Co-operative societies function on the basis of mutual assistance and democratic management, yet disputes frequently arise among members, office bearers, employees and the society itself. For this reason, cooperative law provides specific machineries for settlement of disputes so that internal conflicts can be resolved quickly without disturbing the functioning of the society. The ordinary civil courts are generally kept outside the process and special forums created under cooperative statutes are entrusted with this responsibility. The first and most important machinery is the Registrar of Cooperative Societies. The Registrar is the statutory authority who exercises overall supervision and control over cooperatives. Most State Cooperative Societies Acts empower the Registrar to entertain disputes relating to constitution, management, election of committees, conduct of business and claims between a member and the society. When a dispute is referred to the Registrar, he may decide it himself or transfer it for decision to a nominee or an arbitrator appointed by him. The procedure before the Registrar is simple, summary in nature and less expensive than regular court proceedings. Orders passed by the Registrar are binding on the parties and are executable like decrees of a civil court. Another important mechanism is arbitration. Cooperative legislation encourages settlement of disputes through