Chapter IV Union and

(1) A Cooperative Union shall be registered in the State under this Act and it shall be known as the State Cooperative Union of Jharkhand. The Cooperative Union shall be constituted consisting of the Cooperative Federations and such Cooperative Societies as are not the members of any Cooperative Federation. (2) Cooperative Federations consisting of Primary and Central Cooperative Societies having same nature of objects may be established and shall be eligible for registration under this Act: Provided that there shall be only one federation in the State for a class of Primary and Central Cooperative Societies having same nature of objects. (3) For servicing their constituents and in accordance with their bye-laws, union/Federations may perform the following functions (a) safeguard the observance of the Cooperative Principles, (b) promote and organise Cooperative Societies and for this purpose frame model bye-laws and guidelines for framing various regulations and policies for consideration by Cooperative Societies. (c) provide Cooperative training, education and information and propagate Cooperative Principles, (d) Undertake research and evaluation and assist in preparation of perspective development plans of member Cooperative Societies, (e) promote harmonious relations between member Cooperative Societies, (f) help member Cooperative Society in the settlement of dispute among themselves and between a Cooperative Society and its members, (g) represent the interests of member Cooperative Societies and lobby policies and legislation favourable to Cooperative Societies, (h) undertake business services on behalf of its members, (i) provide Cooperative and management development services to member Cooperative Societies including participation in board meeting where invited, (j) to prepare a panel of auditors and ensure timely conduct of annual audit in member Cooperative Societies, (k) ensure timely conduct of election in member Cooperative Societies, (l) assist member Cooperative Societies in regular conduct of general meeting, (m) envolve code of conduct for observance by member Cooperative Societies, (n) envolve availability norms for member Cooperative Societies, (o) provide legal aid and advice, (p) assist member Cooperative Societies in organising self-help groups of people living in its area, (q) provide any other services, at the behest of member Cooperative Societies. (4) (a) A federation may request the board of a member Cooperative Society to convene a general body meeting of its members and shall request the board to do so where atleast ten percent of the members of the member Cooperative Societies have requested the federation to do so. (b) The requisition shall contain the items to be included in the agenda and these shall be dealt with at the general body meeting. (c) The board of the member Cooperative Societies shall convene such a meeting within thirty days of receipt of the requisition. (d) Where a member Cooperative Society fails to convene a general meeting within thirty days of receipt of a requisition to do so by a Federation, the board of the Federation may themselves call such meeting for dealing with such items as included in the requisition. (5) (a) General body of Federation shall consist of the delegates from the member Cooperative Societies. (b) The chair-person of a Cooperative Society shall ordinarily be the delegate of the next tier of Cooperative Society: Provided that if the chair-person is unable to represent owing to illness or other unavoidable reasons, he may nominate the Chief Executive or any other member of the board to be the delegate. (c) The delegate shall continue to represent his Cooperative Society in the next tier of Cooperative Society, Federation/Union as long as he remains in office in the member Cooperative Society. (6) The Cooperative Union may (i) create and maintain the Cooperative education fund, (ii) represent the interest and welfare of all types of Cooperative Societies at the district and State level, (iii) promote new forms of Cooperative enterprise, (iv) undertake experimental projects towards the application of Cooperative ideology, (v) liaise on of behalf of and amongst Cooperative Societies, and (vi) serve as a data bank on Cooperation.