Mumbai: ‘Need more effective redressal mechanism for housing societies’

The cooperative commissionerrsquos idea to award cooperative societies adhering to dispute redressal mechanism and green solutions has garnered praises but legal experts and activists say it is high time the working of cooperative departments is monitored by the commissioner for streamlining the functioning of the departmentmidday had on July 11 reported about the statersquos decision to start the best cooperative housing society award which is aimed at addressing issues such as waste disposal power water conservation as well as coming up with environment friendly solutions to ensure good and transparent governanceAlso readMaharashtra to start best cooperative housing society award soonSolicitor Stuti Galiya said ldquoThe provision regarding inhouse dispute redressal mechanism does not offer anything new as such an enabling provision has already been provided in the society bylaws This system does not offer much benefit especially where a member has issues with the managing committee itself who on most occasions exercise highhandedness and treat themselves over and above lawrdquoldquoIn my view the existing legalregulatory system dealing with housing societies itself needs significant reforms These quasijudicial and regulatoryadministrative departments are not well versed with legal provisions Hence on several occasions they pass judgments which are contrary to legal and statutory provisionsrdquo she saidldquoThere is a dire need for a speedy transparent and accurate justice system for housing society matters to address thousands of pending cases It would be helpful and effective to constitute a special tribunal with legal members which would make it easier for a common man to access and seek justicerdquo she concludedCA Ramesh Prabhu founder chairman of MahaSEWA said ldquoIt is a welcome decision to award societies that are doing good work If the department is serious in reducing the complaints and ensuring smooth functioning of the society and cooperative department it should ensure therersquos an online portal where compliance of each and every society is recorded and cooperative officers are given direction to attend to the complaints in a timebound mannerOnline portal will bring transparencyldquoThe Maharashtra State Housing Federation has requested the commissioner as well as the principal secretary of cooperation department to expedite on the online portal system which will not only provide cooperative education to the members but will also make the adjudication mechanism fasterrdquo said Advocate Shreeprasad Parab expert director State Cooperative Housing FederationldquoMembers can bring their grievances to the authorities via the portal and the authorities shall be accountable to adjudicate the issues in a timebound manner The ordersdirections can be uploaded on the portal which will be educational to the public at large Thus the online portal system will not only act as a dispute redressal mechanism but also as a tool of transparency and accountability at the administrative authoritiesrsquo endrdquo said Advocate ParabExpert viewAdvocate Vinod Sampat founder and president of Flat Users Residents Welfare Association said ldquoFor the first time since the enactment of the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act the commissioner of cooperation has taken an initiative to give awards to the best maintained housing societies But the need of the hour is that the commissioner come up with proactive measures for streamlining the functioning of cooperative departments which have glaring issues There needs to ensure the work is done by officers the registrar replies to letters and takes action and is available in office at the time of hearing there is no backlog of complaints etcrdquo Sampat concluded