These actions on 4 coop banks are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, 13 December, 2024: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by separate orders in December 2024, imposed a monetary penalty on 4 co-operative banks. These actions on the concerned coop banks are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance, as per the press releases issued by the RBI on 12 December, 2024.
RBI has imposed monetary penalty on Mandya City Co-operative Bank, Mandya, Karnataka; Udumalpet Co-operative Urban Bank, Tamil Nadu; Pondicherry Co-operative Urban Bank and Ropar Central Co-operative Bank, Ropar, Punjab.
1 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated December 6, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 50,000/- (Rupees Fifty thousand only) on Mandya City Co-operative Bank, Mandya, Karnataka (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had failed to upload the KYC records of certain customers onto the Central KYC Records Registry (CKYCR) within the prescribed timeline.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
2 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated December 6, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs75,000/- (Rupees Seventy Five Thousand only) on The Udumalpet Co-operative Urban Bank Ltd., Tamil Nadu (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Loans and advances to directors, their relatives, and firms/concerns in which they are interested’ and ‘Exposure Norms and Statutory / Other Restrictions – UCBs’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had:
sanctioned a loan to the relative of bank’s director; and
sanctioned loans to nominal members more than the prescribed regulatory limit.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
3 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated December 6, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs1.00 lakh (Rupees One Lakh only) on The Pondicherry Co-operative Urban Bank Ltd., Puducherry (the bank) for non-compliance with specific directions issued by RBI under ‘Supervisory Action Framework (SAF)’ and certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had:
sanctioned fresh loans and advances, in non-adherence to directions under SAF, which were (a) beyond the eligible single borrower exposure limit; (b) not backed by collateral security of term deposits/NSCs/KVPs/insurance policies; and
failed to upload the KYC records of certain customers onto Central KYC Records Registry within the prescribed timeline.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
4 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated December 10, 2024, imposed a monetary penalty of Rs5.00 lakh (Rupees Five lakh only) on The Ropar Central Co-operative Bank Ltd., Ropar, Punjab (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 26A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.
The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for contravention of provisions of the BR Act. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:
The bank had failed to transfer eligible unclaimed amounts to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund within the prescribed time.
This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.
