Amendment in Co-operative Societies Act challenged

97th Constitutional amendment: Notices to concerned departments

Aurangabad:

The Gujarat High Court ruled that the 97th Constitutional Amendment will not apply to cooperative societies. It was upheld by the Supreme Court. Therefore, a petition has been filed in the Aurangabad Bench requesting that the provisions made in the Maharashtra Co-operative Act should also be repealed on the basis of constitutional amendment.

Pursuant to this petition requesting that the 'Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act', 1960 before the constitutional amendment be restored and authority for elections of cooperative societies in the state should be abolished, a bench of Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Sanjay Deshmukh has ordered to issue notices to the State government, cooperative secretary, state advocate general and concerned officials of the cooperative sector. The petition will be heard after six weeks.

This petition was filed by Sunil Mane through adv Siddheshwar Thombre. According to the petition, amendments were made in the Cooperative Societies Act as per the 97th constitutional amendment passed in 2013. However, this constitutional amendment will not apply to state co-operative societies.

The Gujarat High Court ruled that it will be applicable only to multi-state cooperatives. In a hearing, the Supreme Court had upheld the decision of the Gujarat High Court. Therefore, the amendments made in the cooperative societies act must be cancelled, requested Thombre during the hearing.