The Cooperative Election Authority (CEA) on Monday, held a consultative meeting with representatives of multi-state cooperative societies of railway employees to facilitate the alignment of their by-laws with the provisions of the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023. Representatives from 16 multi-state cooperative societies of railway employees participated in the meeting, with over 40 office-bearers in attendance, including chairpersons and chief executive officers of the concerned societies.
Addressing the gathering, Chairman of the Cooperative Election Authority, Devendra Kumar Singh, outlined the role and responsibilities of the CEA, which was established in 2023 following amendments to the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act.
He stated that the Authority has been entrusted with the responsibility of preparing electoral rolls and conducting free, fair, and transparent elections in multi-state cooperative societies. Singh informed that the CEA has so far successfully conducted 220 elections, while 70 elections are currently underway across the country.
There are around 18 multi-state cooperative societies of railway employees, with a combined membership of nearly 8 to 10 lakh railway employees. These societies primarily accept deposits from their members and provide loans at concessional rates.
The estimated annual volume of deposits and loan transactions handled by these societies is about Rs 10,000 crore. Four of these societies also hold banking licences.
Since its inception, the Cooperative Election Authority has successfully conducted elections for five railway employee cooperative societies, namely: The Jackson Cooperative Credit Society of the Employees of Western Railway Limited, Mumbai; SE, SEC & E. Co. Railway Employees Cooperative Credit Society Limited, Kolkata; The N.E. & E.C. Railway Employees Multi-State Primary Cooperative Bank Limited, Gorakhpur; The Railway Shramik Sahakari Bank Limited, Bikaner; and The Eastern Railway Employees Cooperative Bank, Kolkata.
The meeting deliberated on key issues such as amending the by-laws of societies in conformity with the amended MSCS Act, 2023; formation of representative general bodies and election of representatives; timely submission of proposals for conducting elections at least six months prior to the expiry of the board’s term; and maintenance of functional websites to enhance transparency.
With a view to further strengthening the electoral process, the Cooperative Election Authority has undertaken several institutional measures, including preparation of a manual for returning officers, guidelines for prior approval of boards of directors and office-bearers, a handbook for preparation of electoral rolls, a model code of conduct, and guidelines for submission of election expenditure statements by candidates. The Chairman also shared experiences and insights gained from elections conducted by the CEA in various railway employee cooperative societies.
Vice-Chairman of the Cooperative Election Authority, R. K. Gupta, made a detailed presentation on the role of the CEA, challenges faced in the conduct of elections, and the steps taken by the Authority to ensure independent, fair, and transparent elections.
Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Anand Kumar Jha, and Member of the Cooperative Election Authority, Smt. Monika Khanna, emphasized the need to amend the by-laws of societies in line with the amended MSCS Act, 2023 to ensure timely and smooth conduct of elections.
Deputy Director (Establishment), Ministry of Railways, S. K. Roy, was also present at the meeting. Senior officials from the Ministry of Cooperation, including Economic Adviser Mukesh Kumar and Joint Director Smt. Renu Shekhawat, attended the meeting as well.
Participants appreciated the proactive steps taken by the Cooperative Election Authority and suggested that such consultative meetings should be held regularly to further strengthen democratic governance in cooperative institutions.