The disqualification under Section 21-A of the A.P. Cooperative Societies Act does not affect the general body membership of the cooperatives, emphasizing distinct roles of committees and general body in cooperative governance.

1. The petitioners in these writ petitions are the Presidents of the various District Co - operative Central Banks. They all pray for issue of a writ of mandamus declaring that S. 21 - A of the Andhra Pradesh Cooperative Societies Act , 1964, in so far as it seeks to impose disqualification upon the delegates does not apply to all levels of the Co - operative Credit Societies, including the Co - operative Central Banks at District and State level.

2. The above is the original prayer in W.P. 18212 / 89, which is sought to be amended by W. P. M. P. No. 987/90, filed on 24-1-1990, to the following effect: -
"And also to declare S. 21 - A of the A.P. Co - operative Societies Act, 1964, as amended, and R.24(1)(b) as ultra vires."

3. Not content with the first amendment petition, the petitioners have filed another petition, W. P. M. P. No. 5804 / 89 on 31-3-1990 seeking a further amendment to the prayer in the writ petition, which is to the following effect: -
"To issue a writ or order or direction declaring that the A.P. State Co - operative Bank (Formation) Act, 1963, the scheme framed under the said Act and Bye - laws registered under the said Act are applicable to the A. P. State Co - operative Bank or alternatively to declare S. 21 - A of the A.P. Cooperative Societies Act, 1964 and R. 24 of the A.P. Co - operative Societies R.1964 as unconstitutional and to pass such other order or orders as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper in the circumstances of the case."

4. It is thus evident that the petitioners seek far - reaching amendments to the prayer in the writ petition which are not in consonance with each other. In fact, we are constrained to observe that in the light of the amendment petitions filed the main object of the writ petition has been rendered vague and nebulous thereby making it difficult to understand that actual purpose which the petitioners seek to achieve in these writ petitions. However, taking into consideration the running theme of the main case of the petitioners, we propose to deal with the contentions as raised by the learned counsel for the petitioners in the light of the actual provisions of the A. P. Co - operative Societies Act, 1964 and the Rules framed thereunder.

5. In a matter of this nature it would be appropriate to narrate the details given in the affidavit filed in support of the writ petitions to indicate the ultimate controversy arising in the matter.

6. The petitioners are the elected Presidents of Primary Agricultural Co - operative Societies and delegates to the District Cooperative Central Banks. In their elected capacity as Presidents of District Co - operative Banks they become members of the General Body of the Andhra Pradesh State Co - operative Bank, Hyderabad and the Committee of the same Bank. It is alleged that with the introduction of the single Window system of providing credit through co - operatives and due to several inconsistent and contradictory statements in the Act, grave and unavoidable hardships have crept into the structure and organisation of the Bank and its affiliation. S. 21 - A of the A.P. Cooperative Societies Act, 1964, as introduced by A.P. Act 14 of 1966, which deals with disqualification of the members of the executive and degates to a federal co - operative society, cannot be applied to the State Cooperative bank since it was constituted by a separate Act