Mumbai, August 8, 2026: The Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies, K/East Division, Mumbai, has disqualified eight managing committee members of Green Acres Co-operative Housing Society in Andheri East for five years for allegedly failing to provide documents and information sought by a society member within the stipulated period.
The order was passed under Section 154B-23(1)(iii) of the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1960, following a complaint by society member Alex Noronha. The dispute concerned Noronha’s demand for various records and documents from the society.
Member Sought Extensive Records
According to the order, Noronha had sought information on 10 issues, including minutes and notices of managing committee meetings between January 2022 and April 2025, correspondence between the society and the Deputy Registrar’s office, structural audit certificates submitted to the BMC, expenditure incurred on structural audits, audit reports, legal expenses and lawyers’ bills, mobile tower income and expenditure, redevelopment-related meetings and records, and details of various society matters.
The Deputy Registrar had initially directed the society on September 22, 2025, to provide the requested documents within 45 days after charging the applicable fees. However, the authority noted that the society failed to comply with the direction.
Auditor Appointed To Assist
Subsequently, on March 17, 2026, a certified auditor, Satish Kakade, was appointed as an authorised officer to facilitate the furnishing of the documents from the society’s records. Despite this, the authority found that the society had provided only some of the information.
The order records that, except for certain documents relating to managing committee minutes and financial records, information sought on most of the 10 points had not been furnished.
The society argued that the member had not explained why he required the documents and that he had paid only Rs 500 towards copying charges, with another Rs 1,440 allegedly pending. It also cited administrative difficulties and other issues faced by the society.
Registrar Rejects Society’s Defence
Rejecting these grounds, the Deputy Registrar observed that Section 154B-8 of the Act gives members the right to inspect and obtain copies of specified society records. The authority further noted that the provision does not require a member to state the purpose for which the information is being sought.
The order also referred to a Bombay High Court ruling which held that providing information to a member under Section 154B-8 is not discretionary but a mandatory responsibility of the society’s managing committee.
Also Watch:
Finding that the managing committee had failed to provide the requested information despite directions from the authority, Deputy Registrar Sanjay A. Gadepatil disqualified Vinod Patrikar, Sudhir Kasale, Shailesh Bedarkar, Surendra Devdhar, Nitesh Karmaran, Vishnu Naik, Asha Sharma, and Rajesh Suryawanshi from being elected, appointed, or continuing as members of the society’s managing committee for five years.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
