Cooperation Key to Maharashtra's Growth: Minister Murlidhar Mohol at Pune Sahakari Banks Event

Minister of State for Cooperatives and Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, highlighted that cooperation is the backbone of Maharashtra, with over half of the state's population involved in cooperatives. He stressed the need for further growth in the cooperative sector to drive prosperity. To achieve this, he announced that the government will work to ensure better coordination between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), cooperatives across the country, and the state.

At a program organised by the Pune Nagari Sahakari Banks Association Ltd. (Maharashtra), Kailas Kodre, Chairman of Pune Cantonment Bank, was honored for his contributions during 2022-23, while Tukaram alias Bhausaheb Gujar, Founder Director of Prerna Cooperative Bank in Thergaon, was recognized for 2023-24.

Minister Murlidhar Mohol was also honored for his recent appointment as Minister of State for Cooperation and Civil Aviation in the Central Government.

State Cooperative Commissioner Deepak Taware presided over the event, which was attended by prominent figures, including Reserve Bank of India Director Satish Marathe, State Cooperative Election Authority Commissioner Anil Kawade, Vaikunth Mehta National Cooperative Institute of Management Director Dr Hema Yadav, and Vidyadhar Anaskar, Administrator of Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank, Mumbai. Also present were Association President Adv Subhash Mohite, Vice President Adv. Sahebrao Takle, Sunil Rukari, Nilesh Dhamdhere, Dr Priya Mahindre, Balkrishna Undre, and CEO Chandrakant Shelke.

The event recognized banks with zero percent NPAs and those with significant participation in training programs organized by the association. CA Milind Kale was appointed Vice President of National Federation of Urban Cooperative Banks and Credit Societies Ltd. (NAFCUB), Dr Anil Karanjkar was named Head of Vikhe Patil Adhyasana at Pune University, and Prasad Patil was appointed Advisor to the Central Cooperative Registrar Office.

During the program, Praveen Darekar emphasised Maharashtra's rich heritage of cooperation but noted that many issues concerning cooperative banks are tied to the Reserve Bank of India. He argued that challenges will persist until the RBI fully understands the state's cooperative network. He highlighted the importance of small banks in Maharashtra and urged support for these banks when they face difficulties, stressing the need to strengthen cooperative banks.

Anil Kawade noted that Maharashtra is home to one-third of the country's urban cooperative banks. He emphasised the importance of acquiring and applying knowledge effectively when setting up and running cooperative banks. Kawade reminded attendees that no one is all-knowing and encouraged continuous learning through training and a willingness to absorb new knowledge.

Subhash Mohite stated that the Pune Urban Co-operative Banks Association is committed to addressing and resolving the challenges faced by urban cooperative banks. While the government is supportive of cooperative banks, Mohite expressed concern over the RBI's policies, questioning whether they are aligned with the sector's needs. He urged cooperative banks to understand RBI regulations and collaborate with the central bank for mutual benefit.