Open membership

(1) No society shall, without sufficient cause, refuse admission to membership to any person duly qualified therefore under the provisions of this Act and its bye-laws. (2) Where a person is refused admission as a member of a society, the decision, with the reason therefore, shall be communicated to that person within fifteen days of the date of the decision, or within three months from the date of the application for admission, whichever is earlier. (3) Any person aggrieved by the decision of a society refusing him admission of its membership, may appeal to the Registrar. (4) Where a society refuses to accept the application from an eligible person for admission as member, or the payment made by him in respect of membership, or having accepted the membership application, a society does not convey its decision within three months from the date of receipt of application, the membership shall be deemed to have been refused and the person aggrieved may appeal to the Registrar. (5) An appeal under sub-section (3) shall be filed within two months of the date of communication of refusal and under sub-section (4) within two months of deemed refusal. (6) Every such appeal under sub-section (3) or (4) shall, as far as possible, be disposed of by the Registrar within a period of three months from the date of its receipt.