A Cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic ,social and cultural need and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprises following a set of principles and values : The Cooperative Principles.
As the part of the world-wide movement for cooperatives , the country and the State of West Bengal have done well since the early years of the nineteenth century and thus possess a glorious history of cooperation movement.
In 1904, the Cooperative Societies Act, the first all India Act was passed. With the passage of time after several amendment to Cooperative Societies Act ( amendment in 1912/1919/ Bengal Cooperative Societies Act1940/WBCS Act1973/WBCS Act1983), the WBCS Act 2006 has received the assent of the President of India in May 2010 and will come force shortly. Currently, the WBCS Act 1983 is in vogue.
In a cooperative, each member can acquire control over the working of the cooperative. Several provision for the Act/Rule ensures the membership, management of cooperative societies, settlement of dispute, offences ,penalties and procedure in regards to the concerned cooperative societies.
Cooperatives are owned and democratically controlled by their members ( individual or direct beneficiary ) the decision taken by the cooperative balances the need for profitability with the need of their member and the wider interest of the community. See the best practices.
And thus there is wide scope for organization of different type of cooperative ranging from a small scale to large businesses across the state, spreading benefits to individual as well as creating huge scope of employment.
In West Bengal there are seventeen types of cooperatives and the cooperation department provides regulatory and developmental support through two directorate Cooperation Directorate and Cooperative Audit Directorate under it.
West Bengal Cooperation Department is empowering people through this people’s movement and has enhanced its scope (Planning and development) of operations significantly over the years.
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