7Head office and management

(1) The head office of each corresponding new bank shall be at such place as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf, and, until any such place is so specified, shall be at such place at which the head office of the existing bank, in relation to which it is the corresponding new bank, is on the commencement of this Act, located.

(2) The general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs and business of a corresponding new bank shall vest in a Board of Directors which shall be entitled to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as the corresponding new bank is authorised to exercise and do.

(3) (a) As soon as may be after the commencement of this Act, the Central Government shall, in consultation with the Reserve Bank, constitute the first Board of Directors of a corresponding new bank, consisting of not more than seven persons, to be appointed by the Central Government, and every director so appointed shall hold office until the Board of Directors of such corresponding new bank is constituted in accordance with the scheme made under section 9:

Provided that the Central Government may, if it is of opinion that it is necessary in the interests of the corresponding new bank so to do, remove a person from the membership of the first Board of Directors and appoint any other person in his place.

(b) Every member of the first Board of Directors (not being an officer of the Central Government or of the Reserve Bank) shall receive such remuneration as is equal to the remuneration which a member of the Board of Directors of the existing bank was entitled to receive immediately before the commencement of this Act.

(4) Until the first Board of Directors is appointed by the Central Government under sub-section (3), the general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs and business of a corresponding new bank shall vest in a Custodian, who shall be the chief executive officer of that bank and may exercise all powers and do all acts and things as may be exercised or done by that bank.

(5) The Chairman of an existing bank holding office as such immediately before the commencement of this Act, shall be the Custodian of the corresponding new bank and shall receive the same emoluments as he was receiving immediately before such commencement:

Provided that the Central Government may, if the Chairman of an existing bank declines to become, or to continue to function as, a Custodian of the corresponding new bank, or, if it is of opinion that it is necessary in the interests of the corresponding new bank so to do, appoint any other person as the Custodian of a corresponding new bank and the Custodian so appointed shall receive such emoluments as the Central Government may specify in this behalf.

Explanation.--In this sub-section and in sub-section (1) of section 12, the expression "Chairman", in relation to any existing bank, includes the person carrying out the duties of the Chairman or otherwise functioning as the chief executive officer of that bank.

(6) The Custodian shall hold office during the pleasure of the Central Government.