महाारााष्ट्र शाासन रााजपत्र असाधाारण भााग पाच-अ, माचच २५, २०२६/चैत्र ४, शकेे १९४८

L. A. BILL No. XXIX OF 2026.

A BILL

further to amend the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960.

WHEREAS it is expedient further to amend the Maharashtra Co-operative

Societies Act, 1960, for the purposes hereinafter appearing; it is hereby enacted

in the Seventy-seventh Year of the Republic of India as follows :—

1. This Act may be called the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies

(Amendment) Act, 2026.

2. In section 73AAA of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960

(hereinafter referred to as “the principal Act”), in sub-section (3), —

Mah.

XXIV of

1961.

Short title.

Mah.

XXIV of

1961.

Amendment

of section

73AAA of

Mah. XXIV of

1961.

RNI No. MAHBIL /2009/40123

महाारााष्ट्र� शाासन रााजपत्र

असाधाारण भााग पाच-अ

वर्षष १२, अंक १५]

बुुधवाार, माचच २५, २०२६/चैत्र ४, शकेे १९४८

[पृष्ठेे ३, किं�ंमत : रुपयेे ३६.००

असाधाारण क्रमांं�क २५

प्रााधि�कृृत प्रकााशन

महाारााष्ट्र वि�धाानसभेत व महाारााष्ट्र वि�धाानपरि�षषदेेत सादर केेलेेली वि�धेेयकेे (इंंग्रजी अनुवाद).

MAHARASHTRA LEGISLATURE SECRETARIAT

The following Bill was introduced in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on the

25th March 2026 is published under Rule 117 of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rules :—

)१(

भााग पााच-अ-२५–१

(1) the first proviso shall be deleted ;

(2) in the second proviso, for the words “the Committee of the Society”

the words, letter, figures and brackets “the Committee of the Society,

except the Committee of Type “A” Societies prescribed in rule 4 of the

Maharashtra Co-operative Societies (Election to Committee) Rules, 2014,”

shall be substituted.

3. In section 73B of the principal Act, in sub-section (4), after the words,

brackets and figure “sub-section (3) ;” the words “, by the committee in its meeting

which shall be presided over by an officer authorized by the State Co-operative

Election Authority” shall be added.

4. In section 73C of the principal Act, in sub-section (3), after the words,

brackets and figure “sub-section (2)” the words “, by the committee in its meeting

which shall be presided over by an officer authorized by the State Co-operative

Election Authority” shall be added.

5. In section 73CB of the principal Act, in sub-section (9), in the

Explanation, for the words, brackets and figure “the expression ‘persons to

whom sub-section (8) applies’ are the”, the words “the term ‘person’ means the

Divisional, District, Taluka or Ward Co-operative Election Officers, Observers,

Zonal Officers,” shall be substituted.

6. For section 73F of the principal Act, the following section shall be

substituted, namely :—

“73F. (1) If a person is elected to more than one seat on the committee

then, he shall retain one seat and shall resign all other seats within a period

of fifteen days from the date of declaration of the result of the election by

writing under his hand addressed to the concerned Registrar. In case such

person does not resign within the said period, then all such seats shall

become vacant.

(2) On receipt of such resignation or on the seats becoming so vacant,

the committee shall forthwith communicate the occurrence of such vacancy

to the State Co-operative Election Authority and Divisional, District, Taluka

or Ward Co-operative Election Officer, as the case may be.

(3) The vacancy so occurred shall be filled in within one month from

the date of such communication, by nomination of the members eligible to

contest election from the class of members in respect of which the vacancy

has arisen, in the meeting of the committee which shall be presided over

by an officer authorized by the State Co-operative Election Authority.”.

7. In section 81 of the principal Act, in sub-section (1), in clause (a), in the

second proviso, for the words “rupees one lakh” the words “rupees two lakhs”

shall be substituted.

8. In section 157 of the principal Act, after the existing proviso, the

following proviso shall be added, namely :—

“Provided further that, the State Government shall not exempt any

society or class of societies from the provisions made under section 73 CB.”.

Amendment

of section 73B

of Mah. XXIV

of 1961.

Amendment

of section 73C

of Mah. XXIV

of 1961.

Amendment

of section

73CB of Mah.

XXIV of 1961.

Substitution

of section 73F

of Mah. XXIV

of 1961.

Election to

more than

one seat on

committee.

Amendment

of section 81

of Mah. XXIV

of 1961.

Amendment

of section 157

of Mah. XXIV

of 1961.

STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS

Section 73B of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960 (Mah.

XXIV of 1961) provides for reservation of certain seats on committees of societies

for members belonging to reserved categories and elections thereto. Sub-section

(4) of section 73B of the said Act provides that, if no person is elected to any of

the reserved seats, then such seats shall be filled in by nomination from amongst

the persons belonging to such reserved categories. Section 73C of the said Act

provides for reservation of seats for women members on committees of societies.

Sub-section (3) of section 73C of the said Act provides that where no woman

member is elected to such reserved seat, then such seat shall be filled in by

nomination from amongst the women members.

In order to ensure that such vacant reserved seats are filled from members

belonging to such reserved categories, the Government considers it expedient

to amend said sections 73B and 73C, with a view to provide that meeting of the

committee in which such nominations are to be made shall be presided over by

an officer authorized by the State Co-operative Election Authority.

2. The Divisional, District, Taluka or Ward Co-operative Election Officers,

Observers and Zonal Officers are discharging the official duties relating to the

conduct of election of co-operative societies as per the directions of the State

Co-operative Election Authority. Sub-section (9) of section 73CB of the said Act

is proposed to be amended with a view to expressly mention the said officers, to

clarify that the provisions of protection from filing of legal proceedings against

them while discharging the said official duties, are also applicable to them.

3. The Government considers it expedient to provide for nomination of

members instead of provision of electing members, to fill the vacancies arisen

due to resignation of a person elected to more than one seat, as conducting

election for few seats is financially burdensome and time consuming. Section

73F of the said Act is proposed to be amended therefor.

4. Section 73CB provides for constitution of the State Co-operative

Election Authority for conduct of elections or committees of the co-operative

societies. The Government is of the view that the power to exempt societies from

the provisions of the Act under section 157 shall not be used in respect of the

provisions contained in section 73CB, relating to elections. Therefore, a proviso

is proposed to be inserted in section 157 by amending the same.

5. The Bill seeks to achieve the above objectives.

Mumbai,

BABASAHEB PATIL,

Dated the 18th March, 2026.

Minister for Co-operation.

ON BEHALF OF GOVERNMENT PRINTING, STATIONERY AND PUBLICATION, PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY DIRECTOR,

RUPENDRA DINESH MORE, PRINTED AT GOVERNMENT CENTRAL PRESS, 21-A, NETAJI SUBHASH ROAD, CHARNI ROAD,

MUMBAI 400 004 AND PUBLISHED AT DIRECTORATE OF GOVERNMENT PRINTING, STATIONERY AND PUBLICATIONS,

21-A, NETAJI SUBHASH ROAD, CHARNI ROAD, MUMBAI 400 004. EDITOR : DIRECTOR, RUPENDRA DINESH MORE.

Vidhan Bhavan :

JITENDRA BHOLE,

Mumbai,

Secretary -1,

Dated the 25th March, 2026.

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.