Maharashtra Cooperative Department holds first-ever full-scale online hearings

In a landmark step towards digital governance and accessible justice Maharashtrarsquos Cooperative Department has launched its first fullscale online hearings marking a historic first for the state The initiative led by District Deputy Registrar Western district Rajesh Lovekar focuses on deemed conveyance issues and is expected to benefit thousands of petitioners by streamlining justice deliveryThe move has been lauded by the Maharashtra State Cooperative Housing Federation and legal experts who say it not only boosts transparency in the hearing process but also saves critical manhours for both litigants and officialsmdashsomething the offline system failed to deliverAdvocate Shreeprasad Parab director of the Maharashtra State Housing FederationldquoThis model sets a benchmark for accessible and transparent justicerdquo said Advocate Shreeprasad Parab director of the Maharashtra State Housing Federation ldquoWith legal backing and federation support this digital leap could transform dispute resolution in the cooperative housing sectorrdquoHybrid hearing modelUnder Registrar Lovekar all cases are now heard online with an option for inperson participation This hybrid format aims to offer flexibility while maintaining transparencyMatters being heard online1 Deemed conveyance adjudication2 Formation of societies involving noncooperative developers3 Appellate hearings in recovery matters4 Complaints related to the Registrarrsquos officeParab noted that the initiative aligns with constitutional guarantees under Articles 14 and 21 and supports judicial directives promoting videoconferencing as a valid tool for justice deliveryBacked by policyA government circular dated December 13 2024 officially greenlit online hearings for quasijudicial matters The Sahakar Samvad Portal now enables online complaint filings and live case tracking With more than 1200 active cases already being heard onlinemdashand many more in the pipelinemdashofficials believe this digital transition will help reduce case backlogs improve efficiency and enhance transparency The shift also reflects Article 39A of the Constitution and principles of the International Cooperative AllianceCall for a wider rolloutCalling the reform long overdue Parab urged the state to make online hearings a standard practice He also proposed that hearing orders be published online to aid future litigants and suggested integrating daily cause lists and virtual links into the system Attempts to reach Rajesh Lovekar for comment were unsuccessfulExpert SpeakCA Ramesh Prabhu chairman of the Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association praised Lovekarrsquos leadership and requested other officials to implement similar reforms as per existing government directives ldquoOnline hearings eliminate the need for travel and long waits saving time and money while ensuring better accountabilityrdquo he said ldquoThis model sets the road map for other DDRs Joint Registrars and over 350 registrars across Maharashtra to followrdquoLegal voices back shiftSolicitor Stuti Galiya echoed this sentiment noting that Indiarsquos judicial and quasijudicial bodies are gradually embracing digital transformation She stressed that while challenges may arise tools like digital filings virtual hearings and online case tracking offer longterm gains by cutting delays and dependence on middlemen ldquoMinor glitches can be fixed along the wayrdquo she said ldquoDigitalisation isnrsquot optional anymoremdashitrsquos essential for a futureready legal systemrdquoAdvocate Jamshed Mistry a known proponent of courtroom livestreaming also welcomed the move Referring to the Supreme Courtrsquos ruling in Swapnil Tripathi vs Union of India Mistry said ldquoThe apex court rightly said that lsquosunlight is the best disinfectantrsquo By taking this step the cooperative department is walking the talk on transparencymdashit will ultimately benefit both litigants and authoritiesrdquoatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params