Concluding Ceremony of the Cooperative Societies Mega Convention

Organized by Maharashtra Housing Federation and Pune District Federation on the Occasion of International Year of Cooperatives

Pune: In 2019, when cooperative housing societies had no formal place in the cooperative structure, a separate chapter was introduced to provide them with legal support. Within the next 10 to 12 days, the remaining rules will also be published, and necessary amendments to the Apartment Act will be completed within a month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah’s policy of achieving prosperity through cooperatives focuses on self-redevelopment. This process should be made even simpler, and cooperative development must be the driving force behind it, stated Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The Maha Convention and Exhibition was organized at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, Pune, by the Maharashtra State Cooperative Housing Societies and Apartments Federation, Cooperative Credit Societies Federation, and Cooperative Bank Federation. The event aimed to provide guidance and support to housing societies and apartments across Maharashtra.

The closing ceremony was attended by Union Minister Muralidhar Mohol, State IT Minister Ashish Shelar, MLA Pravin Darekar, senior cooperative expert Vidhyadhar Anaskar, MLA Hemant Rasane, Dheeraj Ghate, Deepak Misal, Federation President Suhas Patwardhan, Sitaram Rane, Mumbai Housing Societies President Prakash Darekar, Secretary Manisha Koshti, and National Cooperative Union of India (New Delhi) Executive Director Ashish Trivedi. Various online services, souvenirs, and books were launched at the event.

Key Announcements:

Cluster-based self-redevelopment will be encouraged. Efforts will be made to make housing societies tanker-free while promoting solar-equipped societies under the PM Surya Dhan Yojana.

In the next three months, an online system for societies will be implemented, followed by WhatsApp-based services within six months to ease citizen services.

Union Minister Muralidhar Mohol emphasized that India, being an agriculture-based economy, has over 40% of its population engaged in cooperatives. There are 800,000 cooperative societies in India, with 225,000 in Maharashtra, of which 125,000 are housing societies. Strengthening this movement is crucial, as cooperative models are being successfully implemented in 30 different sectors today.

State IT Minister Ashish Shelar stressed the importance of technology in the cooperative movement, stating that housing society meetings were conducted online during the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that cooperative societies must integrate professionalism and autonomy to gain public trust.

MLA Pravin Darekar highlighted the growth of self-redevelopment, especially in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. He noted that successful projects in Mumbai prove that redevelopment without builders is feasible, urging Pune residents to actively participate in the movement.

Senior cooperative expert Vidhyadhar Anaskar called for developing a cooperative culture in housing societies, addressing the widespread belief that societies are often plagued by disputes. He pointed out that many societies function smoothly and help one another, reinforcing that unity is the strength of cooperation.

Federation President Suhas Patwardhan urged for the implementation of the 2019 Cooperative Housing Societies Self-Redevelopment Order and its rules. He also demanded:

Online transfer of ownership Single-window clearance system Permanent cancellation of non-agricultural tax Dedicated offices for district and state federations.Development of an online cooperative dialogue portalThe event marked an important milestone in Maharashtra’s cooperative movement, paving the way for self-redevelopment, improved governance, and digital integration in housing societies.