This story is from October 15, 2016

Co-op hsg society heads will now have to do poll duty

Mumbai: In a controversial move, the state government has declared chairmen and secretaries of housing societies across the state as “booth-level volunteers’’. They will have to assist election officers during every election— from those at the gram panchayat, municipal and council levels to the assembly and parliamentary polls.
Co-op hsg society heads will now have to do poll duty
MUMBAI: In a controversial move, the state government has declared chairmen and secretaries of housing societies across the state as “booth-level volunteers’’. They will have to assist election officers during every election— from those at the gram panchayat, municipal and council levels to the assembly and parliamentary polls.
Officials said the government wants to scale up voter turnout and take the help of those at the helm of housing societies.

There are over 1.02 lakh co-operative societies across the state with over 22 lakh members. The state government wants to ensure that all of them step out to vote for all local, state and parliamentary elections. There are over 40,000 co-operative housing societies in the city. The civic elections in the city are due in February next year.
On Thursday, the state co-operatives department issued a circular declaring the chairman and secretary as ‘booth level volunteers’ under section 79-A of the Maharashtra Co-operative Society Act, 1960. The circular states that the Election Commission of India has already deemed them as booth level volunteers through a notification issued in 2012.
They will now have to help the local electoral officer with the revision of the electoral rolls, ensure enrolment of members above 18 years of age, inform the election office if society members leave the society or if there is a death of a member for deletion of names from the electoral rolls. They will also have to attend two annual meetings with the local election officer, besides including the information in the Annual Audit Report. Societies have been directed to follow the guidelines issued by the
BMC and to put up these posters in co-operative societies. The BMC has announced a cash prize for a housing society that sees the highest voter turnout.
Society office-bearers are, however, not very happy with the additional task. “In many housing societies there are only one or two committee members who are active. There are several disputes in a society. As it is there are so many things to be done as part of society work. It will not be easy to do this as well,” said Vivek Dalvi, secretary, Dheeraj Upvan, Borivli East.
Dr Nilesh Baxi, chairman, Yash Towers co-operative society, Tardeo, said he has been volunteering for many years not many would want to take up the job. “Name correction alone is such a tremendous headache. Now members will expect the chairman or secretary to do the running around and get their names in the electoral rolls corrected. I am tired of repeatedly correcting my own surname which is always misspelt. In a small society like mine which has 19 flats, it is much easier. What about societies that have more than 50 flats?” he asked.
“It will succeed only in a housing society where the members are united. If there are disputes it is unlikely that people will listen to the secretary or chairman,” said Utsal Karani, secretary, Janhit Manch.
A housing society secretary, on condition of anonymity, complained that theirs is a honorary job. “We can issue a general circular, put up posters but beyond that it is too much to expect anything,” he said.
J S Saharia, state chief election commissioner, said it is entirely voluntary. “The secretary, chairman of a society are in regular touch with members. We are only requesting them to encourage society members to come out and vote. After all it is a national task,” he said.
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