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MULTI-STATE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES ACT, 2002
39 of 2002
3rd July, 2002
An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to co-operative societies, with objects not confined to one State and serving the interests of members in more than one State, to facilitate the voluntary formation and democratic functioning of co-operatives as people's institutions based on self-help and mutual aid and to enable them to promote their economic and social betterment and to provide functional autonomy and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Be it enacted by Parliament in the Fifty-third Year of the Republic of India as follows:-
SECTION 01: SHORT TITLE, EXTENT AND COMMENCEMENT
(1) This Act may be called the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act and any reference in any such provision to the commencement of this Act shall be construed as a reference to the coming into force of that provision.
SECTION 02: APPLICATION
-This (Act shall apply to-
(a) all co-operative societies, with objects not confined to one State which were incorporated before the commencement of this Act,-
(i) under the Co-operative Societies Act, 1912 (2 of 1912); or
(ii) under any other law relating to co-operative societies in force in any State or in pursuance of the Multi-unit Co-operative Societies Act, 1942 (6 of 1942)or theMulti-State Co-operative Societies Act, 1984 (51 of 1984), and
the registration of which has not been cancelled before such commencement; and
(b) all multi-State co-operative societies.
SECTION 03: DEFINITIONS
-In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) "area of operation" means the area from which the persons are admitted as members;
(b) "board" means the board of directors or the governing body of a multi-State co-operative society, by whatever name called, to which the direction and control of the management of the affairs of the society is entrusted;
(c) "bye-laws" means the bye-laws for the time being in force which have been duly registered or deemed to have been registered under this Act and includes amendments thereto which have been duly registered or .deemed to have been registered under this Act;
(d) "Central Registrar" means the Central Registrar of Co-operative Societies appointed under sub-sec. (1) of Sec. 4-and includes any officer empowered to exercise the powers of the Central Registrar under sub-sec. (2) of that section;
(e) "Chief Executive" means a Chief Executive of a multi-State cooperative society appointed under Sec.51-;
(f) "co-operative bank" means a multi-State co-operative society which undertakes banking business;
(g) "co-operative principles" means the co-operative principles specified in the First Schedule;
(h) "co-operative society" means a society registered or deemed to be registered under any law relating to co-operative societies for the time being in force in any State;
(i) "co-operative year", in relation to any multi-State co-operative society or class of such societies, means the year ending on the 31st day of March of the year and where the accounts of such society or class of such societies are, with the previous sanction of the Central Registrar, balanced on any other day, the year ending on such day;
(j) "Deposit Insurance Corporation" means the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation established under Sec. 3 of the Deposit Insurance Corporation Act, 1961 (47 of 1961);
(k) "federal co-operative" means a federation of co-operative societies registered under this Act and whose membership is available only to a cooperative society or a multi-State co-operative society;
(l) "general body", in relation to a multi-State co-operative society, means all the members of that society and in relation to a national co-operative society or a federal co-operative means all the delegates of member cooperative societies or delegates of multi-State co-operative societies and includes a body constituted under the first proviso to sub-sec. (1) of Sec. 38-;
(m) "general meeting" means a meeting of the general body of a multi State co-operative society and includes special general meeting;
(n) "member" means a person joining in the application for the registration of a multi State co-operative society and includes a person admitted to membership after such registration in accordance with the provisions of this Act, the rules and the bye-laws;
(o) "member co-operative" means a co-operative society or a multi-State co-operative society which is member of a federal co-operative;
(p) "multi-State co-operative society" means a society registered or deemed to be registered under this Act and includes a national cooperative society and a federal co-operative;
(q) "multi-State co-operative society with limited liability" means a society having the liability of its members limited by its bye-laws to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares, respectively, held by them or to such amount as they may, respectively, thereby undertake to contribute to the assets of the society, in the event of its being wound up;
(r) "national co-operative society" means a multi-State co-operative society specified in the Second Schedule;
(s) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette;
(t) "officer" means a president, vice-president, chairperson, vice-chairperson, managing director, secretary, manager, member of a board, treasurer, liquidator, an administrator appointed under Sec.123-and includes any other person empowered under this Act or the rules or the bye-laws to give directions in regard to the business of a multi-State cooperative society;
(u) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules;
(v) "Reserve Bank" means the Reserve Bank of India constituted under theReserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934);
(w) "rules" means the rules made under this Act.
