DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

THE CO-OPERATIVE DEPARTMENT

 Organisation.

CO-OPERATIVE DEPARTMENT IN THE JALGAON DISTRICT is in the administrative charge of the Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies. Jalgaon, who is a class II gazetted officer of the Maharashtra Co-operative Service. Over him is the Divisional Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Nasik, whose jurisdiction extends over Nasik, Ahmadnagar, Jalgaon and Dhulia districts. Administratively, the Assistant Registrar is responsible for the supervision and guidance of the various types of societies in his charge. Many of the powers of the Registrar of Co-operative Societies under the Bombay Co-operative Societies Act (VII of 1925) and the Rules under it have been delegated to him. Directly subordinate to him are two District Co-operative Officers at Jalgaon. who belong to the Subordinate Co-operative Service. The District Co-operative Officers are responsible for organisation of societies, development of the co-operative movement, supervision over societies in rural and semi-rural areas, arrangement for crop finance, etc. They work as nominees of the department on certain types of co-operative institutions. Up to June 30, 1956, the Assistant Registrar was also entrusted with the work relating to the cottage and small-scale industries and industrial co-operatives in the district. In carrying-out these duties he was assisted by a District Officer for Industrial Co-operatives and Village Industries and also by Industrial Supervisors. Government have., however, declared [Government Resolution, Industries and Co-operative Department, Bombay, No. JTM-1957-24225-B, dated 30-3-1957.] the former Industrial Co-operatives and Village Industries Section as a separate department with a view to facilitating an easy and convenient growth of the small-scale and cottage industries.

A special post of Assistant Director of Cottage Industries and Assistant Registrar for Industrial Co-operatives has been sanctioned to supervise the work of the industrial co-operatives in the district.

Supervisory Staff.

The Supervisory Staff.—The supervisory staff serves as the last link in the administrative machinery. Their main responsibility is confined to detailed supervision over the working of all agricultural credit and multi-purpose societies. They are expected to supervise the working of every society in their charge, at leat once in three months, and in addition are required to assist the societies in the preparation of normal credit statements and assets registers, and also in making arrangements for provision of crop finance. There are 16 supervisors working in the district. Where National Extension Service Scheme is made applicable the supervisory staff has been withdrawn and the supervision work of these areas has been entrusted to Assistant District Co-operative Officers who are assisted by Gram Sevaks. There are eight posts of Assistant District Co-operative Officers and 82 posts of Gram Sevaks in National Extension Service/Community Development Block areas in the district. The appointments of supervisors are made by the Divisional Deputy Registrars from among those who have undergone training at the Regional Co-operative Training Schools and passed the prescribed test. They are attached to the taluka co-operative supervising unions and work under the control and direction of that office. Besides, there is the District Supervisory Committee which consists of:

1. The Assistant Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Jalgaon (Chairman).

2. The Chairman, Central Financing Agency.

3. The Chairman, District Co-operative Board.

4. One representative of Supervising Unions.

5. One representative of the Agricultural Non-Credit Societies in the district.

The District Co-operative Officer is the Secretary of the committee. The committee recommends disciplinary action, where necessary, against the supervisors, scrutinises and check:; their programmes and diaries and reviews the working of supervising unions and supervisors.

Supervising Unions.

Supervising Unions.—A supervising union is formed for every taluka by societies registered in the area. In view of the large number of societies in Bhusawal and Parola talukas, there are two unions in each of these talukas, one at Bodwad and the other at Bhusawal in Bhusawal taluka, and one at Parola and the other at Mhaswa in Parola taluka. All agricultural credit societies, agricultural non-credit societies and non-agricultural credit societies are eligible for membership of a supervising union. The main lunctions of the supervising unions are: (1) to advise, guide, assist, rectify and control its constituent societies by efficient and regular supervision, and (2) to provide a means of assessing the credit of each of its constituent societies and to make recommendations in this behalf to the financing agency. The Supervisor for the area acts as the Secretary of the union. Where there is no supervisor, the Assistant District Co-operative Officer acts as Secretary of the union.

District Co-operative Board.

The District Co-opeartive Board.—Education and training in co-operation and propaganda for the spread of the co-operative movement are carried on by the District Co-operative Board, under the guidance of the Maharashtra State Co-operative Union, Bombay. The membership of the board is of two classes, viz., (l) ordinary, consisting of all co-operative societies in the district, and (2) associate, consisting of individuals. A nominee of the financing agency (The Jalgaon Central Co-operative Bank, Ltd.) and the District Co-operative Officer are the members of the general body of the board. There is a Board of Management composed of: (1) representative for each taluka of societies affiliated to supervising unions. (2) representatives of societies not affiliated to the unions of the district, (3) representative of federations or societies whose area of operation is not less than a district, (4) representative of central financing agency, (5) nominee of the Maharashtra State Co-operative Union. (6) representative of Divisional Co-operative Board, (7) representative from individual members one for 50 or less and one for excess over 50, and (8) a nominee of the Co-operative Department.

