Chairman and Secretary: society responsibilities and access permissions
04 Nov 2026
Quick answer
Invite members: The quickest way to give everyone housing society member access is also the worst: sharing the administrator's password. On COOPMAN, each person registers their own free account and the society approves the role they need. Members see what members should see, tenants get tenant access, the accountant gets finance access only, and the Society Admin stays the only person with society-wide control.
Why a shared admin login causes trouble
- No accountability. If five people use one login, nobody can tell who issued a notice, approved an NOC or changed a ledger entry.
- No clean exit. When an office-bearer resigns or a tenant leaves, the only way to cut their access is to change the password for everyone.
- Too much exposure. Members' personal details, nominations and finance records become visible to people who only needed to read notices.
- Disputes get harder. If a decision is challenged, the society cannot show who did what.
COOPMAN is built around one personal account per person, with society roles added only through approval. Sharing a login works against that design.
Role-based access in a society: who gets what
| Person | Role to approve | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Owner member | Member, linked to their unit | Their own records, society notices, raising requests, applying for NOCs |
| Tenant | Tenant (after approval) | Notices, requests and visitor passes; no ownership rights |
| Other office-bearers | Committee | The committee work your by-laws and Board give them |
| Accountant engaged by the society | Accountant, with scoped finance access | Finance records only |
| Secretary (or Chairman where rules allow) | Society Admin, through the claim process | Running the society on the platform |
Decide roles from your by-laws and Board decisions, not from convenience. For the finance side, see Treasurer and accountant finance access; for the two principal office-bearers, see Chairman and Secretary access permissions.
Bringing members on: a practical sequence
- Tell members in a notice that the society is now managed on COOPMAN, what they will find there, and that each person needs their own account. A Quick Notice is suitable.
- Ask each person to register at /register using their name as it appears in the society's member register. Share the create-account guide.
- Approve each request against the member register. Check the name, unit and membership before approving. If a flat is jointly held, decide in line with your records which person or persons are members.
- Approve tenants only with the owner's and society's consent on record. Tenant access does not carry ownership rights.
- Add committee roles for other office-bearers, each to their own account.
- Record the roles you have given in the minutes, so the next committee knows.
Members who are not comfortable online should not lose out. Keep printing important notices for the notice board and accept written requests at the office.
Checks for the Society Admin
- Every person with access has their own account; nobody uses yours.
- Each role matches a current position: owner, tenant, office-bearer, engaged accountant.
- Tenants who have left, sold-out members and former office-bearers no longer have their old roles.
- Your own password is not written down in the society office or a shared chat group.
- The roles list is reviewed after every AGM or committee change.
Platform access is not the same as members' inspection rights
Under Rule 67A of the West Bengal Co-operative Societies Rules, 2011, a member may apply in writing to inspect certain society documents free of charge – including the by-laws, the register of members and nominees, minute books and the latest audited balance sheet – and the society must arrange inspection within one week. Approving a member's account on COOPMAN does not replace that right, and limiting platform roles does not limit it. Handle written inspection requests as the Rules require.
After members are in
Ask each approved member to check their flat and membership details; see completing the member record. If you have not yet become Society Admin, start with preparing evidence to claim the society.
Invite members: frequently asked questions
Can two committee members both be administrators?
COOPMAN gives Society Admin through the claim process to the Secretary, or the Chairman where rules allow. Other office-bearers should have committee roles on their own accounts. Check the claim guide or help for changes to administration.
Can a tenant see the society's accounts?
Tenant access covers notices, requests and visitor passes. It does not include ownership rights.
A member says they cannot use a smartphone. What then?
Keep paper notices on the board and accept written requests at the office. Platform access is a convenience, not a condition of membership.
What should we do when a member sells their flat?
Once the transfer is complete, the incoming owner becomes the member; review the outgoing person's access so they no longer hold the member role for that unit.
Is there a bulk invitation by email or SMS?
Each person registers their own account and the society approves their role. Check the manage-society guide for the current way to bring members on.
Sources and review
Facts checked against the sources listed on 3 October 2026.
Next step: send a notice asking members to register, then approve each request against your member register. The manage-society guide and the documents guide have more detail.
