Co-op bank picked VIPs’ kin as managers

In May 2010,the UP Sahkari Sansthagat Mandal,which selects employees for co-operative bodies,advertised 35 posts of manager. R K Verma was its chairman and H R Chaurasia and B P Singh were members. The selections was made on the basis of performance in a written examination,followed by interview. The process was completed within one month.

Interestingly,about half the selected candidates had VIP connections. Consider this:

Kuldeep Kumar Kushwaha was a nephew of minister Babu Singh Kushwaha. Besides,there were Sohan Kumar Kushwaha,Pramod Kumar Kushwaha,Shailendra Singh Kushwaha,Om Prakash Kushwaha,all from Banda which is also the home district of Babu Singh Kushwaha.

Rinku Kumar was son of BSP MLC from Agra Dharam Prakash Bharatiya.

Kamal Bansal was son of Sita Ram Bansal of Agra,a BSP leader.

Sumit Kumar Saini was son of Ram Kishore Saini,also a BSP leader from Agra.

Rinki Shani was daughter-in-law of the then Ambedkar Village Development Minister Ratan Lal Ahirwar.

Saurabh Kumar was son of Ram Dohrey,BSP leader of Agra.

Amit Kumar was nephew of Amal Kumar Verma,the then Principal Secretary of Co-operatives.

Nirmala Devi was niece of Nawal Kishore,who was then MD of the bank.

Satya Prakash Singh was son of B P Singh,member of the selection committee who later became chairman.

Asked about these selections,the then chairman R K Verma,who has since retired,said,“I did nothing,you ask B P Singh.” When told that he was heading the board at that time,he said,“So what? I don’t know anything.”

B P Singh,who too has retired,admitted that many candidates with VIP connections were selected,“but they cleared the written exam and the interview”. As for his son’s selection,Singh said, “What can I say except that it is coincidence that even my son made it. It is a good coincidence.”

Nawal Kishore,who was appointed bank managing director by the Mayawati government in June 2007,was recently suspended for committing irregularities.