After the Goa Cricket Association, it is now time for the GoaState Cooperative Bank to change hands as the BJP led Goa Government moves into take control. Today (August 28), when the newly elected Board of Directorsof the 16 Member GSCB elect their new Chairman and Vice Chairman, another of theCongress’s old bastion stands threatened.
Ex-Chairman Ramchandra Mule faced embarrassment on August 19after two of the elected Board of Directors walked over to the opposition camp,hours after his panel regained control of Goa’s apex financing agency in the cooperativesector. The government-supported panel headed by BJP’s Sanguem MLA SubhashPhaldesai actually lost to Mule’s panel with its candidates winning just sixagainst Mule’s nine candidates. Barely two hours after results were declared, DattaHari Bhat and Umesh Balkrishna Shirodkar of Mule’s panel switched sides takingPhaldessai Panel’s strength to 8. Independent candidate Premanand VasuChawdikar stepping in raised the panel’s strength to 9.
“The people have supported my panel and even these twopeople signed for us.The winner will be known on August 28”. ” says a defiantMule. His confidence stems from his style of functioning. Backed by former HomeMinister Ravi Naik, Mule had been at the helm of GSCB since 2005 barring ashort tenure when the High Court appointed an administrator to look over theBank’s affairs.
Though the crossover directors refused to elaborate thecircumstances, bank insiders believe that Datta Hari Bhat may have crossed overdue to the fraud charges amounting to Rs. 1.25 cores at Sanvordem Salary OwnersSociety and Rs 20 lakhs at Bicholim’s Salary Owners Society where he facesserious charges. Hari Bhat is the Chairman of Goa Salary Owners Associationthat has borrowed from the Goa State Cooperative Bank. Mule’s group allegesthat this was used by the Government to arm twist Hair Bhat.
GSCB has deposits totaling Rs 1,100 crore and has been inthe line of State Government fire ever since the present BJP Government waselected. No surprises then that after the switchover, Chief Minister ManoharParrikar hurriedly called a press conference on August 19 at his Altinhoresidence at 8.15pm to state that nine victorious candidates had met him andexpressed their keenness to resurrect the bank. Parrikar had also confirmedthat two more victorious candidates would soon be supporting the Phaldesaigroup. “The newly-elected directors have requested my government's support interms of agricultural schemes and to finance the government's Laadli Laxmischeme through the bank” said Parrikar.
The chief minister had also promised action against theoutgoing board of directors led by Mule, blaming it for looting the bank forseven years. Parrikar said officials of the Reserve Bank of India had informedthe government about various irregularities in the GSCB and the need to saveit. Parrikar said the bank is in a precarious condition with high NPA and avery poor capital adequacy ratio.
