(As passed by the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi on
the 29th July, 2003)
An Act to consolidate and amend the laws relating to co-operative societies, to facilitate
the voluntary formation and democratic functioning of cooperatives as people’s
institutions based on self help and mutual aid to enable them to promote their economic
and social betterment and to provide for better regulation, management, functional
autonomy of such societies and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto in
the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
Be it enacted by Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in
the Fifty-fourth Year of the Republic of India as follows :-
CHAPTER – I
PRELIMINARY
Short title, extent and commence-ment.
1. (1) This Act may be called the Delhi Co-operative Societies Act, 2003.
(2) It extends to the whole of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification in the
official Gazette, appoint.
Definitions.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, –
(a) Omitted vide Notification No. F.14(31)/LA-2004/16 dated 17/01/2005
(b) “area of operation” means the area of Delhi from which the membership is drawn;
(‘and’ Omitted vide Notification No. F.14(31)/LA-2004/16 dated 17/01/2005)
(c) “bye-laws” means the registered bye-laws for the time being in force and includes
registered or deemed amendments of such bye-laws;
(d) “Collector” shall have the same meaning as is assigned to it in the General
Clauses Act, 1897 (10 of 1897).
(e) “committee’ means the governing body of a co-operative society by whatever
name called, to which the management of the affairs of the co-operative society
is entrusted;
(f) “co-operative bank” means a bank as defined under section 5 as amended by
section 56 of the Banking Regulations Act, 1949 ( 10 of 1949);
(g) “co-operative principles” means the co-operative principles specified in the
Schedule to this Act;
(h) “co-operative society” means a society registered or deemed to be registered
under this Act;
(i) “co-operative year” means the year ending on the 31st day of March;
(j) “Delhi” means the National Capital Territory of Delhi;
(k) “Deposit Insurance Corporation” means the Deposit Insurance and Credit
Guarantee Corporation established under section 3 of the Deposit Insurance and
Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961 (47 of 1961);
(l) “Divisional Commissioner” means an officer appointed by the Government as such
possessing the powers of the Collector and the District Magistrate under the
relevant laws for the time being in force.
(m) “federal co-operative society” means a co-operative society whose membership
is available only to co-operative societies and in the case of a federal co-
operative society formed with the main objective to propagate and promote
activities in the field of art, culture, education, information technology, training,
industry, etc., shall also include experts in the respective fields in individual
capacity not exceeding one-fifths of the total strength of such society or twenty,
whichever is less;
(n) “financing bank” means a co-operative bank the objects of which include the
creation of funds to be lent to other co-operative societies;
(o) “general body” in relation to a primary co-operative society means all the
members of that co-operative society and in relation to a federal co-operative
society, means all the delegates of the member co-operative societies and the
individual members as per clause (m);
(p) “Government” means the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of
Delhi appointed by the President under article 239 and designated by such under
article 239 AA of the Constitution;
(q) “Lieutenant-Governor” means the Administrator of National Capital Territory of
Delhi appointed by the President under article 239 of the Constitution;
(r) “member” means a person joining in the application for the registration of a co-
operative society and a person admitted to membership after such registration in
accordance with this Act, the rules and the bye-laws, and includes a nominal or
associate or joint member and the Government when it subscribes to the share
capital of a co-operative society;
(s) “NABARD” means the National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development
constituted under the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act,
1981 (61 of 1981);
(t) “officer” means the president, vice-president, chairman, vice-chairman, managing
director, secretary, manager, member of committee, treasurer, liquidator,
administrator and includes any other person empowered under this Act, the rules
or the bye-laws, to give directions in regard to the business of a co-operative
society;
(u) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(v) “primary co-operative society” means a co-operative society in which individuals
are members;
(w) “Registrar” means a person appointed to perform the functions of the Registrar of
co-operative societies under this Act and includes any person appointed to assist
the Registrar when exercising all or any of the powers of the Registrar;
(x) “Reserve Bank” means the Reserve Bank of India constituted under sub-section
(1) of section 3 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934);
(y) “rule” means a rule made under this Act;
(z) “section” means a section of this Act;
(za) “Sub-divisional Magistrate” means an Executive Magistrate appointed under the
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) and posted by the Government to
be in-charge of the sub-division;
(zb) “Tribunal” means the Delhi Co-operative Tribunal constituted under section 114.