Chapter I Chapter I

Preliminary

Short title, extent and commencement:—

1. (1) This Act may be called the Andhra Pradesh Co-operative Societies Act, 1964.
2. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Andhra Pradesh.
3. (3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette, appoint.

Definitions:— [Rule(2)] :

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

1. (a) ‘Bye-laws’ means the registered bye-laws for the time being in force ;
2. (b) "Committee" means the governing body of a society by whatever name called, to which the management of the affairs of the society is entrusted; 2[(c)‘‘Co-operative year” means, the period commencing on the 1st day of April of any year and ending with the 31st day of March of the succeeding year ;]
3. (d) ‘Dividend’ means a share of the profits of a society divided among its members in proportion to the share capital held by each of them ;
4. (e) ‘Federal society’ means a society to which similar class of societies are affiliated ; 3[(f)‘Financing bank’ means a society, the main object of which is to assist any affiliated or other society by giving loans or advancing moneys ; and includes any scheduled bank as defined in the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (Central Act 2 of 1934) and such other body corporate or financial institution as may be notified by the Government from time to time, which gives financial or other aid to a society ;]
5. (g) ‘General body’ in relation to the society means all the members of the society ;
6. (h) ‘General meeting’ means a meeting of the general body of a society;
   • (i) ‘Government’ means the State Government ; 1[(i-a)‘Gram Panchayat’ means, a gram panchayat constituted under Section 4 of the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 (Act 13 of 1994) ;] 2[(j)‘Member’ means a member of a society, and includes an associate member ;]

1[(j-i) ‘Mandal Parishad’ means a Mandal Parishad constituted under Section

148 of the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 (Act 13 of 1994) ; (j-ii)‘Municipal Corporation’ means a Municipal Corporation constituted under the relevant law for the time being in force relating to the Municipal Corporations in the State ; (j-iii)‘Municipal Council’ means a Municipal Council constituted under Section 5 of the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1965 (Act VI of 1965) ;

3[(j-iv-) ‘Near relative’ means father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife, son, son-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew and niece;]

1. (k) ‘Officer’ includes a person elected or appointed by a society to any office of such society according to its bye-laws and a president, vice- president, chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer, manager, member of committee, liquidator or any other person elected or appointed under this Act, Rules or the bye-laws to give directions in regard to the business of the society. (k-i) 4[xxx]
2. (l) ‘Prescribed’ means as prescribed by rules made under this Act;
3. (m) ‘Rebate’ means a share of the profits of a society divided among its members in proportion to the value of business done by each of them with the society ;
4. (n) ‘Registrar’ means the Registrar of Co-operative Societies appointed under Section 3

1. (1) and includes any other person on whom all or any of the powers of the Registrar under this Act are conferred ;
   • (o) ‘Rules’ means the rules made under this Act ;
   • (p) ‘Society’ means a Co-operative society registered or deemed to be registered under this Act ;
   • (q) ‘Society with limited liability’ means a society in which the liability of its members for the debts of the society, in the event of its being wound up, is limited by its bye-laws:-
     • (i) to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares held by each of them ; or
     • (ii) to such amount as they may undertake to contribute to the assets of the society ;
   • (r) ‘Society with unlimited liability’ means a society, the members of which are, in the event of its being wound up, jointly and severally liable for and in respect of all its obligations and to contribute to any deficit in the assets of the society ; ‘State’ means the State of Andhra Pradesh ;
   • (t) ‘Tribunal’ means a Tribunal constituted under Section 75 and having jurisdiction ; 1[(u)‘Zilla Parishad’ means a Zilla Parishad constituted under Section 177 of the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 (Act 13 of 1994).]