Supreme Court Demands Reform: Ending Colonial-era Practices in Cooperative Societies

The Supreme Court has urged Uttar Pradesh to amend its rules regarding the ex-officio posts held by bureaucrats' wives in cooperative societies, referencing outdated colonial mindsets. The court emphasized the need for model rules and highlighted potential legal consequences for non-compliance, while criticizing the state’s current systems.

In a decisive move, the Supreme Court has issued a call for Uttar Pradesh to revise its existing rules that allow the spouses of senior bureaucrats to hold ex-officio positions in cooperative societies, labeling such practices as remnants of a 'colonial mindset.'

A judicial bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan voiced their disapproval when informed by Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj about the state's challenges in reforming these societies. Justice Kant emphasized the urgency for the state to develop model rules for these societial structures.

Underlining the legal ramifications, the court declared that societies failing to adopt the recommended bye-laws risk losing their legal status. Highlighting the overarching need for legislative action, the bench mandated the drafting of a proposal for rule amendments, setting a date for further discussion on the matter in six weeks.

(With inputs from agencies.)