Co-operative Societies Act (No. 2 of 1997).

The text of the Act consists of 243 sections which are divided into 18 chapters: Without title (I); Administration (II); Membership and meetings (III); Management (IV); Financing (V); Business of society (VI); Property and funds of society (VII); Financial disclosure and audit (VIII); Reconstruction of societies (IX); Receivers and receiver managers (X); Dissolution (XI); Investigations (XII); Disputes (XIII); Specialised societies (XIV); Apex body (XV); Offences (XVI); Miscellaneous (XVIII); Transitional (XVIII).
'Cooperative society' is defined in section 2 as "a body corporate registered under this Act which consists of a group of people, small or large, with a commitment to joint action on the basis of democracy and self-help in order to secure a service or economic arrangement that is both socially desirable and beneficial to all taking part". Section 3 outlines 'cooperative principles' to which cooperative societies must conform. Section 5 provides for the establishment of a Registrar of Cooperative Societies. Sections 50 to 89, together making up chapter IV, provide rules with respect to the internal organization of cooperative societies. Section 188 of chapter XIII provides for the establishment of a Cooperatives Societies Appeals Tribunal. Disputes between parties shall be heard first by the Registrar and the decision of the Registrar or arbitrator, as the case may be, shall be open to appeal with the Tribunal. The Apex body foreseen in chapter XV is a national representative body of cooperative societies which may be created by registered societies (sect. 214).