OTHER DEPARTMENTS

CO-OPERATION DEPARTMENT

Introduction: The Co-operation Department plays an import-and role in an essentially agro-industrial economy and particularly so in the sphere of rural credit. The activities of the department are associated with rural finance, agricultural marketing, industrial co-operatives, regulated markets and money lending business. They are governed under various enactments. the Co operation Department is entrusted with the administration of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960; the Maharashtra Agricultural marketing (Regulation) Act, of 1963 the Bombay Money Lenders Act, 1946; and the Bombay Warehousing Act. 1959; and the Rules made thereunder.

Organisation: Since the formation of the Zilla Parishad, the co-operative movement has come under the dual control of the State Government and the Zilla Parishad. The Co-operation Department of the Zilla Parishad is responsible for the registration, organisation, supervision, inspection, etc., of all types of co-operatives in rural areas having authorised share capital of Rs. 50,000 or working capital upto Rs. 5 lakhs. The supervision and control over regulated markets is also entrusted to the district sector. All other schemes are looked after by the department in the State sector.

The Registrar of Co-operative Societies is the head of the department at the State level. The Divisional Joint Registrar is the divisional officer who also works as the Registrar of Money-Lenders for his division. He is assisted by one Divisional Deputy Registrar, throe Assistant Registrars and one Assistant Statistician.

The activities under the State sector in the district are placed under the administrative control of the District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Akola, upon whom have been conferred various statutory powers by the Government. Under the Bombay Warehousing Act, 1959, the District Deputy Registrar has to work as 'Prescribed Authority' and under the Money-lending Act, he has to work as the Registrar of Money-lenders. The distribution of work between the two Assistant Registrars is done by the District Deputy Registrar on territorial basis. The Assistant Registrar has to work as the Public Enquiry Officer for the purpose of processing loan applications of the land development hank in conjunction with the District Deputy Registrar, the Block Development Officers, the Assistant Block Development Officers, and Co-operation and Industries Officer of the Zilla Parishad. Under the Money-lenders Act, the Assistant Registrar has to work as the Assistant Registrar of Money-lenders within his jurisdiction.

There were 13 supervising unions which are federal bodies of large sized multipurpose co-operative societies, small sized agricultural primary credit societies including sewa societies and grain banks.

Supervisory staff: The supervisors and additional supervisors visit and inspect societies in their charge, according to the inspection programme prepared quarterly. The supervisors and additional supervisors also attend to the work of submission of normal credit statements and preparation of loan applications with the help of group secretaries of the societies, who work under supervising unions and under the administrative supervision of supervisors and additional supervisors. As far as inspection and supervision over the agricultural primaries is concerned, the Central Financing Agency has also its own staff of Inspectors. The work of recoveries of societies' dues from members and bank's dues from societies is also looked after and pursued by the above staff of the Bank, though the primary responsibility for effecting recovery rests with the elected managing committee of the primary societies and the secretaries.

District Co-operative Board: The work of education and training in co-operation and propaganda for the diffusion of cooperative movement is done by the District Co-operative Board Ltd., Akola, which works under the guidance of the Maharashtra State Co-operative Union, Ltd., Bombay. The Board also conducts training classes for secretaries, members of the managing committee and other members of co-operative societies.

Auditing: The audit of co-operative societies is a statutory duty of the Registrar under Section 81 of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, and accordingly he, by himself or through the person authorised on his behalf, audits every society at least once a year. As stated above, the audit staff has now been separated from the regular administrative wing. The audit staff of the district consists of one Special Auditor of Co-operative Societies, Akola, 10 auditors and 13 sub-auditors. The audit staff in the district is under the administrative control of Divisional Special Auditor.

The Special Auditor at the district level makes arrangement for audit of all societies in the district, for which purpose a list of societies at the end of the co-operative year, (i. e., on 30th June) is prepared and societies are allotted to different members of audit staff, according to the volume of business and size of the societies. The Act also provides for appointment of certified auditors with necessary qualifications. The societies which can get their accounts audited by certified auditors are notified in the Gazette and accordingly, these societies make arrangements to get their accounts audited through the certified auditors from the approved panel.

Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960: the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act of 1960, provides that all disputes touching the constitution, election of officers, conducting of business and management of societies shall be referred to the Registrar. Accordingly, the District Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrars act as arbitrators for deciding the disputes in the district referred to them. Under the Act, the Divisional Joint Registrar is empowered to appoint persons to work as Registrar's nominees to whom the disputes can be referred for decision, in case the District Deputy Registrar or Assistant Registrar is not in a position to decide the dispute. All these officers are selected from legal practitioners of good standing. The powers regarding he award of decision in the disputes are exercised the Assistant Registrars in the department, concurrently with the District Deputy Registrar and Divisional Joint Registrar for all societies of which the headquarters are within their jurisdiction.

Co-operation and Industries Officer: The Co-operation and Industries Officer of the Zilla Parishad who works as the secretary of the co-operative and industries committee of the Zilla Parishad heads the department at the district level. He is assisted by one Co-operative Officer, one Assistant Co-operative Officer and the requisite staff.

In the year 1972-73 there were 1387 co-operative societies functioning in the district.

Following is the list of the different types of co-operative societies in the district in 1972-73.

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