Tamil Nadu State Co-operative Societies Election Commission

PUBLIC PORTAL
I. OBJECT OF THIS PORTAL
This portal intends to enlighten and educate the co-operators as well as the general public
about some aspects of the Co-operative Movement, organizing a Co-operative Society, becoming
members of a society, management of societies, formation of Tamil Nadu State Co-operative
Societies Election Commission, its powers and functions, and the conduct of election of Members
(Directors) and Office Bearers (President and Vice President) of the board of a society.
II. ABOUT CO-OPERATIVES – GENERAL INFORMATION
(1) Co-operative Principles
1. Voluntary and Open- Membership
2. Democratic Member Control
3. Member Economic Participation
4. Autonomy and Independence
5. Education, Training and Information
6. Co-operation Among Co-operatives
7. Concerns for Community
- As adopted by the -
INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE ALLIANCE
(2) Co-operatives as a Movement
Co-operative is a non-political movement for the economic and social uplift of the
members of society. From the days of Rockdale Pioneers of the United Kingdom in the year
1844 to this day of ‘Amma Marunthagam’ and ‘Amma Pasumai Pannai Thittam’ through
Co-operatives in Tamil Nadu, the Co-operative movement is growing in leaps and bounds and
with no turning back.
(3) What is a Co-operative Society
Co-operative Societies of a State are body corporates registered under the Co-
operative Societies Act of the respective states and some under the Multi State Co-operative
Societies Act.
(4) Role of Co-operatives
Co-operatives are institutions formed for the promotion of thrift, self-help and mutual
aid among themselves with common economic needs so as to bring about improvement in
Agriculture and Industry, better methods of production, better business and better living.
(5) Co-operatives in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu, a pioneer and model state in all spheres and schemes of things, is also
the first to organize Co-operatives in the country. The first such Co-operative for rural
credit was started in the year 1904 at Thirur in Thiruvallur District.
 At the same year a Co-operative for the Urban Consumers was also started at
Chennai, The Triplicane Urban Co-operative Society, popularly known as TUCS
and which started the Kamadhenu, the first ever Super Market of its kind in Chennai and also
a pioneer to the present day Plazas and Malls of the city.
(6) Co-operatives in various sectors
In Tamil Nadu, Co-operatives are there in all walks of life and field of activities, like
Agriculture Credit. Finance and Banking, Land Development, Agricultural Production,
Marketing, Manure and Fertilizers, Food and Consumers Co-operatives, Super Markets,
Handlooms and Textiles, Sugar Mills, Dairying, Housing, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Small,
Cottage and Village Industries, Child Development, Students, Industrial Workers, Labourers,
Employees, Officials, Women, SC/ST, Minorities, Tribal Welfare etc.
Apart from the Registrar of Co-operative Societies, who is having jurisdiction over
Co-operative Societies connected with Agricultural Credit, Agricultural Marketing, Consumers,
Banking, Finance, Workers, Employees, etc. there are 14 other Heads of Departments
known as Functional Registrars who are also having jurisdiction over certain classes of Co-
operative Societies as mentioned below:- (As on 28/02/2013)
SI. NAME OF THE DEPARTMENT PRIMARY CENTRAL APEX TOTAL
NO. (Sector) SOCIETIES SOCIETIES SOCIETIES
(Structure)

1. Registrar of Co-operative Societies 7303 113 6 7422

Other Functional Registrars

2. Commissioner for Milk Production and
9834 17 1 9852
Dairy Development
3. Director of Fisheries 1389 12 1 1402
4. Director of Handlooms and Textiles 1345 20 3 1368
5. Registrar of Co-operative Societies
860 - 1 861
(Housing)
6. Chief Executive Officer, Palm
731 8 1 740
Products and Development Board
7. Director of Industries and Commerce 312 11 3 326
8. Chief Executive Officer, Khadi and
158 1 - 159
Village Industries
9. Director of Animal Husbandry and
107 - - 107
Veterinary Services
10. Director of Agriculture 93 10 - 103
11. 98
Director of Social Welfare 97 1 -

12. Director of Rural Development and

45 - - 45
Panchayatraj.
13. Director of Sericulture 25 - 1 26
14. Commissioner, Integrated Child
26 - - 26
Development Services.
15. Director of Sugar 16 - 1 17
Total 22341 193 18 22552
 (7) Governance of Co-operatives
The Co-operatives Societies in Tamil Nadu are governed by the Tamil Nadu Co-
operative Societies Act, 1983 and the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Societies Rules, 1988 and
other laws as applicable in relevance to the business activities of the societies.

