Our Co-operation Minister Govind Gaude must be commended for having very rightly decided to amend the Goa Co-operative Societies Act to prevent investors from being duped. This will curb dubious persons from being Directors of Co-operative banks.
It would also be very proper to amend the Act to prohibit by law and bar persons in conflict of interest from being on the Board of Housing and Building Maintenance Societies. It will be appropriate to ensure that Housing and Building Societies do not become dens of making money by vested interests. We have been all sadly watching and witnessing all this rot right in our backyards in many Housing societies. This growing malaise of Directors using it as an avenue to enrich their pockets has to stop. People in real estate and construction contractors should by law never be entrusted with the management of any Housing Society. This represents a conflict of interest and worse still is a temptation to enrich themselves at the expense of the many. Housing societies should be managed by retired people of caliber and integrity who volunteer their time, knowledge and experience for the benefit and welfare of the society. It cannot be an opportunity for unscrupulous elements to merrily plough in the moolah while betraying the interests of the residents of the building society. If Societies fail to be administered with stringent honesty, integrity and accountability to its members then they will fail to operate as Societies and it will lead to their collapse with a breakdown in trust and a loss of hard earned savings. The law has to ensure that there is absolute transparency and accountability in the working and functioning of every building or housing society with Zero Tolerance to any sort of corruption, manipulation and insider dealings. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com Or airesrodrig...@yahoo.com You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.com