Chapter V MEMBERSHIP

Society, accept the responsibilities of membership and fulfils such other Conditions as may be specified in the bye-laws of the Cooperative Society. May be admitted as a member: Provide that the Cooperative Society is in position to extend its services to the applicant and that the applicant is not already a member of a Cooperative Society registered under this Act, or the Bihar Cooperative Societies Act, 1935 providing the same or similar services. (2) Membership shall be available without any discrimination on grounds of sex. (3) Admission of members and removal from membership shall be made in accordance with the procedure specified in the bye-laws only by an elected board or by the general body where such an elected board does not exist for the time being. (4) No Cooperative Society Shall, without Sufficient cause, refuse admission to any person duly qualified for membership under the bye-laws. VVhere admission is so refused, the decisiOn with the reasons therefore shall be communicated to such applicant within fifteen days of the date of the decision or within thirty days from the date of application for membership, whichever is earlier; Provide that if no such decision is communicated within thirty days of applying for membership then the person shall be deemed to have been admitted as a member of the Cooperative Society on the thirty-first day. (5) Where a person has of communication of such decision to the general body against the decision of the board. (6) Any applicant aggrieved by the decision of the general body may file a rev9ision within sixty days of communication of such decision before the Cooperative Tribunal. (7) A person admitted as a member may exercise the rights of membership, including the right to vote, only on fulfilment of such conditions as may be laid down from time to time in the bye-laws: Provide that a person shall have been a member for at least one year before being eligible to exercise the right of vote: Provided further that the above proviso shall not apply to the promoter members in the first year of registration of a Cooperative Society.

shall ordinarily by available only to members unless otherwise provided in the bye-laws.