Congress behind dissolution of Co-operative Bank's board: Ajit Pawar

The dissolution of the board of directors of Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank by RBI may lead to a feud between state's ruling coalition partners, Congress and NCP.
    
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar today said at Satara the dissolution was a 'politically motivated' decision by the Congress, to defame the NCP.
    
Talking to reporters, Pawar, an NCP leader, said the financial condition of the bank was not so bad as to necessitate appointment of administrators.
    
"The decision was taken by Congress to defame the NCP," he alleged. The bank was controlled mostly by NCP leaders.
    
RBI dissolved the board and appointed administrator for the bank yesterday because of the dire financial condition.
    
Union agriculture minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who too was in Satara today, met state home minister R R Patil to discuss the future of the bank. Ajit Pawar too was present at the meeting, sources said.
   
R R Patil told reporters that present board of directors (now dissolved) could not be held responsible for the bank's condition.
    
Earlier in the day, the NCP president had said that the board could not be held responsible for bad debts guaranteed by the state government.
    
On the other hand, state congress president Manikrao Thakre said in Mumbai today the RBI's action came after a report by NABARD, which falls under the purview of the Union agriculture minister himself.