III. Registration, Membership and Management

(1) Registration of a Co-operative Society (Sec 6)
For registering a Co-operative Society, the proposed society should consist of at least
twenty five independent persons qualified to be admitted as members, who are residing or
owning immovable property in the area of operation of the society.
(2) Societies which may be registered (Sec 4 )
A society which has its object, the promotion of the economic interest or general
welfare of its members in accordance with the Co-operative Principles may be registered.
(3) Application for registration ( Sec 8)
An application for registration of a society shall be made to the Registrar of Co-
operative Societies concerned, under whose functional and territorial jurisdiction the society is
proposed.
(4) Class and Categories of Societies (Sec 16 and Rule 14)
The societies are classified and categorised with reference to their objects, area of
operation, membership and any other matter as specified in the rules.
(5) Who can be a member (Sec 21)
Any individual competent to contract under section 11 of the Indian Contract Act,
such further qualification as may be specified in the rules or bye-laws.
(6) Admission of Associate Member (Sec 22)
The societies as provided in the Act, Rules and bye-laws may admit persons with
the prescribed qualification as associated members.
They are not entitled to participate in the general meeting of the society or in
the elections to the board of the society.
(7) Management of a Co-operative Society (Sec 33)
The management of a Co-operative society is vested in a board (committee)
constituted in accordance with the provisions of the Act, Rules and Bye-laws of the society.
The Board consists of (1) Elected Members (2) Co-opted Members and (3)
Functional Directors.
The number of elected members of a board of a society varies according to the type
of the society viz Primary, Central and Apex. The minimum is 7 and the maximum is 21.
Of the members to be elected there shall be 30% reservation for women and 18%
reservation for SC and ST. The term of the board is 5 years from the date of election.
IV. THE CONSTITUTION OF CO-OPERATIVE ELECTION COMMISSION
(1) Article 243ZK of the Constitution (97th Amendment) Act, 2011 which states:
The superintendence, direction and control of the
preparation of electoral rolls for, and the conduct
of, all elections to a co-operative society shall vest
in such an authority or body, as may be provided
by the Legislature of a State, by law:
As mandated by the constitution the Tamil Nadu State Co-operative Societies
Election Commission was constituted by the Government of Tamil Nadu u/s 33-A of the
Tamil Nadu Co-operative Societies Act, 1983.

(2) What Section 33- A (1) States:

“The superintendence, direction and control of the
preparation of electoral rolls for, and the conduct
of, all elections to a co-operative society shall
vest in the Tamil Nadu State Co-operative
Societies Election Commission consisting of a
Tamil Nadu State Co-operative Election Commissioner”.

(3) The powers and functions of the Election Commission are detailed under
Rule 52-A.
Co-ordination of District Collector
The Election Commission gives such directions as may be necessary to the District
Collector or District Superintendent of Police or any Executive Magistrate or any Police
Officer for the conduct of Co-operative Election. (52-A(1) (a)).

Co-ordination of Various Heads of Departments

The Election Commission appoints as State Election Officers the Heads of 15
Government Departments, in respect of the Co-operative Societies coming under their
respective administrative control.
The State Election Officers, subject to the superintendence, direction and
control of the Election Commission, co-ordinate and supervise the conduct of election to
Co-operatives under their respective administrative control (52-A-3)
At present the following officers are functioning as the State Election Officers as
appointed by the Election Commission for the societies under the Department noted against:
Name of the State Election Officer Societies coming under the control of
1. Tmt.Jayashree Muralidharan, I.A.S., Registrar of Cooperative Societies
2. Dr. K.Manivasan, I.A.S., Director of Integrated Child Development Services
3. Thiru. V.M.Velliangiri, M.Sc,M.A.,M.B.A.,HDC Registrar of Cooperative Societies (Housing)
4. Thiru. V.M.Xavier Chrisso Nayagam, I.A.S., Commissioner of Social Welfare
5. Thiru. Sunil Paliwal, I.A.S., Commissioner for Milk Production and Dairy
Development
6. Thiru. T.Abraham, I.A.S., Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary
Services
7. Thiru. R.Sudalaikannan, I.A.S., Tamil Nadu Khadhi and Village Industries Board
8. Thiru. R.Sudalaikannan, I.A.S., Palm Development Board
9. Thiru. Magesan Kasirajan, I.A.S., Director of Sugar
10. Tmt. G.Latha, I.A.S., Director of Handlooms and Textiles
11. Dr. M.Rajendran, I.A.S., Director of Agriculture
12. Thiru. K.Baskaran I.A.S., Director of Rural Development and Panjayat Raj
13. Tmt. Beela Rajesh I.A.S., Director of Fisheries
14. Thiru. Jagmohan Singh Raju, I.A.S., Director of Industries and Commerce
15. Thiru. P.Senthilkumar I.A.S The Director of Sericulture

