Led by Biscomaun Chairman Sunil Kumar Singh, several co-operators of Bihar met the state Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Sunday last week and submitted a memorandum enlisting several issues including lack of salaries for PACS employees to zero interest for farmers to the Banking Regulations (Amendment) Act.
Talking to the Indian Cooperative Sunil said “The memorandum included various demands related to strengthening the cooperative sector of the state and sought the Governor’s help in removal of several amended provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, which have been forcefully inflicted on district central cooperative banks and state cooperative banks.
A copy of the memorandum shared by Sunil Kumar Singh reads, “The visiting delegation demanded that there should be implementation of Bihar Rajya Fasal Bima Yojana instead of Bihar Rajya Fasal Sahayata Yojana, that do not cover the risk of cover and farmers are facing difficulty in getting loan under this scheme”.
In many states farmers are getting loans at Zero rate of interest for various agriculture work but the farmers of Bihar are not getting this benefit. It should be done in Bihar also on the lines of other states, they demanded.
The other demands read ‘ Due to the deteriorating financial condition, PACS employees are not getting salary and other benefits. The state government should give them administrative benefits and grants for running the work of PACS smoothly. Besides, the government should keep their money in District Central Cooperative Banks.
Opposing some provisions of the amended Banking Regulation Act, the representatives said, “Several amended sections are being implemented on rural cooperative banks of the state on the lines of Urban Co-operative Banks, which have created a challenge.
“As per the amended BR Act, there should be 51 percent professional directors on the board of District Central Co-operative Banks and State Cooperative Banks. The board of directors of co-operative banks is constituted by election and not by selection. If there is no qualification for the members who cast vote in the election of board of directors, then there will always be a difficulty in registering the participation of such professional directors in the board”, they argue.
They further mentioned provision of the BR act, which cuts the tenure of board from five years to four.
“Bihar State Election Authority conducts election for a term of five years and after the election, the certificate is also issued to the elected directors, but according to the Amended Banking Regulation Act, the term of the board is deducted from five to four years. The above amendment is against the cooperative principle”, they said.
During the meeting with the governor, Bihar State Cooperative Bank Chairman Ramesh Chandra Chaubey, Chairman of District Central Cooperative Banks and others were present at Raj Bhavan, Patna.
