A group of people or an individual who has assembled to aid others is referred to as a “society.” The West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961, governs the formation and operation of societies in Kolkata. A society in Kolkata must register with the appropriate Registrar if it wants to operate in a specific district. The society will have legal status and be able to conduct business legally after registration. Societies that work toward charitable objectives in the fields of religion, literature, the arts, sports, and music must be registered under relevant laws. In this article, we examine the method and procedure of society registration in Kolkata.

West Bengal Societies Registration Act of 1961

A society or association is a formally organized group of persons who have chosen to collaborate to plan and choose non-profit services, according to the Society Registration Act. It is formally the society which is involved for the welfare of the society for its education, health, employment, etc.   

Advantages of Society Registration in Kolkata

The impact of society registration is demonstrated by the following instance:

• A society acquires legal standing when it registers.
• It aids in obtaining authorization for income tax.
• It helps with the legal vesting of society’s property.
• It demonstrates society’s validity before all audiences and decision-makers.
• Several authoritative objectives are listed in the society registration.
• Once a society is registered, both the society and its members are responsible. Everyone who participated appears to have signed the Memorandum.

Required Conditions for Society Registration in Kolkata

• Required Members: A society in Kolkata cannot be registered unless it has at least seven representatives.
• Specific Objective/Goal Statement: It is necessary to mention the sentence that refers to society’s goals. The creation and upkeep of libraries, as well as the promotion of literature, art, science, and religion, must all be covered by the purposes clause.
• Memorandum of Association: The names and conditions of the executed objects must be listed in the memorandum of association.

Required Documents for Registration of Society in Kolkata

For registering a society in Kolkata, the following documents must be provided.

• Application in the Format Required.
• First meeting’s proceedings
• By-laws with self-attested copies
• Copy of the office holders’ ID and address proofs that have been self-attested.
• Picture of the Executive Committee members the size of a passport.
• ID and address verification for Executive Committee members.
• If the office is located in a rented space, the lease must be registered.
• If an office is in its own space, the documents supporting the same is required.

Memorandum of Association (MOA)

The following information will be included in the Memorandum of Association:

• The organization’s name
• The location of the society registered office
• The purpose of the affiliation
• The first members of the Governing Body by name
• The memorandum’s signatories’ addresses and professions shall be listed.
• After the society is registered, the memorandum cannot be amended.

West Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1961, Section 6

For the West Bengal Registration of Societies, the rules must be included in a memorandum; if they are not mentioned, the registration will not be accepted.

The regulations that must be included are as follows:

• Composition refers to the makeup of the governing body as well as the process of adding and removing members.
• Members may resign or be removed from society by removal and resignation.
• The way the property is kept in safe custody for society.
• The quorum of the meeting and other meeting protocols must be included in the procedure for holding meetings.
• Accounts Audit: This comprises the necessary audit.
• Examination of Accounts: The review of Accounts and Meeting Proceedings.

Processing duration

The society registration process can be finished within thirty days from the registration date.

Procedure of Society Registration in Kolkata

The W.B. Society Registration Act’s registration process is explained in detail below.

Discover the Registrar’s Office.

• Step 1: The applicant must submit the Memorandum of Association (MOA) and a copy of the regulations (Bye-Laws of Society) to the appropriate Registrar together with the required documentation and application. 
• Step 2: Following the submission of the application and any required fees, you will receive an acknowledgment message.

Verification

• Step 3: The registrar will examine the application, MOA, regulation, and supporting documents.

*If the Registrar is satisfied that the MOA (Memorandum of Association) and the regulations are in order, they will certify and stamp that the organization is registered under the Society Registration Act^[1].

Access to the Registration Certificate

• The registrar will also deliver a registered copy of the MOA and regulation.
• As soon as the required paperwork is in place, society can function legally.
• The society registry at the registrar’s office has a current list of the registered societies.
• A citizen may get a certified copy of the Memorandum of Association, an extract of any document, or a portion of a report by submitting an application and paying the required fee.

Conclusion

Society registration is a must to regulate an authentic institution. Society Registration helps in obtaining validity to run an organization effectively. By following the aforementioned procedure, one can register his/her society in West Bengal. Society registration in West Bengal requires the submission of an extra document along with the Memorandum of Association. BizAdvisors.io is a legal institution, which is concerned with assisting individuals in Society registration in Kolkata. Our legal experts tend to emphasize the need for Society registration on a large platform.

Read our article:Society Registration in Kerala: A Complete Overview