23 housing societies across Maharashtra complete online registrations in two months

Pune: Two months after Maharashtra’s cooperation department launched a fully online cooperative society registration system, 23 housing societies across the state have completed the entire approval process through the Aaple Sarkar portal, signalling a shift from the earlier paperwork-heavy system that required repeated visits to deputy registrar offices.State cooperation department officials told TOI on Friday that the portal has so far received 304 applications for society name reservation — the first stage of registration. Of these, 113 applications were approved and 34 rejected. Officials said 23 societies have completed both the name reservation and final registration process after securing permission for bank account opening and submitting required documents online.Housing societies from Pune, Ratnagiri, Amravati, Kolhapur and Sangli are among those that have used the digital facility.“The move aims to simplify the long-pending, paperwork-heavy process, reduce visits to deputy registrar offices, curb middlemen and speed up approvals,” cooperation commissioner Deepak Taware said.The online registration system, launched on the Aaple Sarkar portal, applies to all cooperative societies, including housing societies. Officials said the initiative is expected to particularly benefit urban centres such as Mumbai and Pune, where several housing societies continue to function without formal registration because of procedural delays, excessive documentation and lack of builder cooperation.Deputy registrar (IT) Mahendra Magar said the portal has also been integrated with the govt accounting framework, enabling applicants to pay the Rs 2,500 registration fee online and track applications in real time.“We are seeing a good response since the launch,” Magar said.Officials said the digital process has reduced the number of mandatory documents from 29 to 19. Documents such as zoning certificates, title search reports, development agreements, business projection plans and several affidavits have been removed, while essential documents related to land ownership, construction approvals, promoter details and registered agreements have been retained.Applicants are required to create a user ID on the Aaple Sarkar portal and pay Rs 50 to initiate the process. The platform offers single-window access for services such as society name reservation, permission for opening a bank account and uploading documents.Once the society name is approved, applicants can open a cooperative bank account and deposit the share capital amount. Proof of the deposit and other required documents are then uploaded online before the application moves to the final registration stage.Officials said registrars scrutinise applications digitally and raise queries online, if required, while applicants must respond within a stipulated timeline. The entire process is expected to be completed within two months, with a digital registration certificate issued within 30 days after compliance.According to cooperation department data, only around 1.25 lakh housing societies are currently registered in Maharashtra, while lakhs of buildings, especially in urban areas, remain outside the formal cooperative framework.Taware said the department aims to bring more societies into the formal system. “Once registered, societies can manage finances better, undertake repairs, apply for conveyance and access government services,” he said.Advocate Shreeprasad Parab, expert director at the Maharashtra State Housing Federation, said the reform would improve transparency and accountability by digitally recording every stage of the process.