The Board of Management constituted as above shall have the right where necessary or desirable to co-opt a co-operator of outstanding merit or experience from the district. The Assistant Registrar and the Executive Officer of the Maharashtra State Co-operative Institute and the Honorary Secretary of the Divisional Co-operative Board shall be entitled to attend the meeting of the Board of Management and take part in the discussions. Tin-Board of Management may also invite them to any of these meetings. The District Co-operative Board is affiliated to the Divisional 'Board and to the Maharashtra Stale Co-operative Union as their subscribing member.

Audit.

Audit.—Section 22 of the Bombay Co-operative Societies Act provides for statutory audit of every society once a year either by the Registrar or by some person authorised by him. The audit staff in the district works under the control of the Assistant Registar, Co-operative Societies, Jalgaon. besides, the Special Auditors, these are three categories of auditors, viz (1) auditors. (2) sub auditors and (3) certified (professional) auditors.

The Special Auditors are the Class 11 Officers belonging to the Maharashtra Co-operative Service. These officers, are stationed at Jalgaon but have jurisdiction over the entire district. They audit the accounts of—

(1) Central Banks and Banking Unions.

(2) Purchase and Sale Unions and Sale Societies.

(3) The District Industrial Association and its branches.

(4) "C" and "D" class urban banks with working capital exceeding Rs. 50,000.

(5) Housing societies indebted to Government.

(6) Societies in liquidation belonging to the classes of societies in his charge.

There are two special auditors sanctioned for the district. One is designated as Special Auditor, Co-operative Societies, Jalgaon, and the other as Special Auditor, Co-operative Societies (Pilot), Jalgaon. The Special Auditor, Co-operative Societies, Jalgaon, has one auditor and two sub-auditors under him. The Special Auditor, Co-operative Societies (Pilot), Jalgaon, has only one sub-auditor working under him.

There are also four Auditors in the district who are entrusted with audit: work independently of the Special Auditors. They audit the following classes of societies:—

(1) Village Multipurpose Societies and their shops;

(2) Taluka Development Board:

(3) Industrial Societies;

(4) District Co-operative Board;

(5) Supervising unions;

(6) Agricultural non-credit societies, like crop protection, fencing and joint farming societies, and

(7) Other societies.

The Sub-Auditors, who are thirteen, audit all agricultural credit societies except multipurpose societies and societies running fair price shops and/or distribution centres with a turnover exceeding Rs. 50,000. Every distribution centre or fair price shop run by societies is treated as a separate unit.

In pursuance of the policy of progressive decentralisation of the movement, steps have been taken in recent years to appoint certified auditors to carry out the statutory audit of the following types of institutions: —

(1) Consumers' societies with a turnover of Rs. 50,000 and over.

(2) Urban banks and societies classed as "A" or "B" with a working capital of Rs. 50,000 and over.

(3) Housing societies having no outstandings against them on account of Government loan.

(4) Other societies certified by the Registrar.

Very recently, separate posts for concurrent and continuous audit have been sanctioned for audit of forest labourers societies and weavers societies.

Other Staff.

Other staff.—The other staff in the district are—

(1) Special Recovery Officers.

(2) Honorary Organisers.

(3) Arbitrators.

Under the Bombay Co-operative Societies Act, money recoverable as a result of arbitration awards or liquidation proceedings and certain other dues of co-operative institutions are recoverable through the Collectors according to the law in force for the recovery of arrears of land revenue. When the normal staff of the Revenue Department is not in a position to cope with the work, Special Recovery Officers are deputed from the Revenue Department to the Co-operative Department to expedite the work. In the district, there were three Special Recovery Officers in 1958.

The Honorary Organisers are non-officials who give assistance in the matter of organisation of different types of societies. An honorary organiser's jurisdiction extends over the taluka or even the whole district. There were in June, 1958, sixteen District Honorary Organisers in the Jalgaon district.

Under the Bombay Co-operative Societies Act, co-operative societies or members thereof may refer their disputes to the Assistant Registrar for decision either by himself or by an arbitrator appointed by him. Every year a list of persons who may act as arbitrators is published and the Assistant Registrar sends cases of disputes to such arbitrators. In the district there were 22 arbitrators in 1958.

Educational Institutions.

Educational Institutions.—The Maharashtra State Co-operative Union, which is recognised as the sole agency for imparting cooperative training to officials and non-officials throughout the State, has established a Regional Co-operative School at Jalgaon. This school imparts training to the lower staff of the co-operative department and co-operative institutions, and in particular to supervisors, bank inspectors and secretaries of multipurpose societies and taluka purchase and sale unions.

Marketing.

Marketing.—The Registrar of Co-operative Societies is also the Marketing. Director of Agricultural Marketing and in this capacity he shares with the Collector of the district the responsibilities for the effective enforcement of the Bombay Agricultural Produce Markets Act (XXII of 1939). The Director performs the functions of survey, organisation and constitution of regulated markets: assessment of adequate scale of licence tees, rates of commission, and charges of other market functionaries, approval of byelaws and annual budgets of market committees and technical guidance as regards the manner in which the accounts of the market committees shall be maintained. The administrative control of the market committees and the enforcement of statutory provisions and the rules governing the regulation of markets are, however, vested in the Collector, who exercises these powers in consultation with the Director.

