OTHER DEPARTMENTS

 THE CO-OPERATIVE DEPARTMENT

Organisation.

IN VIEW OF GOVERNMENT POLICY OF DECENTRALISATION OF POWER AND FUNCTIONS, Kolaba district under the new set-up of the Cooperative Department falls within the jurisdiction of the Divisional Joint Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Bombay Division, Bombay, who is functioning more or less as regional head of the department.

Kolaba district is, therefore, in charge of the District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, in Class I, who is being assisted by three Assistant Registrars in Class II, on territorial basis. The jurisdiction of each Assistant Registrar, Co-operative Societies, is as under:―

The Assistant Registrars, Co-operative Societies, are responsible for all matters relating to co-operative societies including industrial co-operatives, money-lending, marketing (including regulated as well as co-operative marketing) as against various offices which were functioning at the district level then.

There are two co-operative officers and six assistant co-operative officers and other supervisors for all practical purposes under the entire control of the three assistant registrars, co-operative societies, functioning on territorial basis, though the District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, will exercise over-all control over the entire staff in the district.

Considerable powers in respect of statutory, financial and administrative matters have been invested in the District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, so that he may cope up with the increasing work and particularly the various schemes incorporated in Third Five-Year Plan under Co-operation.

Supervisory Staff.

The Supervisory Staff.―The Supervisory Staff serves as the last link in the administrative set-up. Its main responsibility is confined to detailed supervision over the working of all agricultural, multipurposes and seva societies. It is expected to inspect every society in their charge, at least once in three months. In addition, it is required to assist the societies in preparation of normal credit statements, assets register and making arrangements for provision of crop finance. There are 22 supervisors working in the district. Prior to 1st April 1946, all the supervisory, staff was working under the district board of supervising unions and was purely non-official in status. Since that date the members of the staff nave been given the status of Government servants. The appointment of supervisors is made by the District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, from among those who have undergone training at the Regional Co-operative Schools and passed the tests prescribed. They are under the control and direction of the District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies.

Supervising Unions.

Supervising Unions.―So far ten Supervising Unions have been formed in the district. All agricultural credit and non-agricultural credit societies are eligible for membership of this union. The main functions of the Supervisory Unions are as under:―

(1) to advise, guide, assist, rectify and control its constituent societies by efficient and regular supervision, and

(2) to provide means of assessing the credit of each of the constituent societies and to make recommendations in this behalf to the financing agency. The extension officer (Co-operation) of the National Extension Service Block for the area acts as the secretary of the unions while the supervisor, co-operative societies, is the Joint Secretary.

District Co-operative Board.

The District Co-operative 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 State Co-operative Union. Membership of the co-operative board is classified into two categories, viz.:―

(1) Ordinary.―Consisting of all co-operative societies in the district and

(2) Associate.―Consisting of individuals.

A nominee of the financing agency (Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank Ltd.); the District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Kolaba, Alibag and the Education Officer of the State Cooperative Union are ex-officio members of the General body of the Board. There is a board of management of the board comprising―

(1) Two nominees of the State Co-operative Unions.

(2) One nominee of the financing agency, i.e., the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank Ltd.

(3) Four representatives of the supervising unions.

(4) One or two representatives of individual members (one representative if members are twenty and two representatives if more than twenty).

(5) One or two representatives of individual co-operative societies (one representative if memebers are twenty and two representatives if more than twenty).

The board of management has also the right to co-opt a co-operator of outstanding merit. The district co-operative board is affiliated as subscribing member to the Divisional Co-operative Board, Poona and also the Maharashtra State Co-operative Union Bombay.

Audit.

Audit.―Section 22 of the Bombay Co-operative Societies Act 1925 provides for statutory audit of every society once in a year either by the Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Maharashtra State or by some person authorised by him. Audit staff in the district works under the control of the Divisional Special Auditor, Cooperative Societies, Bombay Division, Bombay.

