Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies Anand Kumar Jha on Thursday urged multi-state cooperative societies to begin their election preparations well in advance and amend their bye-laws in a timely manner to ensure smooth conduct of elections.
Addressing a technical session organised by the Cooperative Election Authority at Vigyan Bhawan, Jha said that the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, as amended in 2023, led to the constitution of the Cooperative Election Authority, which has helped streamline election processes in the cooperative sector.
From the perspective of the Central Registrar’s office, he emphasised that societies should initiate the election process at least one year before the due date, even though the law prescribes a six-month period. This, he said, would allow adequate time for necessary amendments to bye-laws and regulatory approvals.
Jha also pointed out that in several societies, products and services are not clearly defined in their bye-laws, creating administrative challenges. He urged cooperatives to clearly define their scope of activities at the time of registration.
Stressing broader reforms, he called for greater member participation, member education, and professionalisation of cooperatives, describing them as key priorities for strengthening the cooperative movement.
Very good suggestions, Sir. Accurate and proper preparation of the voters’ list is essential for a smooth and transparent election process. Any qualification and disqualification criteria, beyond those specified in the Act and Rules, should be amended in the byelaws to remove inconsistencies, with clear and timely updates made well before the election. Additionally, election programs should be published prominently and communicated to all society voters.