Views and Suggestions of the Members on Enabling Cooperative Societies Act For Fast Tracking Micro finance and Financial Inclusion MICROFINANCE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE SOLUTION EXCHANGE,UNITED NATIONS, INDIA

Solution Exchange – an initiative of the UN Country Team in India Cooperative Acts of Different States differ from each other in context of various provisions for Financial Inclusion High level of diversity:Adoption of MACS /Self-Reliant Act Legal Environment for Cooperatives: State wise Variations – Single Act/ Double Act Utilization and Understanding of Multi State Cooperative Societies Act Difference in terms of Acceptance of Vaidyanathan Committee Recommendations Background

Solution Exchange – an initiative of the UN Country Team in India Present Scenario States having Self Reliant and Old Cooperative Societies Act States having only Self Reliant Act - NE States having Re-engineered Single Cooperative Societies Act States having more or Less the Same Old Act Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act – Applicable Across all the States

Solution Exchange – an initiative of the UN Country Team in India Urban Cooperative Bank Models – SEWA Bank, Cuttack Urban Cooperative Banks Cooperative Development Foundation SHG – PACS linkage Model – Bidar DCCB/ West Bengal NABARD’s SHG Bank Linkage Programme Cooperative Banks SHG – Federation Models/ Cooperative Union Model Thrift and Credit Cooperatives – Examples in Maharashtra Models Experimented

Solution Exchange – an initiative of the UN Country Team in India SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS Amendments in the Banking Regulation Act 1949 Self- Help Group Federations/ Sub Sectoral Cooperatives – Cooperative Acts Financial intermediation, Membership, Variety of Mf Services) PACS As Mini Banks – Role in Micro Financing – Amendments Required Government Role and Support for Self-Reliant Cooperatives/SHG Feds. – Financial / Regulatory Cooperative Acts- State/ Multi State coop. Act for Urban Micro financing Urban Cooperative Banks working across the states Assessment of Variety of States – Types of Legal Arrangements/ Coop. Acts Studies/ Reports on enactment of Self- Reliant Act/ Other Acts- Issues Influencing Provisions related to utilization of Surplus – Dividends, Bonus, Incentives

Solution Exchange – an initiative of the UN Country Team in India SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS Salary Earners Cooperatives / Thrift and Credit Cooperatives- Rural and Urban Areas Political will of State Governments to introduce Cooperative Reforms Cooperative Acts/ Insurance Acts – Health Insurance/ Life Insurance/ Livestock Insurance Conducive Regulations for Cooperatives interested in Shifting from One Act to the Other Analyzing other relevant Acts/ Regulation in context of cooperative Reforms and MF Provisions related to Autonomy for collaborations, Borrowings from other Banks/ Financial Institutions, Savings etc.

Solution Exchange – an initiative of the UN Country Team in India SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS Prof. Vaidyanathan Committee Recommendations-Impact of Amendments is Yet to Seen at Primary Level Members Involvement in Governance - Challenge MACS – Suitability for BANKS is a Question Mark ? Non-Members Membership of SHGs in Cooperatives - only in few States – West Bengal, Gujarat, Karnataka Cooperative Act should Provide Space for other Facilitating Agencies/Organisations

Solution Exchange – an initiative of the UN Country Team in India Thanks