Experts suggest special tribunal with legal members, online portal so that housing society members can seek justice easily and there is transparency in the process
Experts have welcomed the commissioner of cooperation’s move to award best maintained housing societies. File pic
The cooperative commissioner’s idea to award cooperative societies adhering to dispute redressal mechanism and green solutions has garnered praises, but legal experts and activists say it is high time the working of cooperative departments is monitored by the commissioner for streamlining the functioning of the department.
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mid-day had on July 11 reported about the state’s decision to start the best cooperative housing society award which is aimed at addressing issues such as waste disposal, power, water conservation as well as coming up with environment friendly solutions to ensure good and transparent governance.
Also read: Maharashtra to start best cooperative housing society award soon
Solicitor Stuti Galiya said, “The provision regarding in-house dispute redressal mechanism does not offer anything new, as such an enabling provision has already been provided in the society by-laws. This system does not offer much benefit, especially where a member has issues with the managing committee itself, who on most occasions exercise high-handedness and treat themselves over and above law.”
“In my view, the existing legal/regulatory system dealing with housing societies itself needs significant reforms. These quasi-judicial and regulatory/administrative departments are not well versed with legal provisions. Hence, on several occasions, they pass judgments which are contrary to legal and statutory provisions,” she said.
“There is a dire need for a speedy, transparent and accurate justice system for housing society matters to address thousands of pending cases. It would be helpful and effective to constitute a special tribunal with legal members which would make it easier for a common man to access and seek justice,” she concluded.
CA Ramesh Prabhu, founder chairman of MahaSEWA, said, “It is a welcome decision to award societies that are doing good work. If the department is serious in reducing the complaints and ensuring smooth functioning of the society and cooperative department, it should ensure there’s an online portal where compliance of each and every society is recorded and cooperative officers are given direction to attend to the complaints in a time-bound manner.
Online portal will bring transparency
“The Maharashtra State Housing Federation has requested the commissioner as well as the principal secretary of cooperation department to expedite on the online portal system which will not only provide cooperative education to the members but will also make the adjudication mechanism faster,” said Advocate Shreeprasad Parab, expert director, State Cooperative Housing Federation.
“Members can bring their grievances to the authorities via the portal and the authorities shall be accountable to adjudicate the issues in a time-bound manner. The orders/directions can be uploaded on the portal, which will be educational to the public at large. Thus the online portal system will not only act as a dispute redressal mechanism but also as a tool of transparency and accountability at the administrative authorities’ end,” said Advocate Parab.
Expert view
Advocate Vinod Sampat, founder and president of Flat Users Residents Welfare Association said, “For the first time since the enactment of the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, the commissioner of cooperation has taken an initiative to give awards to the best maintained housing societies. But the need of the hour is that the commissioner come up with proactive measures for streamlining the functioning of cooperative departments which have glaring issues. There needs to ensure the work is done by officers, the registrar replies to letters and takes action and is available in office at the time of hearing, there is no backlog of complaints, etc,” Sampat concluded.
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