महाराष्ट्रात एकोणिसाव्या शतकाच्या उत्तरार्धात गोविंद बाबाजी जोशी हे उल्लेखनीय सामाजिक कार्यकर्ते होऊन गेले. त्यांनी स्थापन केलेल्या ________ ने 1862 मध्ये सहकारी पतपेढी ची पायाभरणी केली होती.

The correct answer is Option B (Vasai Association).

Key Points:
• Govind Babaji Joshi (1826–1906): An influential socio-economic reformer, traveler, and organizer based in Vasai and Thane regions of Maharashtra.
• Pioneering Cooperative Banking: In 1862, he established the 'Vasai Association' (Bassein Association) to resolve local public grievances and promote economic self-reliance.
• Cooperative Credit System: Under the aegis of the Vasai Association, Joshi pioneered an early cooperative credit mechanism/mutual loan fund for local farmers and artisans long before the official Cooperative Societies Act was enacted in 1904.
• Literary Works: He traveled widely across India and authored informative travelogues, including *Majha Pravas* and accounts detailing socio-economic conditions.
• Key Contribution: The Vasai Association served as a historic forerunner for grassroots institutional credit in western India.
• Key Takeaway: Govind Babaji Joshi established the Vasai Association in 1862, pioneering an early Co-operative Credit Society.