# West Bengal orders cooperative loan audit, bars politicians from top posts 2026-08-10T16:50:25+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The West Bengal government has ordered audits into alleged corruption in cooperative banks and announced that politicians will no longer head cooperative bodies. Cooperation minister Ashok Kirtania alleged widespread irregularities over the past 15 years in disbursal and recovery of long-term loans. He said an FIR has been lodged in Mangalkot, East Burdwan, on chief minister Suvendu Adhikari’s instructions, with more likely as investigations progress. The minister warned those involved to return public money or face action. The state has 17 central cooperative banks and 24 district cooperative banks offering long-term loans, with recovery a major concern. The department also plans to introduce IT and AI-based systems for recruitment to the Cooperative Service Commission after no appointments were made for three years. ## Coverage - millenniumpost.in Tags: audit, cooperative banks, corruption, loan scam, political influence, West Bengal Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/west-bengal-orders-cooperative-loan-audit-bars-politicians-from-top-posts/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/west-bengal-orders-cooperative-loan-audit-bars-politicians-from-top-posts/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.