Mumbai, Sep 30 (IANS): The Pratap Co-Operative Bank Ltd, which has recorded net zero NPAs for over 10 consecutive years, has bagged this year’s Best Bank Award instituted by the BrihanMumbai Cooperative Banks’ Association, it was announced on Saturday.

The PCBL’s Founder-Director Mithailal Singh accepted the award on behalf of the 40-year-old bank’s board in the presence of the Chairman C.K. Singh and other dignitaries.

"This is in recognition of our efforts and dedication toward serving the lower strata of society by giving small loans against collaterals to enable them to fulfil their needs and aspirations. For over 10 years, we have notched a Net Zero NPA in our balance sheets, even during the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown," Singh said.

He said the PCBL’s philosophy is to serve the most backward and downtrodden in society through "small loans" and yet achieve good performance for four decades of its existence now.

"We are financially strong in all parameters, CRR is very high, much above the prescribed levels, we have initiated digital products as per RBI guidelines, we have a gross NPA of less than one per cent and zero net NPA for years," Singh said.

He said in the past, the PCBL has won several state level awards for banks in the cooperative sector and has consistently maintained its overall performance free from NPAs or other problems.

Named after the legendary Rajput king, Maharana Pratap, it started making profits from the first year of its inception in 1983, maintaining a consistently profitable record all these years, except in 1994, and paying handsome dividends to its members.