(Gram Panchayats Act, 1964
(Act No. 2 ,of 1964)
[PsiCE: -Rs. 1-85 Np.
OF
'THE ANDHRA PRADESH’ GRAM PANCHAYATS ACT, 1964 (ACT 2 OF 1964).
PRELIMINARY.
- Short title, extent and commencement
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Definitions Chapter II,
CONSTITUTI0N, ADMINSTION AND CONTROL OF GRAM PANCHAYATS. - Declaration of a village for the purposes of this Act
- Constitution of gram panchayats for villages and their in corporation
- Township
- Gram Sabha
- Total strength of a gram panchayat
- Elected members
- Reservation of seats for women and members of Scheduled Cast and Scheduled-Tribes
- Division into constituencies
- Term of office members
- Election of Sarpanch and Upa-Sarpanch
- Vacancies to be filled by election or nomination in certan cases
- Preperation and publication of electoral for grampanchayat.
- Re-arangements and re-publication of electoral rolls in certain cases
- Qualification of candidates
- Disqualifications of officers and servants of State or Central Government or of local authorities
- Disqualification of persons convicted of election offences
- Disqualifications of candidates
- Disqiialifications of members
- Restoration of members to office
- Authority to decide questions of disqualifications of members
- Resignation of member, S^panch or Upa-Sarpanch
- Cessation of office of Sarpanch and Upa-sarpanch
- Powers and functions of the Sarpanah
- Devolution and delegation of Sarpanch’s powers and functions and filling of vacancies in the office of Sarpanch
- Removal of temporary Sarpanch
- Rights of individual members
- No Sarpanch, Upa-sarpanch or member to receive remuneration
- Appointment of executive officers for certain gram panchayats.
- Functions of exective officer
- Functions of executive authority ,
- Emergency powers of Sarpanch
- Exercise of functions of executive authority by Health Officer in certain cases
- Delegation of functions of executive authority
- Officers and servants of gram panchayats
- Presidency of meetings
- Minutes of nroceedings
- Power to call for records
- Functional Committees
- Proceedings of gram panchayats and committees
- Appointment of Joint Committees
- Adniinistration report
- Acts of gram panchayats, etc., not to be invalidated by in formality, vacancy, etc
- Powers of inspecting and superintending officers and of the Government
- Power to suspend or cancel resolution, etc., under this Act.
- Emergency powers of Commissioner and District Collector.
- Control over electrical undertakings of gram panchayats .
- Power to take action in default of a gram panchayat, Sarpanch or executive authority
- Removal of Sarpanch, Upa-sarpanch or member
- Motion of no-confldence in Sarpanch or Upa-sarpanch
- Dissolution and supersession of gram panchayats .
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Powers of officers acting for or in default of gram panchayat and liability of gram panchayat fundChapter- III.
POWERS, FUNCTIONS AND PROPERTY OF GRAM PANCHAYATS. - Duty of gram panchayat to provide for certain matters
- Power of gram panchayat to provide for certain other matters.
- Maintenance of common dispensaries, child-welfare centres, etc.
- Transfer of management of forests to gram panchayats
- Transfer to gram panchayats of institutions or works
- Power to Board of Revenue to transfer or resume control of endowments and inams
- Limitation of powers to accepting donations and trusts
- Transfer of cattle pounds to gram panchayats and maintenance of cattle pounds
- Vesting of public roads in panchayats
- Collected sewage, etc. to belong to gram panchayat.
- Vesting of communal property or income in gram panchayat.
- Maintenance of irrigation works, execution of kudimaramat. etc
- Vesting of the management of ferries in gram panchayat, etc.
- Certain porambokes to vest in gram panchayat, etc.
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Immovable property required by gram panchayat may be acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894Chapter IV.
TAXATION AND FINANCE. - Taxes leviable by gram panchayats
- House-tax
- Levy of house-tax on a direction by Government ,
- Profession tax
- Duty on transfers of property
- Vehicle tax
- Special taxes leviable by a gram panchayat.,
- Composition of tax payable by owner of a factory, or a contiguous group of buildings
- Power to write off irrecoverable amounts
- Power to require village headman to collect taxes and fees due to gram panchayat
- Gram panchayats fund .
- Expenditure from gram panchayat fund
- Preparation and sanction of budget ..
- Appointment of auditors
- Contribution to expenditure by other local authorities .
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Recovery of loans and advances made by the GovernmentChapter V .
PUBLIC SAFETY, CONVENIENCE AND HEALTH. - Vesting of waterworks in gram panchayats
- Setting apart of public tanks, etc. for certain purposes
- Prohibition against using places so set apart for purposes other than those notified
- Contributions from persons having control over places of pilgrimage etc.
- Cleaning of private latrines .
- Registration of buiial and burning grounds.
- Licensing of places for disposal of the dead.
- Provision of burning and burial grounds.
- A book to be kept of places registered, licensed or provided
- Prohibition against burying or burning in unauthorised places.
- Notice to be given to gram panchayat of burials, etc.
- Prohibition against use of burial and burning grounds dangerous to health or overcrowded with graves .
- . Power to destroy stray pigs and dogs.
- Prohibition against allowing outflow of filth .
- Power as to sanitation and conservancy .
- Prohibition against working of quarry near public roads .
- Prohibition against obstructions in or over public roads .
- Piohlbitioin against, and regulation of door, gate, bar or groundfloor window opening outwards .
- Removal of encroachments
- Power to allow certain projections and erections .
- Prohibition of building on sewer drain etc. without permission.
