PUNE Elections for co-operative housing societies in Maharashtra have been stayed till April 2020, according to Rajaram Dhondkar, deputy regsitrar, co-operative housing societies, Pune city, zone 4, as amended rules have yet to be ratified by the state government
“The election decision was on hold until February 29, 2020. According to the amended Government Resolutions (GR), societies with less than 250 members should conduct their elections and if there are any problems then we will step in, but as per amendment, rules have not been formed, hence, there was a stay upto to February 29. We are still waiting for the rules to be approved and published before these elections can be held,” said Dhondkar.
“There is a delay from the government because there is a lot of pending work on the waiver scheme for farmers which has a long process of implementation,” he added.
According to the Maharashtra government’s circular in March 2019, it allowed housing societies to conduct polls without the involvement of an election authority, erstwhile mandated under the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act (1960).
After the Federation of Co-operative Housing societies suggestions for modification in draft rules (election to committee), new rules were drafted, but they are still not yet formed.
{{/usCountry}}After the Federation of Co-operative Housing societies suggestions for modification in draft rules (election to committee), new rules were drafted, but they are still not yet formed.
{{/usCountry}}“The government has extended the stay until April,” said Dhondkar.
“We had written a letter on November 29, 2019, to the principal secretary, cooperative, marketing and rextile division, suggesting a modification in the draft rules (election to committee) to allow elections to be conducted in societies which have less than 250 members; the government accepted, but those rules have still not been officially formulated, and hence, causing a delay for many of the housing societies in conducting their election processes. Some societies have elected members who completed their tenure and are waiting for the rules to conduct elections, but the government is taking more time in getting them approved,” said Suhas Patwardhan, chairman, Federation of Cooperative Housing Societies.
Patwardhan has also been appointed by the state government to look into the framing of rules of the Maharashtra Cooperative Act.
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