The Maharashtra Co-Operative Societies Act, 1960 & Rules, 1961

This practical companion to the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960 & Rules, 1961 provides a compact but comprehensive roadmap for forming, managing and legally complying with cooperative society requirements in Maharashtra. Beginning with statutory definitions and scope, the book explains registration steps, required documents, model bye-laws, and how to frame society objects and membership rules. It sets out governance duties — member meetings, board composition, minutes, powers and conflicts of interest — and details election procedures under the Rules, including notice periods, scrutiny, and challenges. Finance and audit chapters cover accounting standards, audit cycles, statutory returns, inspection powers, and penalty provisions. For disputes and governance failures the guide explains complaint handling, mediation, reference to Registrar, prosecution and winding-up procedure with sample petitions and forms. Appendices include model bye-laws, registration & audit checklists, sample agenda/minutes, election templates and a quick-reference table of forms and fees. Written for practitioners and practitioners-adjacent readers, the book turns dense statutory language into operational templates and compliance workflows that reduce litigation risk and strengthen democratic governance in cooperative institutions.