22. Person who may become member.— (1) Subject to the provisions of section 24, no person shall be admitted as a member of society except the following, that is to say-
(a) an individual; who is competent to contract under the Indian Contract Act, 1872,
(b) a firm, company or any other body corporate constituted under any law for the time being in force, or a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860;
(c) a society registered, or deemed to be registered under this Act;
(d) the State Government or the Central Government;
(e) a local authority;
(f) a public trust registered under any law for the time being in force for the registration of such trusts :
Provided that, the provisions of clause (a) shall not apply to an individual seeking admission to a society exclusively formed for the benefit of students of a school or college:
Provided further that, subject to such terms and conditions as may be laid down by the State Government by general or special order, a firm or company may be admitted as a member only of society which is a federal or urban society or which conducts or intends to conduct an industrial undertaking -
Provided also that, any firm or company, which is immediately before the commencement of this Act, a member of a society deemed to be registered under this Act, shall have, subject to the other provisions of this Act, the right to continue to be such member on and after such commencement
Explanation: For the purpose of this section an “urban society” means a society the business of which mainly falls within the limits of a municipal corporation, municipality, cantonment or notified area committee. (1-A)
Not withstanding anything contained in sub section (1) the State Government may, having regard to the fact that the interest of any person or class of persons conflicts or likely to conflict with the objects of any society or class of persons conflicts or likely to conflict with the objects of any society or class of societies, by general or special order, published in the Official Gazette, declare that any person or class of persons engaged in or carrying on any profession, business or employment shall be disqualified from being admitted, or for continuing, as members or shall be eligible for membership only to a limited extent of any specified society or class of societies, so long as such person or persons are engaged in or carry on that profession, business or employment (as the case may be; and the question whether a person is or is not so engaged in or carrying on any profession business or employment or whether a person belongs or does not belong to such class of persons as declared under this sub section and has or has not incurred a disqualification under this sub section shall be decided by the Registrar under section 11. (1-B) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub section (1) where the Registrar has decided under Section 11 that a person has incurred a disqualification under sub section (1-A), the Registrar or the person not below the rank of District Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies, authorized by him in this behalf, may, by order, remove such person from membership of the society; and such person shall cease to be a member of the society on expiration of a period of one month from the date of receipt of ;such order by him. (2) Where a person Is refused admission as a member of society, the decision (with the reasons therefore) shall be communicated to that person within fifteen days of the date of the decision, or within three months from the date of receipt of the application for admission, whichever is earlier. If the society does not communicate any decision to the applicant within three months from the date of receipt of such application, the applicant shall be deemed to have been admitted as a member of the society. If any question arises whether a person has become a deemed member or otherwise, the same shall be decided by the Registrar after giving a reasonable opportunity of being heard to all the concerned parties.
23. Open membership.— (1) No society shall, without sufficient cause, refuse admission to membership to any person duly qualified therefore under the provisions of this Act and its bye-laws.
(1-A) Where a society refuses to accept the application from an eligible person for admission as a member, or the payment made by him in respect of membership, such person may tender an application in such form as may be prescribed together with payment in respect of membership, if any, to the Registrar, who shall forward the application and the amount, if any so paid, to the society concerned within thirty days from the date of receipt of such application and the amount; and thereupon if the society fails to communicate any decision to the applicant within sixty days from the date of receipt of such application and the amount by the society, the applicant shall be deemed to have become a member of such society. If any question arises whether a person has become a deemed member or otherwise, the same shall be decided by the Registrar after giving a reasonable opportunity of being heard to all the concerned parties.
(2) Any person aggrieved by the decision of a society, refusing him admission to its membership, may appeal to the Registrar. Every such appeal, as far as possible, be disposed of by the Registrar within a period of three months from the date of its receipt: Provided that, where such appeal is not so disposed of within the said period of three months, the Registrar shall record the reasons for the delay.
(3) The decision of the Registrar in appeal, shall be final and the Registrar shall communicate his decision to the parties within fifteen days from the date thereof:
(4) Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions of this section, in the case of agro-processing societies or any other society for which a definite zone or an area of operation is allotted by the State Government or the Registrar, it shall be obligatory on the part of such society to admit, on an application made to it, every eligible person from that zone or the area of operation, as the case may be, as a member of such society, unless such person is already registered as a member of any other such society, into the same zone or the area of operation.
