The cooperative banks are organised co-operative societies, which are registered and governed by State Governments under the respective Cooperative Societies Act. The short-term co-operative credit structure operates with a three-tier system – Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) at the village level, Central Cooperative Banks (CCBs) at the district level and State Cooperative Banks (StCBs) at the State level. The Control over Cooperative Banks is dual in nature.
Control over Cooperative Banks
- The matters relating to registration, administration, recruitments, liquidation and amalgamation of cooperative banks are controlled by State Governments
- The certain provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 also apply to cooperative banks. These banks are regulated by Reserve Bank of India so far as matters relating to banking are concerned.
- PACS are outside the purview of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and hence not regulated by the Reserve Bank of India
- StCBs/DCCBs are registered under the provisions of State Cooperative Societies Act of the State concerned and are regulated by the Reserve Bank
- Powers have been delegated to National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) under Sec 35 A of the Banking Regulation Act (As Applicable to Cooperative Societies) to conduct inspection of State and Central Cooperative Banks.
- Primary Cooperative Banks (PCBs), also referred to as Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs), cater to the financial needs of customers in urban and semi-urban areas. UCBs are primarily registered as cooperative societies under the provisions of either the State Cooperative Societies Act of the State concerned or the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002 if the area of operation of the bank extends beyond the boundaries of one state.
- Though the Banking Regulation Act came in to force in 1949, the banking laws were made applicable to cooperative societies only in 1966 through an amendment to the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. Since then there is duality of control over these banks with banking related functions being regulated by the Reserve Bank and management related functions regulated by respective State Governments/Central Government.
- The Reserve Bank regulates the banking functions of StCBs/DCCBs/UCBs under the provisions of Sections 22 and 23 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (As Applicable to Cooperative Societies (AACS).
- All State, Central and Primary cooperative banks, also called urban cooperative banks, functioning in States / Union Territories which have amended the local Cooperative Societies Act empowering the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to order the Registrar of Cooperative Societies of the State / Union Territory to wind up a cooperative bank or to supersede its committee of management and requiring the Registrar not to take any action regarding winding up, amalgamation or reconstruction of a co-operative bank without prior sanction in writing from the Reserve Bank are covered under the Deposit Insurance System
- Primary cooperative societies are not insured by the DICGC
Read Next: Licensing of Banking Companies
Download this article as PDF
Click to go to JAIIB Preparation Page
Tags: Control over Cooperative Banks