SC refuses to hear PIL on regulating cooperative societies

The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a PIL seeking a direction to state governemnts to implement 97th constitutional amendment pertaining to regulation of cooperatives societies.
A bench of justices B S Chauhan and Dipak Misra asked the petitioner to approach respective High Courts for implementation of the amendment in the states.
The petitioner, Marisa Sarasa, pleaded with the court that the amendment, meant to ensure autonomous and democratic functioning of cooperatives, are not being implemented as the cooperatives are still being controlled by influential people.
The amendment was brought last year by the Centre for bringing more transparency and accountability in functioning of cooperatives.

It was also provided that the maximum number of directors of a co-operative society would not be exceeding 21 and a fixed term of five years was given to the elected members of the board and its office bearers.
By this amendment, reservation of one seat for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes and two seats for women on the board was provided in every cooperative society.