New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday minced no words in criticising the Uttar Pradesh government for retaining the "colonial-era mindset" in governing cooperative societies and similar bodies, where the spouses of bureaucrats like district magistrates are made ex officio office-bearers.
The matter came up before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The bench said such provisions were "wholly inconsistent with democratic principles," and these arrangements had "no justification in modern governance."
The bench stressed that public bodies must be led by elected members.
The bench asked the state government to take steps to amend relevant provisions within two months.
The bench said the byelaws of several societies in Uttar Pradesh continued to confer positions, such as the post of president, on the wives of top officials like district magistrates and chief secretaries.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by CM Zila Mahila Samiti, Bulandshahr, a women's self-help group, which challenged the practice after the wife of the district magistrate was made the ex officio president of their samiti.