Sikkim Cooperative Society Rules amended to reserve seats for SC, ST and women on boards

GANGTOK, 29 Apr: With an amendment affected to the Sikkim Cooperative Society Rules, 2013 the government has also gone ahead and made reservations for different sections of the population in the Board. As per the amended rules one seat is to be reserved for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories; 2 seats are to be reserved for Women in the Board of every Cooperative Society. Each Board of a Society will have a term of 5 years. The amendment was made before the model code of conduct kicked in for Elections 2014.

In another significant amendment all members of a cooperative society now have been accorded right to access all information about the particular Society. With the insertion of Rule 29A every member of a society has a right to access its account books and other connected records and information. These information or records may be related to transactions.

Further to streamline the administration of such societies elections to the Society Boards will now be conducted before the expiry of the term of the Board; this has been decided upon in order to ensure that the newly elected members of the Board assume office immediately on the expiry of the office of the outgoing Board. All Cooperative Societies can have a maximum of 21 directors.

By the insertion of another rule it has been made mandatory for all cooperative societies that the annual general meeting be conveyed within 6 months from the end of each cooperative year i.e, before 30 September.

Effort has also been made to streamline the transactions and business of such Societies. In this respect all Cooperative Societies will have to be able to furnish all relevant records to the prescribed authority within the given period. Every Society is to furnish a report of its activities, an audited statement of accounts and its plan for disposal of surplus generated during the year.

These statements have to be submitted within 6 months from the close of each cooperative year. Furthermore Societies are also to furnish a statement of amendment made to the Bye laws, declaration regarding holding of general body meetings and conduct of elections and any other report as per rules and information required by the Registrar.