Overview
- The state cabinet approved the amendment on Wednesday to insert a proviso in the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act allowing five government‑nominated members on managing committees of co‑operatives with annual turnover over Rs 500 crore.
- Under the amendment four of the five nominees will have voting rights while the fifth will be a non‑voting government officer not below Assistant Registrar and district central cooperative banks are exempted from the change.
- The law directly affects Gokul Dairy, where a Satej Patil‑backed panel won 13 of 25 seats and the chairman’s election stalled after the Mahayuti‑backed directors stayed away leaving no quorum.
- The Bombay High Court’s Kolhapur bench ordered notices to all 25 directors and set a fresh meeting for November 10, and political leaders have vowed protests and legal challenges with calls to cite the 2022 Gujarat Amul judgment.
- Government officials argue the amendment is meant to prevent deadlocks and add professional oversight while critics say it risks overturning the mandate of roughly 5.5 lakh milk producers and altering how funds and decisions are controlled.