the goan I network
MAPUSA
Some members of the Khalap family and a group of shareholders almost came to blows even as the annual general body meeting of the Mapusa Urban Coop Bank (MUCB) ended in chaos on Saturday evening.
Amidst chaotic scenes which led to at least two interruptions, MUCB Chairman Gurudas Natekar confirmed the minutes of the previous AGM and hurriedly passed all the business listed for the day at the 54th annual general meeting.
Within three minutes of the start of the AGM shareholder, Rajsingh Rane and director, Ashwin Khalap went at each other even as saner members in the hall pulled them back and thwarted the worst.
In the melee, founder chairman and director, Ramakant Khalap announced that the meeting has been called off and walked out of the AGM.
But soon one of the directors clarified that the meeting was adjourned and the chairman, Ramakant Khalap and the directors assembled once again on the dais.
The chairman then read the first item of the agenda and General Manager Shailendra Sawant began to read the minutes of the AGM held last year.
As soon as the GM completed reading the minutes, the chairman called for a proposer and seconder to confirm the minutes but was interrupted by the shareholders.
A shareholder, Kamlakant Bhartu, stood up seeking clarity over one of the points of the minutes of last year’s AGM.
Another shareholder interrupted and said he had Rs 20 lakh deposit in the bank and wanted to know the status of his monies.
When the chairman refused to take questions, a group of shareholders got agitated and questioned the attitude of the management in stonewalling their questions.
The chairman, however, stood his ground and refused to take questions or answer to the points raised by the shareholders.
Director, Ramakant Khalap also joined the chairman and refused to yield to the pressure tactics created by a handful of the shareholders.
Unsettled with the attitude of the management Rajsingh Rane, Kiran Shirodkar and
a group of shareholders rushed to the dais even as director Ashwin Khalap, his brother Nikhil Khalap, sister-in-law, Pratiksha Khalap and others who were sitting on the first row stood up to face the group.
An exchange of words occurred and angry Rane was seen rushing menacingly towards the Khalap siblings.
For the second time, Rajsingh Rane and Ashwin Khalap almost came to blows but were once again pulled from going for each other by the mediators.
While the chaos was going on in the hall, MUCB Chairman, Gurudas Natekar, Ramakant Khalap, Tulio de Souza, Michael Carrasco and other directors left the AGM.
When finally things were brought under control for the second time, Ramakant Khalap did not return for the AGM, but Natekar came back and read the agenda list one at a time and declared that they were passed amidst booing from a section of the shareholders.
He then announced the end of the AGM and left the hall.
Interestingly, the Saturday’s annual general body meeting will probably be the last AGM of the Mapusa Urban Coop Bank.
In bid to protect the interest of the shareholders, depositors and the staff the bank management and the government are trying to merge MUCB with another coop bank.