SECTION 04: CENTRAL REGISTRAR
(1) The Central Government may appoint a person to be the Central Registrar of Co-operative Societies and may appoint such other persons as it may think fit to assist the Central Registrar.
(2) The Central Government may, by notification, direct that any power exercisable by the Central Registrar under this Act (other than the power of registration of a multi-State co-operative society) shall, in relation to such society, and such matters as may be specified in the notification, be exercisable also by any other officer of the Central Government or of a State Government as may be authorised by the Central Government subject to such conditions as may be specified therein: Provided that no officer of a State Government shall be empowered to exercise such power in relation to a national co-operative society.
SECTION 05: MULTI-STATE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES WHICH MAY BE REGISTERED
(1) No multi-State co-operative society shall be registered under this Act, unless,- (a) its main objects are to serve the interests of members in more than one State; and (b) its bye-laws provide for social and economic betterment of its members through self-help and mutual aid in accordance with the co-operative principles.
(2) The word "limited" or its equivalent in any Indian language shall be suffixed to the name of every multi-State co-operative society registered under this Act with limited liability.
SECTION 06: APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION
(1) For the purposes of registration of a multi-State co-operative society under this Act, an application shall be made to the Central Registrar in such form and with such particulars as may be prescribed.
(2) The application shall be signed,-
(a) in the case of a multi-State co-operative society of which all the members are individuals, by at least fifty persons from each of the State concerned;
(b) in the case of a multi-State co-operative society of which the members
are co-operative societies, by duly authorised representatives on behalf of at least five such societies as are not registered in the same State; and
(c) in the case of a multi-State co-operative society of which another multi State co-operative society and other co-operative societies are members, by duly authorised representatives of each of such societies: Provided that not
less than two of the co-operative societies referred to in this clause, shall be such as are not registered in the same State;
(d) in the case of a multi-State co-operative society of which the members are co-operative societies or multi-State co-operative societies and individuals, by at least- (i) fifty persons, being individuals, from each of the
two States or more; and (ii) one co-operative society each from two States or more or one multi-State co-operative society.
(3) The application shall be accompanied by four copies of the proposed bye-laws of the multi-State co-operative society and the persons by whom or on whose behalf such application is made shall furnish such information in regard to the society as the Central Registrar may require.
SECTION 07: REGISTRATION
(1) If the Central Registrar is satisfied-
(a) that the application complies with the provisions of this Act and the rules;
(b) that the proposed multi-State co-operative society satisfies the basic criterion that its objects are to serve the interests of members in more than one State;
(c) that its bye-laws provide for social and economic betterment of its members through self-help and mutual aid in accordance with the cooperative principles;
(d) that the proposed bye-laws are not contrary to the provisions of that Act and the rules, he may register the multi-State co-operative society and its bye-laws.
(2) The application for registration shall be disposed of by the Central Registrar within a period of four months from the date of receipt thereof by him.
(3) Where the Central Registrar refuses to register a multi-State cooperative society, he shall communicate, within a period of four months from the date of receipt of the application for registration, the order of refusal together with the reasons therefor to the applicant or applicants, as the case may be Provided that no order of refusal shall be made unless the applicants have been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard: Provided further that if the application for registration is not disposed of within a period of four months specified in sub-sec. (2) or the Central Registrar fails to communicate the order of refusal within that period, the application shall be deemed to have been accepted for registration and the Central Registrar shall issue the registration certificate in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder.
SECTION 08: REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE
-Where a multi-Sate co-operative society is registered under this Act, the Central Registrar shall issue a certificate of registration signed by him, which shall be conclusive evidence that the society therein mentioned is duly registered under this Act, unless it is proved that the registration of the society has been cancelled.
SECTION 09: MULTI-STATE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY TO BE BODY CORPORATE
(1) The registration of a multi-State co-operative society shall render it a body corporate by the name under which it is registered having perpetual succession and a common seal, and with power to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, enter into contract, institute and defend suits and other legal proceedings and to do all things necessary for the purpose for which it is constituted, and shall, by the said name, sue or be sued.
(2) All transactions entered into in good faith prior to the registration of a multi-State co-operative society shall be deemed to be its transactions after registration for furtherance of the objects of its registration.
SECTION 10: BYE-LAWS OF MULTI-STATE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES
(1) Every multi-State co-operative society may make its bye-laws consistent with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder.
