<< Government came to the rescue of CHS members
In the new amendment in the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act Clause, the onus of the co-operative housing society (CHS) lies on the secretary. Every committee member is required to execute an indemnity bond within 15 days of taking charge of the office. The committee members are also accountable to the residents and it’s time they pulled up their socks…
Although the judgement gives a strong message to office-bearers of housing societies, many believe it is sketchy. How many times will you keep filing a case for minor issues? In the earlier case, the problem of the lady was that she got no response to her letter from the secretary. Slapping a fine of Rs. 7,000 does not solve the problem. Instead of approaching the court, one should first treat the problem within the byelaws or go to the registrar, try other alternatives, not to forget the RTI act and also give the committee members’ equal chance to justify themselves.
One has to understand that the very concept of a co-operative society is to come together and work for the betterment of the society, says consumer advocate Anand Patwardhan. “If the secretary has not replied, the message is clear and there are thousands of letters that keep coming. By writing a letter one does not become a consumer, so where is the question of deficiency of service? This is hampering individual liberty. And considering the fact that the secretary is not even paid for the work he does, slapping him with a fine is not justified.”
The housing society committee members work on an honorary basis. If you are not comfortable with the work of any committee member, you have the option of passing a vote of ‘no confidence’ against them. The society is like a family where people stay together. There are various ways to put a check on the actions of the committee members but it is definitely not a commercial venture to ask damages. It is important to see things with a wider perspective.
The order may have got a mixed response but it has managed to ruffle some feathers, bringing respite for residents of co-operative societies and also striking a warning bell for the committee members with regards to their duties and responsibilities.
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