Section 17: Settlement of dispute

(1) If the Registrar is satisfied that any matter referred to him or brought to his notice is a dispute within the meaning of section 16, the Registrar shall decide the dispute himself or refer it for disposal to a nominee or a Board of nominees appointed by him. (2) Where any dispute is referred under the foregoing sub-section for decision to the Registrar’s nominee or Board of nominees, the Registrar may at any time, for reasons to be recorded in writing ,withdraw such dispute from his nominee or Board of nominees and may decide the dispute himself or refer it again for decision to any other nominee or Board of nominees appointed by him. (3) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 16, the Registrar, may if he thinks fit, suspend proceedings in regard to any dispute, if the question at issue between a Co-operative Society and a bank is one involving complicated questions of law and fact, until the question has been tried by a regular suit instituted by one of the parties to the dispute. If any such suit is not instituted within two months from the Registrar’s order suspending proceedings, the Registrar shall take action as is provided in subsection (1).