Challenging Unjust Board Practices: My Struggle for Fair Representation in Our Housing Society
I have been living in an apartment complex in Kolkata for the past 13 years. The complex comprises four buildings with a total of 91 flats. My wife and I are co-owners of the apartment we reside in. Unfortunately, the society's management board is still not registered. Currently, board members are selected through a selection process as there are not enough nominations to conduct an election.
After the pandemic lockdown ended, a new board was formed through this selection process. Initially, the board operated fairly, but over time, as owners showed less interest in society activities, their approach changed. They began working in a dictatorial manner, disregarding members' input and making decisions as they saw fit. While most owners seem indifferent to their actions, I am concerned because I pay maintenance regularly and expect the board to perform its duties properly. When verbal complaints went ignored, I started raising issues in the society's social media groups and following up until the board addressed them. This persistence seems to have annoyed them, leading them to avoid me. However, I cannot remain silent if something is wrong.
The board's tenure expired in May of this year, and they issued a notice calling for nominations from the owners to form a new board. I submitted my nomination, intending to work for the betterment of the society. However, when the board published the list of selected members, my name was not included. Instead, they mentioned in the notice, without naming me directly, that my nomination would be discussed in the next General Body Meeting (GBM) and a decision on my candidature would be made there. They did not explain why they took this decision. Despite repeatedly asking them for an explanation, I have received no response. To my dismay, they even formed a new management committee and distributed responsibilities without resolving my issue. I've discovered that the new board includes old members along with those favored by them.
An internal source informed me that they want to keep me off the board because I might object to some of their decisions and make those decisions public. For that, they are attempting to link me to one minor financial issue from an old board that functioned during the pandemic. They are trying to tag me because my wife was the joint cultural secretary of that old board, although she resigned long ago and has repeatedly clarified that she was not involved in any financial activities. She even publicly challenged the board once to present any proof of her involvement, but they have not done so. Despite this, they continue to accuse and humiliate us whenever they get the chance and this time. I like to know Sir, if what the board is doing is correct. Can they forward the decision about my candidature to the GBM without justifying the reason? Can they form a new board without resolving my issue? What options do I have when they are not responding to my requests?