The Odisha govt has been delaying holding elections to cooperative bodies in the state. Yet again the state govt looks determined to miss the deadline 30th July thereby giving rise to a constitutional crisis.
The State Government has amended the Odisha Cooperative Societies Act, 1962 to bring it in conformity with the Constitution (97th Amendment) Act, 2011.
The Odisha Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2012 has already come into force from 2013. Under Section 17 of the Amendment Act, a period of six months is provided within which elections to all co-operative societies should be held from the date of commencement of the Amendment Act. The mandatory six-month time expired on July 31 last year.
Meanwhile, the Odisha Cooperative Societies Rules, 1965 and the Odisha Cooperative Societies (Election to the Committees) Rules, 1992 have been amended for holding elections to cooperative bodies.
Official sources say publication of the rules is not possible as a case is pending in the Supreme Court since 2011.
The issue of delay in holding elections to cooperatives has also figured in the state Assembly. Opponents of the govt. charge the state govt. with deliberately delaying elections to cooperatives.