The Maharashtra Housing Federation has recommended a series of reforms to be incorporated into the state’s revised model cooperative housing society by-laws, including provisions for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, self-redevelopment, digital governance, pet ownership guidelines and in-house dispute resolution mechanisms. The revised by-laws are expected to be finalised by the end of July.
A delegation led by Advocate Shreeprasad Parab, expert director of the Maharashtra Housing Federation, submitted the proposals to Cooperation Commissioner Deepak Taware during a meeting in Mumbai on Friday. The recommendations will now be examined before the new by-laws are notified.
According to Taware, the revised framework will be aligned with the recently notified Maharashtra Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Rules, 2026. “The by-laws, once notified, will ensure greater transparency in the functioning of cooperative housing societies,” he said.
Parab said the revision presents an opportunity to modernise the governance structure of cooperative housing societies across the state.
“The newly notified rules have laid down the statutory framework. The by-laws must provide practical solutions to the societies’ day-to-day administrative, legal and technological challenges,” he said.
The federation has proposed that the new by-laws should extend beyond conventional housing societies to include layout societies, plot and bungalow societies, township developments and federations of cooperative housing societies.
“Our recommendations include provisions related to self-redevelopment, EV charging infrastructure, digital governance, online meetings and e-voting, internal dispute resolution, common amenities and other emerging issues so that societies can function with greater transparency, accountability and efficiency,” Parab said.
The federation also emphasised the need to reduce avoidable litigation by introducing clearer governance provisions and strengthening democratic functioning within housing societies.
Among the key proposals are formal policies for EV-ready parking spaces and charging infrastructure, aligned with the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act and the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, as electric vehicle adoption continues to rise.
It has also sought a comprehensive legal framework for redevelopment and self-redevelopment, enabling housing societies to independently undertake redevelopment through a transparent and streamlined process.
Other recommendations include model guidelines on pet ownership, establishment of internal grievance redressal mechanisms to resolve member disputes, and clearer norms governing the ownership, maintenance and management of shared amenities such as roads, gardens, clubhouses and utility infrastructure in township and layout developments. The federation believes these measures will improve operational efficiency and reduce disputes within cooperative housing societies.
Source: The Times of India
