Societies amendment Bill gets Punjab Cabinet nod

The Council of Ministers on Friday approved the Societies Registration (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2025, amending the Societies Act, 1860. The move aims at enhancing transparency, accountability and proper functioning of societies in the state.

Cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora said the new legislation would modernise the regulatory framework governing societies, especially those engaged in health, education, sports, social welfare and charitable activities. The amendments also brought all societies under a uniform, transparent regime, ensuring responsible use of public funds and tax-exempt resources, he added.

Arora said all registered societies in Punjab would now be mandatorily covered under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, ensuring public scrutiny, transparency in decision-making and greater public trust.

“Registrars have been empowered to seek any information or record from societies to ensure compliance with law and prevent misuse of funds or deviation from stated objectives. All societies will be required to renew their registration every five years to ensure active functioning, accurate records and periodic verification of their objectives and management. All existing societies in Punjab must re-register under the amended Act within a year from its enforcement, bringing these under the new compliance and transparency framework,” he said.

Arora said societies would not be registered if these had a name already in use within the same jurisdiction, or deceptively similar names that might mislead the public.

“No society is allowed to sell, transfer or dispose of immovable property without prior approval of the Registrar, preventing unauthorised transactions and safeguarding public assets. DCs have been empowered to order inquiries through an officer of the rank of tehsildar in case of complaints. If wrongdoing is detected and not corrected within the prescribed time, an SDM-level administrator can be appointed to take charge and restore proper functioning,” he said.

Moreover, if an elected managing committee was dissolved or an administrator appointed, fresh elections must be conducted within six months, ensuring democratic functioning of societies, he added.