Maha: Elections in Cooperative Housing Societies postponed due to heavy rains

Representational picture/PTI File

The state cooperative department in Maharashtra has issued a circular directing that elections in cooperative housing societies with over 250 members be held after September 30. The reason cited for this decision is the heavy rains that make commuting difficult and may pose challenges for both the returning officers and society members in reaching the election venue on time.

The circular affects over 6,510 cooperative societies with more than 250 members where the election process was already underway. These societies will have to put their elections on hold immediately. However, the circular will have no impact on the over 42,157 societies out of a total of 82,631 societies with more than 250 members in Maharashtra where elections have already been held.

According to Advocate Shreeprasad Parab, Expert Director of the State Housing Federation, in residential societies with over 250 members, it is mandatory to appoint a returning officer from the State Cooperative Election Authority (SCEA) to conduct the elections. The circular was issued to postpone the elections as conducting them within the stipulated time period may not be advisable due to difficulties in commuting and ensuring transparency, fairness and a large turnout of members.

However, some critics have expressed concerns over the frequent postponement of elections, emphasizing the importance of conducting them in a timely manner for the sake of democracy. Advocate Vinod Sampat, founder president of the flat buyers residents association, believes that unnecessary procedures and complexities should be avoided, and the cooperative department should adopt digital media to simplify processes and reduce the need for physical visits.

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There is a possibility that the elections in cooperative housing societies may face further delays due to the upcoming BMC elections and the subsequent enforcement of the code of conduct. In such cases, the existing committee in societies affected by the circular may continue to operate until the election process is officially completed, according to Advocate Parab.