(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such bye-laws may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:-
(a) the name, address and area of operation of the society; (b) the objects of the society; (c) the services to be provided to its members; (d) the eligibility for obtaining membership; (e) the procedure for obtaining membership; (f) the conditions for continuing as member; (g) the procedure for withdrawal of membership; (h) the transfer of membership; (i) the procedure for expulsion from membership; (j) the rights and duties of the members; (k) the nature and amount of capital of the society;
(l)the manner in which the maximum capital to which a single member can subscribe;
(m) the sources from which the funds may be raised by the multi-State cooperative society;
(n) the purpose for which the funds may be applied;
(o) the manner of allocation or disbursement of net profits of the multi-State co-operative society;
(p) the constitution of various reserves;
(q) the manner of convening general meetings and quorum thereof other than those provided under this Act;
(r) the procedure for notice and manner of voting, in general and other meetings;
(s) the procedure for amending the bye-laws;
(t) the number of members of the board not exceeding twenty-one,
(u) the tenure, of directors, chairperson and other office-bearers of the society, exceeding five years;
(v) the procedure for removal of members of the board and for filling up of vacancies
(w) the manner of convening board meetings, its quorum, number of such meetings year and venue of such meetings;
(x) the frequency of board meetings;
(y) the powers and functions of the Chief Executive in addition to those provided under Sec. 52-;
(z) the manner of imposing the penalty;
(za) the appointment, rights and duties of auditors and procedure for conduct of audit;
(zb) the authorisation of officers to sign documents and to institute and defend suits and other legal proceedings on behalf of the society;
(zc) the terms on which a multi-State co-operative society may deal with persons other than members;
(zd) the terms on which a multi-State co-operative society may associate with other co-operative societies;
(ze) the terms on which a multi-State co-operative society may deal with organisation other than co-operative societies;
(zf) the rights, if any, which the multi-State co-operative society may confer
on any other multi-State co-operative society or federal co-operative and the
circumstances under which such rights may be exercised by the federal cooperative;
(zg) the procedure and manner for transfer of shares and interest in the name of nominee in case of death of a member;
(zh) the educational and training programmes to be conducted by the multi- State co-operative society;
(zi) the principal place and other places of business of multi-State cooperative society;
(zj) the minimum level of services to be used by its members;
(zk) any other matter which may be prescribed.
SECTION 11: AMENDMENT OF BYE-LAWS OF A MULTI-STATE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY
(1) No amendment of any bye-law of a multi-State co-operative society shall be valid, unless such amendment has been registered under this Act.
(2) The amendment to the bye-laws of a multi-State co-operative society shall be made by resolution passed by a two-third majority of the members present and voting at general meeting of the society.
(3) No such resolution shall be valid unless fifteen clear days' notice of the proposed amendment has been given to the members.
(4) In every case in which a multi-State co-operative society proposes to amend its bye-laws, an application to register such amendments shall be made to the Central Registrar together with-
(a) a copy of the resolution referred to in sub-sec. (2);
(b) a statement containing the particulars indicating-
(i) the date of the general meeting at which the amendments to the bye-laws were made; (ii) the number of days' notice given to convene the general meeting; (iii) the total number of members of the multi-State co-operative society; (iv) the quorum required for such meeting; (v) the number of members present at the meeting;
(vi) the number of members who voted in such meeting;
(vii) the number of members who voted in favour of such amendments to bye-laws;
(c) a copy of the relevant bye-laws in force with the amendment proposed to be made together with reasons justifying such amendments;
(d) four copies of the text of the bye-laws incorporating therein the proposed amendments signed by the officer duly authorised in this behalf by the general body;
(e) a copy of the notice given to the members and the proposal to amend the bye-laws;
(f) a certificate signed by the person who presided at the general meeting certifying that the procedure specified in sub-sees. (2) and (3) and the bye-laws had been followed;
(g) any other particular which may required by the Centra] Registrar in this behalf.
(5) Every such application shall be made within sixty days from the date of the general meeting at which such amendment to the bye-laws was passed.
(6) The procedure given in sub-secs. (2) to (5) of this section shall apply to the amendment of the bye-laws of a co-operative society desiring to convert itself into a multi-State co-operative society as per the provisions of Sec. 22-.
(7) If, on receipt of application under sub-sec. (5), the Central Registrar is satisfied that the proposed amendment:-
(a) is not contrary to the provisions of this Act or of the rules;
(b) does not conflict with co-operative principles; and
(c) will promote the economic interests of the members of the multi-State co-operative society, he may register the amendment within a period of three months from the date of receipt thereof by him.
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