S Gopal Puri
Shimla: The Kangra Central Cooperative (KCC) Bank has once again come under the spotlight with the transfer of its Managing Director (MD), continuing a pattern of frequent reshuffles in one of Himachal Pradesh’s largest cooperative financial institutions.
According to a notification issued by the state Department of Personnel on Monday, Zaffar Iqbal, IAS, Commissioner of the Dharamshala Municipal Corporation, has been given the additional charge of Managing Director, KCC Bank at Dharamshala. He replaces Sandeep Kumar, IAS, who was holding the position until now.
The order comes at a time when KCC Bank has been facing heightened scrutiny over loan settlements under the One Time Settlement (OTS) scheme and growing political debate around its functioning. The frequent changes in the bank’s top leadership have raised eyebrows among stakeholders, with many questioning whether administrative instability is hampering the bank’s governance and long-term planning.
In recent years, the MD’s post at KCC Bank has often been caught in the crosswinds of bureaucratic reshuffles and political pressures. Critics argue that such constant transfers prevent the bank from implementing sustained reforms or addressing structural challenges.
KCC Bank, which operates a wide rural network and serves lakhs of depositors and borrowers in Kangra and adjoining districts, is seen as a politically sensitive institution given its financial outreach and influence.
The latest development is part of a broader reshuffle affecting multiple senior IAS, IPS, and IFS officers in Himachal Pradesh. While officers such as Rakhil Kahlon and Ashish Singhmar were assigned new secretarial roles in Shimla, the reassignment of KCC Bank’s MD has once again brought the cooperative lender into focus.
For now, all eyes will be on Zaffar Iqbal, who takes charge at a critical juncture. His ability to navigate the operational, financial, and political challenges of the KCC Bank will be closely watched — both by the government and by the bank’s depositors, who remain key stakeholders in its future stability.
