions will center on crucial issues within the urban cooperative banking sector, including cyber security, umbrella organization, the amended banking regulation act, and more.
This event marks a significant milestone, being organized after a hiatus of 12 years since the last conference in 2011 by the Nashik UCBs federation.
The Ministry of Cooperation, since its establishment, has taken noteworthy steps to address challenges faced by cooperative banks, such as allowing UCBs to open new branches and enabling co-op banks to make OTS of outstanding loans, similar to commercial and other banks.