Section 16 in Karnataka Co-Operative Societies Act, 1959
16. Persons who may become members.
- [(1) Subject to the provisions of section 17, no person shall be admitted as a member of a co-operative society except the following, namely:-(a)an individual competent to contract under the Contract Act, 1872 (Central Act IX of 1872):(b)any other co-operative society;(c)the state Government or the Central Government;(d)the Life Insurance Corporation of India, State Warehousing Corporation and such other institutions as may be approved by the State Government;(e)a firm, a company or any other body corporate constituted under any law for the time being in force including a society registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960 (Karnataka Act 17 of 1960);(f)a Market Committee established under the Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act, 1966 (Karnataka Act 27 of 1966);(g)a local authority.Explanation.-For the purpose of this clause, local authority means, a Municipal Corporation, Municipal Council, Town Panchayat, Zilla Panchayat, Taluk Panchayat or Grama Panchayat constituted under any law for the time being in force.] [Substituted by Act 25 of 1998 w.e.f. 15.08.1998.](2)[ No co-operative society shall, without sufficient cause, refuse admission to membership to any person duly qualified therefor under the provisions of this [Act, rules and bye-laws] [Sub-Sections (2) to (4) substituted by Act 40 of 1964 w.e.f.26.6.1965.].(3)Any person seeking admission as a member of any co-operative society shall make an application in writing for admission as a member of such society.(4)Every co-operative society shall within three months from the date on which application for admission was delivered to such society either admit or refuse to admit any such person as a member, and shall send a written communication of such admission or refusal to the applicant before the said period. If no communication of admission as a member is received by the applicant before the expiry of the said period, his application for admission shall be deemed to have been refused by the co-operative society on the last day of the said period for purposes of section 105A.](5)[ Notwithstanding anything contained in the preceding sub-sections or section 18 or the rules and the bye-laws of such co-operative society or classes of co-operative societies as the State Government may, by notification, specify, an individual who makes an application for admission as a member of such co-operative society shall be deemed to have been admitted as an associate member of such co-operative society from the date of receipt of such application.(6)If the society does not, within [sixty days] [Sub-sections (5) to (7) inserted by Act 19 of 1976 w.e.f. 20.1.1976.] from the said date, prefer an application to the Registrar objecting to such admission, such individual shall be deemed to have been admitted as a member.(7)Where the application under [sub-section (6)] [Substituted by Act 25 of 1998 w.e.f. 15.8.1998.] is preferred, the Registrar shall, after giving to the individual and the co-operative society concerned an opportunity of making representation, by order, reject the application if he finds that the individual is not disqualified under section 17 for being a member and thereupon the individual shall be deemed to have been admitted as member of the co-operative society concerned.](8)[ Notwithstanding anything contained in this section and section 17, the State Government shall be deemed to have been admitted as a member of a co-operative society on the day it subscribes to the share capital of such co-operative Society.] [Inserted by Act 16 of 1979 w.e.f. 1.6.1960.]
