Sharad Pawar slams RBI policies towards cooperative banks, says 'give reins to specific people'

Maharashtra has a strong network of cooperative bodies, which also forms a support base for the NCP and Congress who share power with Shiv Sena in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

Pune: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday (September 7) criticised policies of the Reserve Bank towards cooperative banks, saying an attempt is made to "weaken" the cooperative movement by handing over the reins of the sector to a specific set of people. Maharashtra has a strong network of cooperative bodies, which also forms a support base for the NCP and Congress who share power with Shiv Sena in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. "It seems the policy of the RBI is to gradually bring down the number of cooperative banks, which help the common man in difficult times and close them down, merging them with other banks. All this is not only detrimental to the cooperative movement but is also dangerous for the common man," Pawar told reporters.