RBI imposes Rs 60.3 lakh penalty on five co-operative banks

The Reserve Bank has imposed penalties totalling Rs 60.3 lakh on five co-operative banks for contravention of various regulatory norms.

A penalty of Rs 43.30 lakh has been imposed on Rajkot Nagarik Sahakari Bank for non-compliance with RBI directions on 'ban on loans and advances to directors and their relatives, and firms/concerns in which they are interested', 'prohibition on opening of saving bank accounts in the names of certain bodies/organizations' and 'maintenance of deposit accounts'.

The central bank has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 5 lakh each on The Kangra Co-operative Bank (New Delhi), Rajdhani Nagar Sahkari Bank (Lucknow), and Zila Sahakari Bank, Garhwal (Kotdwar, Uttarakhand). Besides, a penalty of Rs 2 has been imposed on District Co-operative Bank (Dehradun).

In each case, the RBI said the penalties are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and are not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction of agreement entered into by the banks with their respective customers.