Jal Vayu Vihar residents finally get voting rights to co-op society

At least 1,800 flat-owners in Jal Vayu Vihar, Noida’s sectors 21 and 25, were granted voting rights to the society’s sehkari awas samiti (SAS, cooperative society), by the Uttar Pradesh Housing and Development Corporation, nearly six years after residents first approached the authority, officials said on Wednesday.

The decision came in response to complaints filed by Manjul Thapliyal, a resident of Jal Vayu Vihar, and others before the corporation in 2015, alleging that only house owners who served in the air force or navy were allowed to vote in the SAS election, and voting rights to those who served in the army were denied.

The order dated June 2, signed by Vinay Kumar Mishr, additional housing commissioner Uttar Pradesh Housing and Development Corporation, allows everyone to vote to elect SAS office-bearers, who take care of the maintenance of the society.

“We direct that amendments be made in provisions or by-laws as per Section 14 (1) of the UP Co-operative Societies Act, 1965. All members of the society should be considered simple members and this order should be implemented within 15 days,” said the order.

According to the UP Co-operative Societies Act, 1965, all simple members are allowed to vote in an election. According to SAS documents, 1,875 out of 3,697 members of the samiti are simple members, who have voting rights. The remaining are nominal members–those who did not serve in the navy and air force–and cannot vote.

“We will soon call a meeting and make the necessary amendments under Section 14(2) of the Act. Once the paperwork is done, we will inform the UP Housing and Development Corporation of the status. In the next election, all flat owners will be allowed to vote,” said Pradeep Kumar, chairman of Jal Vayu Vihar Sahkari Awas Samiti.

The SAS election takes place once every five years. The next election is scheduled for January 2023.

The house owners have welcomed the order.

“We were denied voting rights for several years despite repeated demands to the society and the housing commissioner’s office. We hope that after the amendments, we get to vote in the upcoming election, which is our right,” said Manjul Thapliyal, one of the residents who filed the complaint in 2015.