CRR Maintenance for Urban Co-op Banks: March 2007 Update
No longer current — replaced by Reserve Bank of India (Urban Co-operative Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio) Directions
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2006-2007/271 · issued 01 Mar 2007 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI mandates Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks to maintain CRR at 5.75% from the fortnight beginning Feb 17, 2007, and 6.00% from the fortnight beginning Mar 3, 2007. The statutory floor of 3% and ceiling of 20% remain. Interest on eligible CRR balances is reduced to 1% p.a. from the fortnight beginning Feb 17, 2007.
What changed
RBI notified that Section 3 of the RBI (Amendment) Act, 2006, which would remove the CRR floor/celling and interest on eligible balances, has not yet been enforced. Consequently, the existing 3% minimum and 20% maximum CRR limits continue. Effective CRR rates for Urban Co-operative Banks were set at 5.75% from Feb 17, 2007, and 6.00% from Mar 3, 2007. Interest on eligible CRR balances was reduced to 1% p.a. from Feb 17, 2007, down from 2% p.a. for the period Dec 9, 2006 to Feb 16, 2007.
What it means for you
Urban Co-operative Banks must increase their CRR to 6% from March 3, 2007, tightening liquidity. The reduction in interest on eligible CRR balances to 1% p.a. lowers the return on reserves held with RBI, impacting net interest income. Banks that breached the 3% statutory minimum between June 22, 2006 and March 2, 2007 due to CRR exemptions are exempt from penal interest, providing some relief.
Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.
What banks were required to do at the time
Ensure CRR is maintained at 5.75% for the fortnight starting Feb 17, 2007, and at 6.00% from Mar 3, 2007.
Review demand and time liability calculations to comply with the revised CRR rates.
Account for reduced interest income on eligible CRR balances at 1% p.a. from Feb 17, 2007.
If your bank breached the 3% statutory minimum between Jun 22, 2006 and Mar 2, 2007 due to exemptions, document the exemption eligibility to avoid penal interest.
Who it affects
All Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, Treasury and compliance departments of UCBs, RBI's monetary policy implementation for cooperative banks
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-19 17:53 IST
Superseded by — Reserve Bank of India (Urban Co-operative Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio and Statutory Liquidity Ratio) Directions
Status change: superseded10 Jul 2026, 04:04 IST
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
What is the new CRR rate for Urban Co-operative Banks from March 2007?
The CRR rate is 5.75% effective from the fortnight beginning February 17, 2007, and increases to 6.00% from the fortnight beginning March 3, 2007.
Will RBI pay interest on CRR balances?
Yes, but at reduced rates: 3.50% p.a. from the fortnight beginning Jun 24, 2006 to Dec 8, 2006; 2.00% p.a. from the fortnight beginning Dec 9, 2006 to Feb 16, 2007; and 1.00% p.a. from the fortnight beginning Feb 17, 2007 onwards on eligible balances.
What happens if a bank's CRR falls below 3% during the transition period?
Banks that breached the 3% statutory minimum between June 22, 2006 and March 2, 2007 due to CRR exemptions are exempt from penal interest for that period.
📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Superseded byReserve Bank of India (Urban Co-operative Banks – Cash Reserve Ratio and Statuto
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2006-2007/271
Ref:
UBD (PCB).No./3/12.03.000/2006-07
March
01, 2007
The Chief Executive Officers of
All
Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks
Dear
Sir,
Section 42(1) of Reserve
Bank of India Act, 1934- Maintenance of Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)
Please
refer to our Circular UBD
(PCB) Cir. No.59/16.26.000/2005-2006 dated June 22, 2006 on the captioned
subject. Government of India in their Extraordinary Gazette notification No.S.O.21
(E) dated January 9, 2007 have notified January 9, 2007 as the date on which all
the provisions, except Section 3 of the Reserve Bank of India (Amendment) Act,
2006 shall come into force.
Section
3 of Reserve Bank of India (Amendment) Act, 2006 provided for the removal of:
(1)
The ceiling and floor on the CRR to be prescribed by the RBI having regard to
the need for securing monetary stability in the country; and
(2)
The provision for interest payment on eligible CRR balances [i.e., the amount
of reserves between the statutory minimum CRR and the CRR prescribed by the RBI].
Since the above Section 3 is not
notified so far, the minimum CRR level of 3 per cent and the maximum CRR level
of 20 per cent of total of bank's demand and time liabilities shall remain in
force from June 22, 2006 as per the extant provisions of Section 42 (1) of the
Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
Accordingly,
effective CRR maintained by Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks on total
demand and time liabilities shall not be less than 3 per cent subject to the exemptions
as indicated in our circular UBD (PCB) Cir. No./3/12.03.000/2006-2007 dated March
01, 2007. Further, in exercise of the powers conferred on Reserve Bank of India
under sub section (1) of section 42 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, it
has been decided that every Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Bank should
continue to maintain a Cash Reserve Ratio of 5.75 per cent effective fortnight
beginning from February 17, 2007 and 6.00 per cent effective from the fortnight
beginning from March 3, 2007 of its total demand and time liabilities.
2.
In terms of the powers conferred on the Reserve Bank under sub-Section 42(5)(c)
of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, it has been decided to exempt such banks
from payment of the penal interest who have breached the statutory minimum CRR
level of 3 per cent during June 22, 2006 to March 2, 2007 on account of CRR exemptions
reckoned for computation of demand and time liabilities for CRR.
3.
It has also been decided that the Reserve Bank of India will also pay interest
to all Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks on the eligible CRR balances
at the rate of:
(a) 3.50 per cent
per annum on eligible cash balances maintained with the Reserve Bank of India
under CRR requirement from the fortnight beginning June 24, 2006 to December 8,
2006.
(b) 2.00 per cent on eligible
cash balances maintained with the Reserve Bank of India under CRR requirement
from the fortnight beginning from December 9, 2006 to February 16, 2007.
(c)
1.00 per cent on eligible cash balances maintained with the Reserve Bank of India
under CRR requirement from the fortnight beginning from February 17, 2007.
4.
A copy of the relevant notification UBD
(PCB) No./3/12.03.000/2006-2007 dated March 01, 2007 is enclosed.
5.
Please acknowledge receipt.
Yours faithfully
(N.S.Viswanathan)
Chief
General Manager in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2006-2007/271 · issued 01 Mar 2007. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=3294&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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