The Maharashtra cabinet has approved changes to the Co-operative Societies Act.

On May 5, the Maharashtra cabinet approved a plan to amend the Cooperative Societies Act 1960 to ensure that members’ voting rights are not getting lost during the next elections to their respective societies.

According to the current rules, a member must attend at least one meeting of the co-operative society every five years otherwise, he is considered inactive and lacks the right to vote.

Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic has halted the operations of dozens of co-operative societies across the state.

Given the risk of several members losing their voting rights as a result of many societies’ inability to attend annual meetings, the cabinet has agreed to encourage those members to remain active members of societies.

The state government delayed co-operative society elections until the end of August on April 6.

Meanwhile, the cabinet approved a recommendation to move the Annasaheb Patil Economically Backward Development Corporation from the skills development department to the state planning department.

At its meeting, the council of ministers approved the higher and technical education department’s plan to turn the current three colleges into a cluster university.

The Rayat Shikshan Sanstha included these arts, commerce, and science schools.

In another statement, the cabinet approved a request from the state Medical Education Department to adopt the 7th Pay Commission’s recommendations for teachers of Ayurvedic and Unani courses at aided private colleges.

This approval would raise the exchequer’s financial pressure by Rs 116.77 crore, including arrears from January 1, 2016.

The state cabinet has agreed to combine the Pimpri Chinchwad New Township Development Authority with the Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority in order to achieve parity in the region’s construction rights, FSI, and TDR.