Gandhinagar, Jan 28 (IANS) The Gujarat government has decided to suspend elections to the management committees of specified cooperative societies for six months, citing the ongoing priority work related to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) across the state and the country.

The decision was made during the Cabinet meeting in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.

Addressing the media, Spokesperson Minister Jitu Vaghani said that the scale and urgency of the SIR-related exercise had made it difficult for the state revenue machinery to conduct elections for certain categories of cooperative societies within the stipulated timeframe.

“Considering the current situation, it has become practically challenging to organise elections for the management committees of specified cooperative societies,” he said.

He explained that the suspension has been granted under the powers conferred by Section 161 of the Gujarat Cooperative Societies Act, 1961.

Under this provision, all specified cooperative societies covered under Section 74(g) of the Act, where elections are either ongoing or due to be conducted, have been granted relief from the provisions of Sections 74(g) and 145(a) to (e) for a period of six months from the date of the notification.

As a result, elections to the management committees of these societies will not be held during this period.

However, the minister clarified that cooperative societies whose election processes are being conducted or are required to be conducted pursuant to judicial orders will remain outside the scope of this exemption.

“Societies where elections are underway or mandated due to court directions will not be covered under this notification,” Vaghani said.

The spokesperson minister also shared details of Gujarat’s participation in the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 held in Davos.

He said a high-level state delegation attended the global meet under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.

Vaghani stated that more than 58 meetings were held with leading chairpersons, chief executive officers, investors and representatives of multilateral institutions during the five-day event.

“Gujarat further strengthened its position as one of India’s most reliable and progressive states for investment across various sectors,” he said.

He added that the state’s policy stability and long-term planning were highlighted during the interactions, along with Gujarat’s industrial base, infrastructure development and innovation-driven growth approach.

According to the minister, there was notable interest in the state’s governance framework and ease of doing business.

The minister also said that Gujarat’s efforts to develop infrastructure were not limited to industry alone.

“Along with industrial growth, the state government is also working towards creating world-class infrastructure in the sports sector,” he said, adding that this area had also drawn attention during discussions at the forum.

The cabinet, he noted, congratulated the deputy chief minister and the entire delegation for their participation at the WEF 2026.

–IANS

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