Short Answer

No, members are not required to pay for society manager's bonuses or gratuity from maintenance funds.

Detailed Explanation

Section 73 of the Gujarat Cooperative Societies Act, 1961 prohibits the payment of any bonus or gratuity to any member of the committee or any officer or servant of a cooperative society out of the funds of the society. This means that the society manager's bonuses or gratuity cannot be paid from the maintenance funds collected from the members.

Furthermore, Rule 123 of the Gujarat Cooperative Societies Rules, 1965 elaborates on the financial management of cooperative societies. It specifies that the funds of the society should be utilized for the purposes specified in the Act and Rules, and payment of bonuses or gratuity to the society manager is not included in the permissible uses of the funds.

In practice, this restriction ensures that the maintenance funds collected from the members are used for the maintenance and utility expenses of the society, and not for additional payments such as bonuses or gratuity for the society manager. This helps in maintaining transparency and accountability in the financial management of cooperative societies.

For example, if a society manager requests a bonus from the maintenance funds, the society's committee should reject such a request citing Section 73 of the Act and Rule 123 of the Rules. Instead, the society manager's remuneration should be determined as per the terms of their employment contract, separate from the maintenance funds.

In another scenario, if a member raises a concern about the misuse of maintenance funds for paying bonuses or gratuity to the society manager, they can file a complaint with the Registrar of Cooperative Societies for appropriate action based on the provisions of the Act and Rules.

Overall, the Gujarat Cooperative Societies Act and Rules clearly outline the restrictions on using maintenance funds for paying bonuses or gratuity to society managers, ensuring proper financial management within cooperative societies.

References

• Section 73 of the Gujarat Cooperative Societies Act, 1961: Official PDF

• Rule 123 of the Gujarat Cooperative Societies Rules, 1965: Official PDF