Membership

(1) Any person, who needs the services of the Cooperative 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: Provided that the Cooperative Society is in a 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. Where admission is so refused, the decision with the reasons therefor 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: Provided 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 been refused membership by the board, an appeal may be lie within thirty days 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 revision 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: Provided 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. 5. Amendment in subsection (7) of section 23 shall be substituted by the following: “A person admitted as a member may exercise the rights of membership, including the right to vote only after ensuring minimum attendance, as required in the meetings convened for participation in the management of the society and availing of minimum requisite services of the society as may be prescribed in the bye-laws of the society; Provided that a person shall have been a member for at least one year before being eligible to exercise the right to vote; Provided further that the above provision shall not apply to the promoter members in the first year of registration of a Co-operative Society.” 6. After subsection (7) of section 23 the following sub-sections (8), (9) and (10) shall be inserted, namely: “(8) Every Co-operative Society shall provide access to every member to the books, information and accounts of the Co-operative Society kept in regular transaction of its business with such member. (9) Every member of a Co-operative Society shall have the right to get all information/ documents regarding books, information and accounts of the Co-operative Society kept in regular transaction of its business. The chief executive officer/manager of the Co-operative Society shall ensure access to every member to all required information/documents. (10) The members of any Co-operative Society shall have the right to get education and co- operative related training as per the rules or bye-laws made under any provisions of this Act.”