The Director is assisted by a separate marketing staff, consisting of the Chief Marketing Officer and one Assistant Marketing Officer with their headquarters at Poona and other Assistant Marketing Officers for regional divisions. The Chief Marketing Officer is an Officer of Class I State Service and the Assistant Marketing Officers are in Class II. The latter are provided with staff of marketing inspectors whose jurisdiction extends to over one or more districts. The Assistant Marketing Officer at Nasik besides being in charge of the Jalgaon district has three other districts under him, viz., Dhulia, Ahmadnagar and Nasik. The Marketing Inspector, Jalgaon, is in direct charge of the district. He works under the guidance of the Assistant Marketing Officer at Nasik and the Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Jalgaon.

The Agricultural Produce Markets Act (XXII of 1939) aims at regulating the selling and buying of agricultural produce and provides for the establishment of regulated markets for agricultural commodities. These markets are to be placed under the supervision of statutory market committees fully representative of growers, traders, local authorities and Government. The market committee is empowered to levy fees on the agricultural produce under regulation bought and sold by licensees in the market area. The committee may also levy fees on traders, commission agents, measurers, surveyors and other persons operating in the market. They also issue licences to different marketing functionaries. With the previous sanction of the Director they can prescribe rates of maximum charges for the services of the various persons operating in the market.

In Jalgaon district, there are seven regulated markets, one each at the business centres of Jalgaon, Amalner, Chalisgaon, Pachora. Chopda, Bodwad and Bhusawal. These centres serve the major portion of the district. Following is the list of the agricultural produce regulated at these markets: —

There are five sub-market yards at Parola, Dharangaon, Mehunbare, Kajgaon and Varangaon.

Money-lending.

Money-lending:-— The Bombay Moneylenders Act (XXXI of 1946) was brought into operation from the 17th^- November, 1947. The salient features embodied in the Act are: (1) licensing of moneylenders; (2) maintenance of accounts by moneylenders in prescribed forms, and (3) restrictions on rates of interests.

The Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Maharashtra State, is also Registrar-General of Moneylenders under the Act. Under section 3 of the Moneylenders Act, the Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies has been also appointed as Assistant Registrar of Moneylenders, Jalgaon. So far as Jalgaon district is concerned no full-time Assistant Registrar of Moneylenders has been appointed. The Assistant Registrar of Moneylenders, Jalgaon, works under the Registrar of Moneylenders, Nasik, at the divisional level.

Every Assistant Registrar maintains a register of moneylenders for the area under his jurisdiction. Moneylenders are licensed to carry on the business of money-lending only in accordance with the terms and conditions of the licence issued to them. The authority to grant a licence is the Registrar, although the application for a licence has to be made to the Assistant Registrar of the area concerned. The Registrar has also powers to cancel a licence. Appeals against the Registrar's order may be made to the Registrar General, whose decision is final.

Sarvodaya Centre.

Sarvodaya Centre.—In the year 1949, the State Government adopted a scheme known as the Sarvodaya Scheme, the aim of which is to bring about all-round intensive development—social, educational and economic—of selected compact blocks of 30 to 45 villages in each district through a constructive programme which was the foremost objective of Mahatma Gandhi. This scheme aims at development of. backward areas by means of measures relating to (1) education, (2) agricultural development, (3) cottage industries and industries subsidiary to agriculture, (4) health, water-supply and conservancy and (5) social and cultural development including prohibition. The executive authority in the formulation and implementation of such a scheme in each district is a non-official worker known as the sanchalak of the Sarvodaya Centre, who is assisted and advised by a non-official Committee of members known as the Sarvodaya Area Committee. Every year a plan for development of the area is formulated by the Sanchalak which is considered by the State Sarvodaya Committee before it is finally sanctioned by Government.

The Jalgaon District Sarvodaya Centre was started in the year 1949 and has its headquarters at Khiroda in the Raver taluka. There are 26 villages roundabout Khiroda. In addition to the main Centre at Khiroda, nine sub-centres at nine villages have been opened and workers imbued with the spirit of the Sarvodaya ideology have been stationed at these villages. Roughly a sum of Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 70,000 is sanctioned every year for the implementation of the scheme.

At the main centre (Khiroda) co-operative societies have been formed for every branch of rural development. There are tenant farming societies, multi-purpose societies, housing societies and cattle-breeding societies.

During the financial year 1957-58, grants totalling Rs. 85,900 were sanctioned for the development of the area. This grant was for various schemes, for development of agriculture, education, cottage industries and co-operation, and for improvement of communications, health measures, construction of wells for drinking water as well as for irrigation and social and cultural development, including prohibition.

The following statement shows the organisation of the Co-operative department in the district: —

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