The Divisional Special Auditor is an officer belonging to Class I (Co-operative Service) who is stationed in Bombay and his jurisdiction extends over the revenue division. The Special Auditor is Class II officer of the Co-operative Service. Under the new set-up the audit staff which is actually concerned with the audit of the co-operative institutions in the district consists of two categories, i.e.:―

(1) departmental auditor and

(2) certified auditors (professional).

The first category can further be classified as under:―

(1) special auditors.

(2) district auditors and

(3) sub-auditors.

In addition to above, there are auditors on divisional levels for Weavers Co-operative Societies. With a view to ensuring concurrent audit of the Forest Labour Co-operative Societies, a separate post of auditor also exists in the district. There are grain depots run by the revenue department, the audit of which is entrusted to the two sub-auditors working under the control of the District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies. There are two auditors and a Forest Labour Auditor working in the district. There are also five sub-auditors.

The Special Auditor, is an officer belonging to the Co-operative Service Class II. This officer is stationed at Thana but has jurisdiction over Thana, Kolaba and Ratnagiri districts. He audits the accounts of-

(1) District Central Banks and branches of the State Bank working in the district,

(2) purchase and sale unions and sale societies,

(3) the District Industrial Co-operative Association and its branches,

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

(5) housing societies indebted to Government, and

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

He also carries out a test audit of three per cent of the societies audited by the certified auditors. He has under him one auditor, one sub-auditor and clerks.

There is only one auditor at Alibag in the district who is entrusted with audit work independently of the Special Auditor. He audits the following classes of societies:-

(1) Multipurpose societies and their shops having a working capital exceeding Rs. 20,000.

(2) Taluka Development Boards.

(3) Industrial Societies.

(4) District Co-operative Board.

(5) Supervising Union.

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

(7) Societies in liquidation of the above classes.

(8) Other societies.

Additional auditor for continuous audit of purely Forest Labourers' Societies is appointed.

The four sub-auditors 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 in recent years, steps have been taken to appoint certified auditors to carry out the statutory work 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 working capital of Rs. 50,000 and over.

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

(4) Any other societies certified by the Registrar.

There are sub-auditors for grain depots at the district headquarters. But they are in-charge of grain depots of some talukas. The sub-auditors carry out the yearly audit or grain depots run by the revenue department. If they find during the course of audit that the depot is suitable for conversion, then the depot is converted and registered under the Bombay Co-operative Societies Act, 1925 as Co-operative Grain Society.

Honorary Organisers and Registrars.―The Honorary Organisers are non-officials who give assistance in the matter of organisation of different types of societies. An Honorary Organisers' jurisdiction extends over one or more talukas or even over the whole of the district. There were in June, 1959 twelve Territorial Honorary Organisers in the Kolaba district.

Under the Bombay Co-operative Societies' Act, Co-operative Societies or members thereof may refer their disputes to the Assistant Registrar, Co-operative Societies or District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, as the case may be for decision either by himself or by appointment of an arbitrator. Every year a list of persons who may act as arbitrators is published, and the Assistant Registrar, Cooperative Societies and the District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies send the case of disputes to such arbitrators. In the Kolaba district there are 14 arbitrators.

Marketing (VII).

Marketing.―The Joint Registrar, Co-operative Societies (Market-ing) is also the Director of Agricultural Marketing and Rural Finance, Maharashtra State, Poona and in this capacity he shares with the Collector of the district, the responsibilities for the effective enforcement of the Bombay Agricultural Producers Market Act (XXII) of 1939. The Director performs the function of survey, organisation and constitution of regulated markets, assessment of adequate scale of licence fees, rates for commission and charges of other market functionary and technical guidance as regards the manners in which the accounts of the Market Committees shall be maintained.

Under the new set-up of the department the powers regarding the grant of approval to the byelaws of market committees and permanent fund budget of the market committees have been delegated to the Divisional Joint Registrar, Co-operative Societies. Like wise the District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies has been empowered under rule 38 (5) of the Bombay Agricultural Produce Market Rule 1941 with regard to grant of approval but he has no powers regarding matters pertaining to staff in superior as well inferior service of maket committee. In the district there are three regulated markets at present one each of Panvel, Karjat and Pen. However, efforts are under way to establish regulated markets at other important business centres of the district like Murud, Roha, Khalapur, Alibag and Mangaon. The agricultural produce regulated at these markets is paddy, husked and unhusked.

