Section 16. Eligibility for membership in a cooperative.

No person shall be admitted as member of a cooperative except the following namely :— (a) the person who needs the services of co-operative, expresses willingness to accept the responsibility of membership and meets such other conditions as may be specified in the articles of association of the Cooperative and is in a position to use the services, provided he is :— (i) competent to 1[contract under section 11 of 2[the Indian Contract Act, 1872 (9 of 1872)] ; 3[x x x x] : Provided that the cooperative is in a position to extend its services to the applicant ; (b) any other Cooperative registered under this Act ; (c) a firm, company or any other body corporate under any Law for the time being in force or any society registered under 4[the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (21 of 1860)] : Provided that every Partner, Director or member as the case may be of such firm, Company, corporate body or society is a permanent resident of the State. (2) Every applicant for membership, and every member of a cooperative must keep each cooperative of which the person is a member, informed of membership in other cooperatives and it shall be available to a cooperative to refuse admission or remove from membership on grounds, among others, of dual or conflicting membership.