Co-ordination of District Level Administrative Heads

The Election Commission appoints as many officers of the Government not below
the rank of Deputy Registrar of Co-operative Societies in the Co-operative Department or not
below such rank in other departments of the Government as the District Election Officer for
each district or part of a district.
These District Election Officers, subject to the superintendence, direction and
control of the Election Commission, co-ordinate and supervise the conduct of election to Co-
operatives under their respective administrative control (52-A-(4))
Now there are 424, District Election Officers:

Sl.No. Name of the Departments No. of District Election Officers

1 Registrar of Cooperative Societies 71
2 Commissioner for Milk Production and Dairy
32
Development
3 Director of Fisheries 31
4 Director of Handlooms and Textiles 32
5 Registrar of Cooperative Societies (Housing) 32
6 Chief Executive Officer, Palm Products and
32
Development Board
7 Director of Industries and Commerce 32
8 Chief Executive Officer, Khadi and Village
32
Industries
 9 Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary
14
Services
10 Director of Agriculture 30
11 Director of Social Welfare 32
12 Director of Rural Development and Panchayatraj 13
13 Director of Sericulture 10
14 Commissioner, Integrated Child Development 10
Services
15 Director of Sugar 12
Total 424

(4) CONDUCT OF ELECTION

a) Election of members of the board of members of the board is conducted as provided
under Rule 52
b) The Election of Office Bearers of the Board (President and Vice President) is
conducted as per Rule 53 of the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Societies Rules, 1988.
c) Who can vote
Every member has only one vote.
But only those members who, on the date thirty days prior to the date of poll and
who were qualified in accordance with the provisions of the Act, Rules, and bye-laws
and are in the voters list as published by the Electoral officer (Rule 52 (7)) can vote.
d) Who can become a member of the Board
Any member of a society whose name is in the voters list and who is not
otherwise disqualified for being elected as a member of the board can be nominated
as a candidate for election under the Act and the Rules.
e) Hand Books on the conduct of Co-operative Elections
(For complete details in respect of the conduct of election of members and office
bearers of the boards of societies the various hand books brought out by the
Commission and hosted in the Commission’s website may be gone through)

(V) Co-operative Elections 2013 – HIGHLIGHTS

(1) For the first time in Tamil Nadu, Election to all Co-operatives under the jurisdiction of the
Registrar of Co-operative Societies and all other Functional Registrars were conducted
simultaneously by the newly formed Tamil Nadu State Co-operative Societies Election
Commission, an independent body, constituted as per the Constitution (Ninety Seventh
Amendment) Act, 2011.
 (2) A mammoth exercise of conducting elections to a large number of 21,027 Co-operatives
which is exacting and a first in the history of Co-operative Elections in Tamil Nadu and also
an unparalleled event throughout the country.
(3) Elections were conducted not for hundreds or thousands of vacancies but for a record
number of about 2.5 lakh vacancies.
(4) Election for 2 lakh vacancies for the Primaries were conducted simultaneously in a record
time, within a short span of 64 days from 04.03.2013 to 06.05.2013 – a historic achievement
in the annals of any election.
(5) Introduction of Ballot Boxes, Paper Seals as used in General and Local Body Elections and
Ballot Papers uniformly designed, which is also a first in the history of Co-operative
Elections in the state.
(6) Compared to the number of 2.5 lakh vacancies for which elections were conducted, Writ
Petitions were filed questioning the process of election in only 493 cases which is negligible.
(7) Barring a very few, almost all the Writ Petitions were either dismissed or disposed of taking
the stand of the Commission as correct.
(8) Larger successes of women in the election, numbering about 57, 250 elected as Directors on
the Board of these societies.
(9) Publication of Comprehensive Hand Books and Election Manuals for the first time for the
guidance of the Election Officials.
(10) Publication of posters for the first time for the education of crores of members for their
participation in the Co-operative Elections.
(11) When the previous Elections to Co-operatives in the year 2007 were marred by large scale
riot and violence resulting in the cancellation of all the Election to Co-operatives held in the
state, the Free, Fair, Peaceful and Orderly conduct of Elections to 2 lakh vacancies in
the Primaries alone in a short period of 64 days by the newly formed Tamil Nadu State Co-
operative Societies Election Commission is in itself a historic achievement.
(12) Co-operative Election a Continuous Process
Unlike Election to Parliament and Legislative in which vacancies are on the basis of territories,
which are more static, the Co-operatives are formed every now and then according to the
needs, class and categories of the members, necessitating continuous election and therefore
Co-operative Election is a non-stop process. Subsequent to the election of 2.5 lakh regular
vacancies already conducted upto August 2013 elections for 50,986 new vacancies which arose
in 10,572 societies have since been successfully conducted till August 2015.