'Govt mulling land to housing co-operative institutions'

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-10-13
PANAJI-The Minister for Co-operation, Mr Ravi Naik on Saturday said that the government would consider making land available to the housing co-operative institutions through the Goa State Co-operative Housing Finance and Federation Ltd.
“However, the members of the housing co-operative institutions strictly need to be locals,” he added.
Mr Naik, speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of a day-long workshop on ‘Goa Co-operative Societies Act 2001, Rules 2003 and Model By-laws 2008’, organised in the city by the federation, further said that the department of co-operation could also think about exempting the co-operative housing institutions from the existing two per cent stamp duty.
Suggesting that such a proposal be forwarded by the federation to the government, he assured that the finance department could be requested in this
respect.
Mr Naik further observed that retired persons having experience in the co-operative sector could help in solving many problems existing in the co-operative housing sector and added that any amendment to the Goa State Co-operative Act, if needed could be
done.
The chairman of the draft committee of the Goa Co-operative Societies Act, Rules and Model By-laws, Mr R K Pikale, in his key-note address said that the Goa Co-operative Societies Act 2001 had various provisions such as self regulatory mechanism defining the powers, responsibilities, functions and duties of the general body, the auditors and so on, transparency wherein the members would be able to inspect the records of the societies as relating to their transactions, accountability of the AGM and least interference by the government.
The chairman of the Goa State Co-operative Housing Finance and Federation Ltd, Mr P G Kenkre, in his welcome address said that there were over 1,500 housing societies in Goa, and most of them were facing lot of problems in organisational management and
other sectors.
“The dispute redressal system for the co-operative housing societies has come to a standstill as the authorities at the department of co-operation have washed off their hands,” he complained, adding that the co-operative housing institutions, unlike other co-operative institutions were facing stamp duties, which is a great discrimination.
Mr Kenkre also lamented that the genuine co-operators were not able to undertake co-operative housing projects as the land in Goa was available at prohibitive price.
He further suggested that some measures should be taken to make it compulsory on the part of the builders, to transfer the title of the colonies to the co-operative societies, within a period of six months.
The deputy registrar of co-operative societies, Mr C D Gawade was also present.