Bihar: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Patliputra Central Cooperative Bank

PATNA – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated November 13, 2023, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.50 lakh (Rupees One lakh and fifty thousand only) on The Patliputra Central Cooperative Bank Ltd, Bihar (the bank) for non-compliance with the directions issued by RBI on ‘The Depositor Education and Awareness Fund Scheme, 2014 – Section 26A of Banking Regulation Act, 1949 – Operational Guidelines’ and ‘Reserve Bank of India – (Know Your Customer (KYC)) Directions, 2016’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47-A (1) (c) read with Sections 46 (4) (i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

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.

The statutory inspection of the bank conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2022, and examination of the Inspection Report and all correspondence related thereto revealed, inter alia, that the bank had (i) not transferred eligible amounts to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund, (ii) not classified its customers into various risk categories (low, medium and high), and (iii) not put in place a system of periodic updation of KYC. Consequently, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for non-compliance with the said directions, as stated therein.

After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and additional submissions, RBI came to the conclusion that the aforementioned charge of non-compliance with the RBI directions was substantiated and warranted imposition of monetary penalty on the bank