Disclosing this at the annual general body meeting of the Officers' Association of the Cooperative Banks at Panchkula, Haryana Cooperation Minster Rao Narbir Singh the cooperative banks would advance over Rs 2,000 crore during the next financial year as against about Rs 1,850 crore in the current financial year.

Rao appreciated the efforts of cooperative banks to usher green revolution in the state, saying that these banks had taken various steps for ameliorating the lot of the farmers during the last three years. The rate of interest on agriculture loan had been reduced from 16 to 14 per cent and h the crop loan limit raised from Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000, he added.

He called upon the bank officers to infuse a new life in business culture in cooperative banks to give impetus to the cooperative movement in the state. The bank officers must implement the policies and programmes of the bank as well as of the government with dedication for the development of rural areas and welfare of the masses, he said.

Talking about the demands of the bank officers regarding pension scheme, appointment of bankers as managing director in central cooperative banks and opening of regional offices at Gurgaon and hisar, he promised to present their demands in the Cabinet meeting soon.

Earlier, Harco Bank chairman Om Parkash Jain said that the bank had been awarded prizes by National Federation of State Cooperative Banks for its overall best performance at national level since last three years continuously. Listing achievement of the cooperative banks, Harco Bank managing director R.R. Banswal said the deposits had doubled during the last two and half years, going to Rs 1150 crore as against Rs 588 crore in 1995-96.