Islamabad - The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Prevention Committee for Reforms in Cooperative Department Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) has presented its recommendations to NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry on Monday.
The NAB chief approved the proposed recommendations for onward submission to Ministry of Interior for implementation. He had constituted the committee in pursuance of Section 33c of NAB Ordinance, 1999, comprising representatives of all stakeholders including representation from Cooperative Department, ICT.
The department appreciated NAB’s effectors for proposing effective and workable recommendations.
The ICT through a gazette notification no RCS/01-05, dated March 3, informed the bureau that NAB’s recommendations have been included in the notification and directed all management committees of cooperative housing societies to implement these directions issued under sections 44d and 44e of The Cooperative Societies Act, 1925. Moreover, every cooperative society shall appoint a focal person from amongst its managing committee along with an officer of the society who shall be held personally liable for any lapse to this effect. The focal person shall also share the weekly progress report with Circle Registrar, Cooperative Societies Department, Islamabad. In case of non-compliance, the managing committee of the society shall be liable to be proceeded against jointly and severally under the penal provision of the Act. The recommendations of NAB’s Prevention Committee for Reforms in Cooperative Department, ICT which were incorporated in the gazette notification state that “every cooperative housing society shall annually furnish details of plots including their allotment, creation, sub-division or amalgamation to the concerned development authority and endorsed copy to the every cooperative housing society shall annually furnish detail of plots including their allotment, creation, sub-division or amalgamation to the concerned development authority and shall endorse a copy to the circle registrar, clearly certifying thereby that the society has not committed any violation of approved layout plan during the year.”
It further explains, “every cooperative housing society shall ensure strict adherence to the layout plan approved by the development authority and no transfer of share (s) or interest(s) of a member shall be approved unless it is certified by the society that no violation of layout plan has been committed by the transferor.” Every cooperative housing society shall obtain a certificate of “land audit” from the concerned municipal/development authority on an annual basis to ensure sanctity of layout plan. Every cooperative society shall ensure timely completion of its on-going project(s) and no new project or scheme shall be launched unless 70 per cent development work has been completed on the ongoing project of such society. Every cooperative society shall complete its on-going project or scheme within five years, failing which liquidation proceedings may be initiated against such society under section 47 of The Cooperative Societies Act, 1925.
Every cooperative society shall establish the “reserve fund” specified in sections 39 and 42 of The Cooperative Societies Act, 1925. Every cooperative society shall establish a contributory “provident fund “ in accordance with section 41 of the act for the benefit of its employees and the society in such a manner and subject to such conditions or restrictions , as may be prescribed by the government for the benefit of the employees.
Every cooperative society shall take effective measures to promote cooperation among cooperatives in line with sixth cooperative principle and strengthen cooperatives by utilising resources to achieve common goals. Every cooperative society shall set up, at its own expense, a website and the managing committee will be responsible for making suitable arrangements for its regular maintenance, updating and ensuring that it runs securely, smoothly and uninterruptedly. Every cooperative society shall carry out the audit of its accounts through credible audit firms in accordance with audit guideline issued by Registrar Cooperative vide circular dated August 15, 2016. Every cooperative society shall spell out agenda items to be discussed in the AGM and shall ensure video recording of all the proceedings.