THE PATH TO REGISTRATION
In 2014 villages of Caurem and Maina decided to form a co-operative society
Application submitted to Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Quepem in June 2014
Assistant Registrar rejected application in September 2014
The co-operative challenged the rejection, but once again it was rejected in May 2015
The society then approached the High Court
In October 2015, High Court remanded the matter to Administrative Co-operative Tribunal, Panaji
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Administration Tribunal directs registration of Quepem co-op society
Application rejected twice by Quepem Assistant Registrar of Co-op Societies
THE GOAN NETWORK
CURCHOREM
The Administrative Co-operative Tribunal, Panaji, has directed the Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Quepem Zone, Quepem, to register the Sadhna Multipurpose Co-operative Society Ltd.
The Co-operative Tribunal, Panaji, gave the order in its judgement on June 1.
According to a press note issued by Ravindra Velip, chief promoter of the Sadhna Co-operative Society Ltd, Velip had appealed with The Co-operative Tribunal against the decision of the assistant Registrar in June last year to reject application for registration as a co-operative society.
“In 2014, the two villages of Caurem and Maina had decided to jointly form a co-operative society for the economic and social development of their villages, including agriculture and mining.”
“Eleven villagers were elected as promoters of the co-operative society and an application was submitted to the Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Quepem, for registration of the co-operative in June 2014,” stated the press note.
“People willing to form the co-operative society were initially asked to increase the number of promoters from both the villages. However despite doing that, these people were informed that their proposal was not economically viable and hence the proposal to form a society was rejected in September 2014. The co-operative then challenged the rejection, but once again it was rejected in May 2015.”
“Later, the promoters of the society approached the High Court, filing a writ petition against violation of fundamental rights by the Assistant Registrar, according to the 97th Amendment of the Constitution of India.”
In October 2015, the High Court remanded the matter to the Administrative Co-operative Tribunal, Panaji and directed the Co-operative Tribunal to decide the matter expeditiously, preferably within three months.
The press note further stated that the reasons the Assistant Registrar had given for rejection was that the applicant had not shown permission from the government to extract iron ore, nor a mining lease on its own name. Another reason was that it had not shown any income from mining business and were thus likely to lose money on it and that some people in Maina had requested that no part of Maina be included in any other co-operative society as they had their own plans for development of Maina.
The Co-operative Tribunal however found that these reasons were not enough to refuse registration. Hence, the Tribunal has ordered the Assistant Registrar to register the Sadhna Co-operative according to relevant sections of the Goa Co-operative Societies Act and rules.
