Membership should be unaffected in a Cooperative

We introduce ourselves as one of the employees’ cooperative credit societies registered under Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act 2002, having country-wide area of operation.

In line with the cooperative principles adopted by the International Cooperative Alliance on Voluntary and Open Membership, Democratic Member Control and Autonomy and Independence etc. we discussed amongst ourselves and unanimously resolved to approve the proposal of extending the regular membership of the Society even after retirement from services.

However, the Authority i.e. Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies, New Delhi, has rejected our proposal on the ground that since our Society was registered for the welfare of in-service employees of Steel Authority of India, allowing retired employees to continue as regular member will defeat the purpose for which the Society was registered.

You are aware that a Society is established with the main objective of promoting socio-economic betterment of Members through self-help and mutual aid in accordance with cooperative principles. According to Cooperative Principles adopted universally and mentioned under the First Schedule of MSCS Act, 2002 –

– Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons capable of using their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without discrimination on bases of gender, social inequality, racial, political ideologies or religious consideration.

– Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and decision making.

– Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members.

The General Body of our Society feels that Membership should be open to all existing members who actively participated in the activities of the Society for long 30-40 years and have made enormous contribution and capable of using its services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership even after their retirement. We feel it will be a kind of social inequality and injustice if we cease the membership only because of his/her retirement from the service.

Thanking you once again,

Yours faithfully,

(Jyotirmoy Chakraborty)

Secretary , Steel Authority of India Employees’ Cooperative Credit Society Limited

Kolkata