Roles and Responsibilities of a Society

Management Committee

The Managing Committee of a housing co-operative is its nerve centre, steering the
society towards a wholesome, efficient and harmonious existence. Whether it is
financial management, member grievances or day-to-day affairs, the MC has to run
like a well-oiled machine to create the best living conditions for the residents.

We have put together a comprehensive guide with checklists in this article so that
you can be well-informed and prepared for the myriad roles you may have to assume
as part of the MC.

What are the core duties of the Managing Committee?

Once the registration and selection of the first committee have taken place, the
regular functions of the MC include monetary transactions, daily management,
obligatory membership servicing and compliance with the laws.

Financial Duties

 To collect society charges, including but not limited to property tax, water
charges, lift/parking/service charges, non-occupancy charges, repair and
maintenance charges. These rates are fixed by the committee from time to
time (on the basis of proportion stated in bye-laws) upon discussion with the
members;
 To raise funds and deposits from the member;
  To decide the rates of contribution, manage and collect Reserve Fund and
Sinking Fund;
 To fix the rate of insurance premiums to be paid by members in case if there
is a commercial use of the flat;
 To collect interest from defaulting members;
 To insure the property of the society.

Duties towards the members

 To consider and decide resignations from members/office-bearers and record

nominations and revocations that may follow after;
 To issue allotment letters of flats once a member buys them and make
available to members the papers of the society;
 To take required action once a membership ends;
 To refund shares and associated interest if and when due in case they have
been acquired by the society;
 To review complaints registered by the members and take necessary actions
to resolve them;
 To organize events, festivals and special days to encourage camaraderie and
friendships among the members.

Operational Duties

 To authorize a Committee member to attest any document that bears the seal
of the society, such as lease agreements, deed of conveyance, share
certificates, etc.
 To look after the lift operations, manage and instruct service staff about their
duties and take care of their compensations and accommodation (if any).
 To maintain, inspect the property of the society and carry out renovations,
repairs as and when needed.
 To review and finalise vendor applications for services needed in the society,
e.g. produce stalls, dry cleaning services, etc.
 To regulate parking
 To supervise compliance of bye-laws and society rules by the members and
suggest fines or penalties in case if a consistent breach is found
 To review the Secretary’s report on inspection of flats
 To hold election of a new committee in a timely manner, to elect new office-
bearers, consider their resignations and replacements
 To organise and recommend general body meetings and hold annual/special
general body meetings
 To hold a Committee meeting at least once a month

Executive Duties
  To execute a deed of conveyance of the land and building/s;
 To approve the audit rectification reports of statutory and internal audits and
to forward them to the authorities concerned;
 To scrutinise tenders received for construction work and to submit the same
along with the committee’s report to the meeting of the General Body and to
enter into a contract with the contractor;
 To enter into a contract with the Architect of the society in case of
redevelopment;
 To ensure that the Society is affiliated to Housing Federation and its
subscription is regularly paid.

What are the duties of the Chairman?

When the managing committee is elected, the Chairman is at the helm of all affairs
for five years and is expected to keep a watch over all activities of the Committee.
The chair is accountable and answerable for any malfunction during his term and
has the final decision power in all matters. Here’s what the chair does:

 He presides over all the meetings of the Committee, determines the quorum
and reviews the agenda of every meeting beforehand.
 He has the power to allow or bar any issue from being included in the meeting
agenda but like a democracy, he has to have a reason for doing so.
 When it comes to voting, if there is an equal number of votes for or against a
matter, the Chair decides to cast a decisive vote, i.e he has two votes.
 He is the Signatory for bank operations out of joint authority.
 He is the final authority on ballot decisions, expenditure approvals,
acceptance of procedural decisions, committee nominations, proxy attendees
in a meeting, and disciplinary actions.
 The Chair is responsible for initiating community building activities and
maintaining a healthy and progressive environment in a co-operative.

What are the roles and responsibilities of the Secretary?

The job of the Secretary comes with responsibilities that can sometimes seem
daunting, but once you get to the brass tacks, the role is quite rewarding and
engaging.

a. Record-keeping

The Secretary is required to maintain immaculately the accounts, records and

registers of the society, including the Cash Book, Ledgers, Sinking Fund/Investment
Register, Audit Register, Nomination Register and The Minutes Book.
Additionally, he is in charge of membership files, plans of construction, bank account
statements, society statement of accounts, annual reports, election documents,
vouchers for expenses, member applications/complaints, among others.

b. Organizational activities

 The Secretary is responsible for organizing meetings and recording the

minutes.
 He must liaise between the Chair and members with respect to the meeting
agendas, check the quorum and ensure that the items on the agenda are
carried out completely.
 He must issue share certificates to the members on time, deal with
resignations, expulsions, and cessations of memberships.
 He must carry out the conduct of election thoroughly in the manner
prescribed in the bye-laws.
 He should produce records of the Society before different authorities
concerned with the working of the Society with the consent of the Chairman.
 He must bring to the committee’s notice any breach of the rules/laws or
default cases and be present at disciplinary hearings.
 He must finalise the accounts of the preceding year, prepare the receipts and
payments Statement, the Income and Expenditure Statement for the year and
the Balance Sheet as at the close of the year.
 He is responsible for the functioning, recruitment and compensation of the
service staff, including watchmen, lift-operators, cleaning crew, vendors, etc.

c. Communication & Correspondence

 The Secretary must issue notices and agenda of all meetings of the general
body and the committee.
 He must issue a letter of allotment of flats, prepare and issue demand
notices/bills for payment to the Society’s charges, issue a notice of repairs to
be carried out in flats.
 He is in charge of all types of communication and applications received by the
society from members, vendors and be the go-between for the committee and
the members.
 He deals with communication with the authorities, including correspondence
with the Co-Operative Registrar, correspondence on common electric supply,
property taxes including Non-agricultural taxes.
 The Secretary must inspect the property of the Society and visit flats for
inspection after prior notice to the members.
Even though running a co-operative can be a challenging task,it is by no means
insurmountable. A well-integrated and proactive MC is the key to a thriving co-
operative.