State cooperative department’s online grievance system shows strong results, but residents still face delays in some cases

Mumbai, August 29, 2025 – Officials said on Thursday that housing societies have resolved nearly 80% of the 9,000 complaints. Residents submitted these cases through the Maharashtra cooperative department’s online grievance redressal portal. The department launched the portal to make complaint filing and resolution more transparent. It also offers residents a faster way to address disputes with their cooperative housing societies.

The portal has been active for over a year. It allows residents to register issues such as fund mismanagement and irregular maintenance charges. Officials have addressed more than 7,200 of the total complaints. Around 1,800 cases still remain pending.

Officials highlighted that financial disputes and issues related to election procedures in housing societies remain the most common complaints. Officials settled many cases through conciliation. They referred the remaining cases to the cooperative court or registrar for further action.

Despite the success rate, residents’ groups say delays continue in certain cases.A resident from Thane said, “The portal is a good initiative.” “But some societies use loopholes to delay compliance even after orders. I had filed a complaint about excess maintenance charges.”

Authorities maintain that the system has increased accountability and reduced in-person visits to cooperative offices. The digital format also allows residents to track their complaints online and receive timely updates. “This has brought more transparency and reduced unnecessary interference,” a senior official from the cooperative department said.

The department now plans to integrate the portal with other grievance systems and introduce stricter deadlines for compliance. Officials hope this will help bring the pending cases to closure and further streamline housing society governance.

Housing disputes are among the most frequent civic concerns in urban Maharashtra. Experts view the portal’s high resolution rate as a positive step. However, residents are still urging authorities to act faster in enforcing final orders and preventing repeated violations.

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