The co-operative banks sector has urged the Prime Minister, Mr Manmohan Singh, to restore the tax benefits that were available to certain cooperative banks under the income tax law.

This plea was made by a delegation representing the co-operative banks sector that called on Mr Manmohan Singh.

The Budget 2006-07 had withdrawn the tax benefits available under Section 80P of the income-tax law, thereby bringing certain entities in the sector under the tax net.

A statement issued by the National Co-operative Union of India said the Prime Minister had promised the delegation that he would speak to the Finance Minister and ask him to discuss the issue in detail with the representatives of this sector.

The delegation that called on the Prime Minister, include Mr Eknath Thakur, Member of Parliament and Director of Saraswat Co-operative Bank, Mr Anand Rao Adsul, MP, Mr Mukund Ghaisas, Chairman, Maharashtra Urban Banks Federation, Mr D Krishna, Chief Executive of National Federation of Urban Co-operative Banks and Mr Arvind Deshpande, CEO, Maharashtra Urban Co-operative Banks' Federation.