(1) The final authority in a co-operative society shall vest in the general body of members :
Provided that where the bye-laws of a co-operative society provide for the constitution of a smaller body consisting of delegates of members of the cooperative society elected or selected in accordance with such bye-laws, the smaller body shall exercise such powers of the general body as may be prescribed or as may be specified in the bye-laws of the co-operative society.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2) of section 26 each delegate shall have one vote in the affairs of the federal co-operative society.
Annual general body meeting.
31.(1) Every co-operative society shall within a period of one hundred and eighty days (Substituted vide Notification No. F.14(31)/LA-2004/16 dated 17/01/2005) next after the date fixed for making-up its accounts for the year under the rules for the time being in force, call a general body meeting of its members for the purpose of _
(a) approval of the programme of the activities of the co-operative society prepared by the committee for the ensuing year;
(b) election, if any, of the members of the committee other than the nominated members subject to the provisions of section 35;
(c) consideration of the audit report along with audited accounts and the annual report;
(d) disposal of the net profits; and
(e) consideration of any other matter which may be brought forward in accordance with the bye-laws.
(2) If a co-operative society fails to hold the annual general body meeting within the aforesaid period of one hundred and eighty days, (Substituted vide Notification No. F.14(31)/LA-2004/16 dated 17/01/2005) the Registrar or any person authorised by him may call such meeting in the manner prescribed and that meeting shall be deemed to be a general body meeting duly called by the cooperative society and the Registrar may order that the expenditure incurred in calling such a meeting shall be a charge on the delinquent members of the committee of the co-operative society who have failed to conduct the general body meeting within the prescribed time limit and the said amount shall be recoverable as arrears of land revenue from such delinquent members of the cooperative society in the same manner as provided in section 111.
(3) At every annual general body meeting of the co-operative society, the committee shall lay before the general body a statement showing the details of the loans, if any, given to any of the members of the committee during the preceding year.
Returns to be filed to the Registrar after annual general body meeting.
32. Every year within thirty days of holding of annual general body meeting, the committee shall file returns relating to its constitution, business and allied matters to the Registrar as prescribed and if the returns are not filed, it shall be an offence under this Act and the persons responsible shall be penalised in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
Special general body meeting.