Money Lending (VIII).

Money Lending.―The Bombay Money Lenders Act (XXXI of 1946) was brought into operation from 17th November, 1947. The salient features embodied in the Act are,-

(1) licensing of Money Lenders,

(2) maintenance of accounts by money-lenders in prescribed form and

(3) restrictions on the rates of interest.

The Divisional Joint Registrar, Co-operative Societies is also the Divisional Registrar of Money Lenders under the Act of his division. Under section 3 of the Money Lenders Act the District Deputy Registrar is appointed as Registrar of Money Lenders of the district. He is assisted by the three Assistant Registrars, who are also the Assistant Registrars, Money Lenders and they are further assisted by the Co-operative Officers and Assistant Co-operative Officers. The work done by the Inspector of Money Lenders prior to reorganisation of the Cooperative Department is entrusted to the Co-operative Officers and Assistant Co-operative Officers who are eight in number in the district. Every Assistant Registrar maintains two Registers of Money-lenders one for application and the other for licences to carry on the business of money-lending only in accordance with the rules and regulations of the licences. The authority to grant a licence is the District Registrar, although the application for a licence has to be made to the Assistant Registrar for the area concerned. The District Registrar has powers to cancel a licence. Appeals against the Registrar's order may be made to the Registrar-General whose decision is final.

Sarvodaya Centres.

Sarvodaya Centres.―In 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 the constructive programme which was foremost in the objectives of Mahatma Gandhi. 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 and is assisted and advised by a non-official committee of members known as the "Sarvodaya" area committee. Every year a plan of 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 Kolaba District Sarvodaya Centre was started at Sudkoli in Alibag taluka in the year 1949. In the scheme are included 35 villages roundabout Sudkoli village to form a group for the purpose of successful implementation of the scheme. The villages selected for the scheme are from Alibag, Murud and Roha talukas of the district. In addition to the main centre at Sudkoli, 5 sub-centres at five villages have been opened and workers imbibed with the spirit of the Sarvodaya ideology have been sanctioned at these villages. Roughly Rs. 46,000 to Rs. 60,000 are sanctioned every year for the implementation of the scheme. Co-operative Societies have been formed and the whole area is now covered. These are multipurpose societies. Every year grants are sanctioned for the development of the area. This grant is utilised for various schemes for development of agricultural education, cottage industries, and co-operatives 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 propaganda.

Other Staff.

Other staff.―

Staff for separate schemes―

(1) paddy pilot scheme and

(2) national extension service block.

In order to introduce Japanese-method of paddy farm cultivation to produce more yield a scheme, viz., paddy pilot scheme was introduced in Panvel taluka of the district in 1957. The scheme was in the administrative charge of Assistant Registrar, Co-operative Societies, Paddy Pilot Scheme, Panvel, who was a gazetted officer in Class II of the Bombay Co-operative Service. Since the new set-up it is in charge of the Assistant Registrar, Co-operative Societies, I, Alibag, who is also a gazetted officer in Class II in the Maharashtra Co-operative Service. He is expected to carry on all the activities under the programme in the selected areas, of Panvel, Karjat and Khalapur talukas. He is assisted by one Cooperative Officer, Assistant Co-operative Officers and four Special -Supervisors.

A similar scheme was subsequently introduced in Alibag and Roha talukas. The scheme at Alibag includes Alibag and Pen talukas and the scheme at Roha includes Roha taluka and Sudhagad Mahal. The scheme is looked after by the respective jurisdiction, and they are also assisted by Co-operative Officer, Assistant Co-operative Officers and Special Supervisors.

Due to integration of all the activities in extension blocks, personnel from all the departments are drawn and allowed to work under the common control of the Block Development Officer. In this scheme one post of Extension Officer (Co-operation) belonging to the subordinate co-operative service is created and he is called upon to supervise the existing co-operative societies and to organise more co-operative societies as per programme chalked out by the department for these blocks. New such blocks are started in all talukas of the district.

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