The attempt to “use” cooperatives at elections by the UPA dispensation has backfired. The new govt of BJP has to set the cooperative house in order to be really able to exploit it for electoral gains in the future.
The historical reforms overdue since Brham Perkash Committee recommended bold measures like abolishing Rule making Direction giving power of the States, culminating in to The Constitution ( 97th Amendment ) Act 2011 got severe beating at the behest of such pioneering State.
The Maharashtra Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act 2013, the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Election to Committee Rules, 2013 (Draft Pending since Aug 2013), Maharashtra Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Rules 2013 (Drafted in December 2013) and (DRAFT) Model Bye-Laws of each and every classes of cooperative societies hastily posted within one week of the promulgation of the 1st Ordinance to amend the M C S Act 1960 all of them sent management of all cooperative societies in tizzy.
The height of dereliction of statutory responsibility of appointing a head of State Cooperative Election Authority for nearly two years resulted in several housing societies carrying on with Committees dragging the feet after expiry of the tenure.
This mess can be sorted out only with a totally fresh thinking. Instead of a “Cut and Paste” technique rewrite the M C S Act 1960 on the basis of The Constitution ( 97th Amendment ) Act 2011 which lays a strong foundation based on the principles of voluntary formation, democratic member-control, member-economic participation and autonomous functioning.
Follow Brahm Perkash recommendation of giving up powers of making Rules and issuing directions every third day and let the Act and Bye-Laws take care of management of every cooperative society. It may be difficult but for such an efficient bureaucracy that cooperation Department of the State Government possesses it should not be difficult to overhaul it within six months on these lines.