Pune: From EV-ready parking provisions and streamlined redevelopment rules to digital governance and pet policies, Maharashtra State Co-operative Housing and Apartment Federation has submitted a fresh set of demands to be incorporated in the upcoming model bye-laws 2025 for cooperative housing societies. These demands have been placed before a state-appointed committee headed by the cooperation commissioner, Deepak Tawre, as govt moves ahead with finalising draft rules under the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1960.“The current set of model bye-laws — last revised in 2014 — has not kept pace with legal, civic, and technological developments. These amendments are long overdue,” said Shreeprasad Parab, expert director of the federation. He said housing societies today face complex issues — whether it is redevelopment, digital transparency or pet-related disputes — that did not exist a decade ago. “The 2025 bye-laws must be designed to address these realities and anticipate future ones.”The push for updating the bye-laws gained traction after state govt in April published long-pending draft rules under the Act and invited suggestions from the public. The federation formally wrote to the commissioner seeking a revision of the bye-laws, after which a committee was formed. Officials said the committee has already held three rounds of meetings and is examining suggestions from multiple stakeholders.In 2019, state added chapter XIII-B to the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act to address housing society-specific needs. However, the absence of corresponding rules and updated bye-laws delayed its implementation. “This is an opportunity to modernise how 1.25 lakh housing societies operate in Maharashtra,” said Meera Soni, a member of a housing society in Kondhwa. “More than half of state’s cooperative societies are residential. The new bye-laws must reflect how people live today — digitally, densely, and with evolving civic expectations.”Officials in the state cooperation department said the draft rules are likely to be approved in June. The revised bye-laws, once finalised, will follow shortly after and are to be cleared by the state cooperation commissioner. Tawre told TOI that the committee is reviewing all the points raised by the federation. Federation members said the model bye-laws 2025 could serve as a national benchmark for cooperative housing governance, ushering in clarity, inclusivity and future-ready mechanisms for millions of residents.
