Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD), Lucknow in association with Institutional Development Department, NABARD and Centre for Professional Excellence in Cooperatives (C-PEC) at BIRD, Lucknow is organizing the National Seminar on “Best Practices in Short Term Cooperative Credit Structure”.
The two day seminar (5-6 January 2018) was inaugurated by Shri Mukut Bihari Verma, Hon′ble Minister for Cooperation, Govt of Uttar Pradesh and presided over by Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, Chairman, NABARD.
Shri R Amalorpavanathan, Deputy Managing Director, NABARD, Dr. D. V. Deshpande, Director, BIRD, Dr. P. J. Ranjith, Principal NABARD Staff College, Shri A K Panda, CGM NABARD, Uttar Pradesh Regional Office, Smt Sarita Arora, CGM, NABARD, Institutional Development Department, Head Office, Mumbai also graced the event.
Dr. D. V. Deshpande, Director BIRD while welcoming the distinguished guests and participants expressed hope that the Seminar would discuss best practices from across the country with a view to peer replication. Senior representatives from cooperative sector from 15 states have participated in the seminar.
Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala, Chairman NABARD in his key note address congratulated the organisers for choosing Best Practices in Cooperatives and its different critical operational areas such as Corporate Governance, Loan Pricing, Strategies for Improving CRAR, Business and Management of PACS, IT initiatives adopted by banks and NPA & Recovery Management pertaining to the Cooperative Banks in India. He further indicated that discussion over such issues in the seminar would set bench marks for cooperatives credit structure in the country.
Dr. Bhanwala stressed on the need for ensuring members active participation for enhancing transparent governance. He observed that there is a challenge before Cooperative banks to retain the farmers especially, the small & marginal farmers in its fold. He further advised cooperative banks to consider diversifying the loan business, keeping in view the changes happening in the rural sector and also adopt the technology to provide better and multiple services to the farmers. Concluding his address, he exhorted cooperative banks to focus on human resources development in the banks to adapt to changing business scenario.
In his inaugural address Shri Mukut Bihari Verma, Hon′ble Minister for Cooperation, Govt of UP opined that Cooperation per se is part and parcel of rural life. He congratulated the organisers for facilitating a discussion on cooperatives in a positive framework. He also announced the intent of the State Government regarding completion of computerization of all DCCBs in the state by March 2018. He also said that the computerization of PACS is also underway with active support of NABARD and shall be completed at the earliest. He observed that PACS are also the business establishments and have to diversify their business in new areas to earn the income. Innovative activities should be enhanced in PACS.
Hon′ble Minister also stressed on the need for diversification of the activities of Cooperatives credit institutions so as to enhance long term agriculture credit share to 30% from present level of 10%. He gave a message to cooperative banks to retain their customers′ trust in them.
He desired that the deliberations during the two day will suggest a road map for robust Cooperative Credit Structure development in the state as well as in the country.
After the inaugural session the technical sessions on day one focused on Capital to Risk Weighted Asset Ratio (CRAR) improvement and Share Capital mobilization; Management and Corporate Governance of cooperatives and development of PACS as multi service centers.
Best practices in loan pricing mechanism; Information & Communication Technology in Cooperatives and Recovery & NPA management has been deliberated upon on day two of the seminar.
During the seminar about 20 Papers have been presented in six technical sessions. All the paper presenters have been given a certificate of paper presentation.
In the technical sessions, Chairmen & CEOs/MDs of various State Cooperative banks, eminent experts in the sector such as Prf. M.S. Sriram, Senior Govt Officials from Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other States have shown their active participation.
The seminar has been successfully conducted under the banner of C-PEC and with Support from NABARD, IDD, Head Office, Mumbai.
