The Maharashtra government has announced a significant policy change to prioritize local talent: 70% of all new positions within District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) will now be exclusively reserved for candidates who are residents of the respective districts.
This initiative goes beyond just local preference. To ensure a fair and transparent hiring process, the government has mandated that all future recruitment for DCCBs across the state will be conducted solely by three trusted organizations: the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), TCS-iON (Tata Consultancy Services), or Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Ltd. (MKCL).
According to a Government Resolution (GR) published on October 31, while 70% of jobs are reserved for district residents, the remaining 30% will be open to applicants from other districts. Notably, if qualified candidates from outside the district are not found, these positions can also be filled by local individuals. This new directive applies even to banks that had already advertised vacancies before the GR was issued.
The government emphasized that moving to an online recruitment system is crucial for boosting public trust and ensuring transparency. This decision was prompted by numerous complaints lodged against certain agencies previously authorized by the Commissioner and Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Pune, for their involvement in online recruitment for cooperative banks.
As a direct result of these concerns, the state government has completely dissolved the former panel of seven approved recruitment agencies. Moving forward, DCCBs are strictly required to conduct all hiring through one of the three newly approved institutions via an online process. Furthermore, the selected recruitment agency is expressly forbidden from subcontracting any part of the hiring process to other organizations.