Membership of cooperative societies that have been allotted plots in New Town can be transferred without any permission from Hidco, which is in charge of letting out all freehold and leasehold land parcels in the township.
The West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO), which also builds infrastructure in New Town, has issued a notification that membership of cooperative societies that have been allocated freehold or leasehold plots to build apartments can be transferred without notifying the organisation.
The October 4 notification reads: “In modification of all previous orders of WBHIDCO relating to change of membership in respect of all categories of housing societies which have been allotted plots of land by WBHIDCO, either on freehold or leasehold basis, it is hereby notified that such housing societies are permitted to change the membership of their societies themselves as per W.B. Cooperative Societies Acts and Rules, without obtaining any permission IN this regard from WBHIDCO, after the allotted plot is registered in favour of the society by WBHIDCO. This order is issued by the approval of competent authority.”
The notification states that the rule has come into effect.
Earlier, permission had to be sought from the Hidco head office in New Town for transfer of membership of cooperative societies that had been allocated land to build apartments.
A Hidco official said eight or more persons can form a cooperative society to participate in lotteries held by Hidco to distribute plots.
After a society is allotted a plot, it has to pay Hidco for the land before starting construction.
“We had been receiving requests for a long time to amend the rule that makes it mandatory for cooperative societies to seek Hidco’s permission to effect any change in membership,” a Hidco official said.
“The change in membership has to be in accordance with the rules set down by the West Bengal Cooperative Societies Act. The change also has to be recorded properly in the minutes of the meeting held by the cooperative concerned.”