Cooperative Election Authority Meets Railway Societies for Bye-Law Alignment
On January 19, 2026, the Cooperative Election Authority (CEA) held a pivotal meeting with representatives from Multi-State Cooperative Societies of Railway Employees. The primary aim was to align the societies’ bye-laws with the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023. The meeting saw participation from over 40 office bearers, including Chairpersons and Chief Executives from 16 cooperative societies.
During the meeting, Shri Devendra Kumar Singh, Chairperson of the CEA, elaborated on the Authority’s functions, which were established following the recent legislative amendments. He emphasized the CEA’s commitment to preparing electoral rolls and ensuring that elections within these societies are conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner. To date, the CEA has successfully overseen 220 elections, with 70 more currently underway across the nation.
Approximately 18 Multi-State Cooperative Societies of Railway Employees have around 8 to 10 lakh members. These societies primarily focus on accepting deposits and providing loans at lower interest rates, handling transactions valued at about ₹10,000 crore. Notably, four of these societies possess banking licenses.
The CEA has already conducted elections for five Railway Employees’ Cooperative Societies, including the Jackson Cooperative Credit Society in Mumbai and the Eastern Railway Employees Cooperative Bank in Kolkata. The January meeting fostered discussions on crucial topics, such as amending bye-laws to comply with the updated legislation, structuring representative General Bodies, and ensuring that election proposals are submitted six months in advance of Board tenures ending. Additionally, the need for societies to maintain functional websites was underscored to boost transparency.
To enhance the electoral process, the CEA has introduced several institutional measures. These include creating manuals for Returning Officers, establishing guidelines for Board approvals, and developing a Model Code of Conduct, as well as instructions on candidate election expenditure returns. Shri Singh shared valuable insights from previous elections to illustrate the CEA’s approach.
During the meeting, Shri R.K. Gupta, Vice-Chairperson of the CEA, provided a comprehensive overview of the Authority’s challenges and the strategies in place to uphold electoral integrity. Shri Anand Kumar Jha, Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies, and Ms. Monika Khanna, Member of the Cooperative Election Authority, stressed the importance of timely amendments to bye-laws to facilitate smooth election processes.
Shri S.K. Roy, Deputy Director from the Ministry of Railways, was also present, along with other senior officials, including Shri Mukesh Kumar and Ms. Renu Shekhawat from the Ministry of Cooperation. Participants expressed their appreciation for the CEA’s proactive measures and suggested that such consultative meetings occur regularly to strengthen democratic governance in cooperative institutions.
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