- Prohibition against making holes and causing obstruction in public road
- Prohibition against plainting or felling trees on public roads, etc. without permission .
- Recovery of penalty and compensation for unautJiorised occupation of land
- Public markets
- Licence for Private markets..
- Fee for licence .
- Powers exercisable by executive authority in respect of public markets .
- Powers exercisable by gram panchayat in respect of private meirkets
- Decision of disputes as to whether places are markets
- Prohibition of sale in unlicensed private markets, etc.
- Prohibition against sale in or upon public roads
- Classification of markets
- Vesting of places used as markets situated in estates taken over by the Government
- Classification of public roads, fairs and festivals, etc.
- Public landing place cart-stands, etc.
- Private cart-stands
- Public slaughter houses
- Prohibition or regulation of the use of places for slaughtering animals and licensing of slaughterers
- Purposes for which places may not be used without a licence.
- Application to be made for construction, establishment or installation of factory, workshop or work place in which steam or other power is to be employed
- Power of gram panchayat to issue directions for abatement of nuisance caused by steam or other power
- Form of licences, notices and permissions
- Power of Government to pass order or give directions .
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Modification of the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Places of Public Resort Act, 1888 Chapter VI.
GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS. - Power to name streets and number buildings.
- General provisions regarding licences and permissions
- Appeal from the order of executive authority to gram pan chayat .
- Limitation of time for appeal .
- Government and market committees not to obtain licences and peruttissions.
- Time for complying with notice, order, etc., and power to enforce in default.
- Powers of entry and inpection.
- Testing of weights and measures .
- Power to call for information from village headmen, village Munsiff and Kamams .
- Limitation for recovery of dues.
- Persons empowered to prosecute.
- Power to compound offences.
- Prosecutions and compositions to be reported to gram panchayat.
- Sanction for prosecution of Sarpanch, members of a gram Panchayat, nyaya panchayat or conciliation boards ,
- Notice of action against gram panchayat, Nyaya Panchayat, Conciliation Board; etc.
- Protection of Sarpanch, Nyaya Adhyaksha, etc., of GramPancha yats Nyaya Panchayats and donci^tion boards acting in good faith
- Sarpanch, etc. to be public servants.
- Injunction not to be granted in election proceedings
- Requisitioning of premises for election purposes .
- Payment of compensation .
- Liability of the Sarpanch, executive authority and member for loss, waste or misapplication of property .
- Assessments, etc. not to be impeached.
- . Assistance of police to the gram panchayat ,Chapter VII.
CIVIL AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE.
Part I — Conciliatioin Board . - Definitions
- Constitution of Conciliation Board
- Place of proceedings .
- Commencement of proceedings for conciliation.
- Witnesses.
- Board not to administer oath.
- Result of conciliation proceedings to be recorded.
- Maintenance of register of conciliation proceedings
- Execution of settlement
- Secrecy of proceedings
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Power of Government to make rules for the purposes of this PartPart II — Nyaya Panchayats.
- Definitions .
- Establishment of nyaya panchayat -
- Constitution of nyaya panchayati .
- Term of office of members of nyaya panchayat .
- Election of Nyaya Adhyaksha and Nyaya Upa-Adhyaksha of nyaya Panchayat .
- Resignation of a member, Nyaya Upa-Adhyaksha or Nyaya Adhayaksha.
- Suspension or removal of Nyaya Adhyaksha Nyaya Upa-dhya ksha or a member of a Nyaya Panchayat .
- Seal of nyaya panchayat .
- Conduct of business of Nyaya Panchayat .
- Presidency at meeting of nyaya panchayat
- Quorum and decisions at the sittings of the nyaya panchayat.
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Nyaya Panchayat to have exclusive civil and crimnal JurisdictionCIVIL JURISDICTION.
- Suits cognizable by nyaya panchayat
- Suits not cognizable by a nyaya panchayat
- Compromise of suits
- The nyaya panchayat in which a suit is to be instituted
- Suits to incude the whole claim
- Commeiftjement of proceedings in a suit before a nyaya panchayat
- Incidental determination of matters not cognizable by nyay panchayat
- Appearance in person or by agent.
- Exemption of certain persons from personal appearance in suits
- limitation
- Death of parties
- Nyaya panchayat may transfer certain suits to District Munsiff.
- Transfer of certain suits
- On conclusion of hearing, nyaya panchayat to pass decree
- Contents of decree .
- Decree may award interest or order payment by instalments
- Payment o f adjustment of decree to be recorded
- Execution of decree.
- Appeal CRIMINAL JURISDICTION.
- Nyaya panchayat to take cognizance of and try certain ofifen ces
- Certain persons accused of theft not to be tried by nyaya panchayat.
- Compounding of offences
- Compensatwn to complainant, etc.
- Compensation to accused for false or frivolous case .
- Conviction by a nyaya panchayat nota previous conviction.
- Enquiry by a nyaya panchayat under section 202, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.
- Youthful offenders
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Order to maintenance of wives and children .MISCELLANEOUS
- Res-judicata and pending suits and cases .
- Institution of suits and cases .
- Summons to be issued to the defendant or accused
- Disposal of suits and cases in absence of party concerned.
- Issue of sunmions to witnesses .
- Assistance of police to the nyaya panchayat.
- Fresh hearing of pending suits, etc. if more than one half of members vacate office .
- Nyaya panchayat not to revise or alter its decision .
- Right of an arrested person to be defended by a legal practitioner .
- Applicability of certain sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 to nyaya panchayat.
- Power of Government to dissolve a nyaya panchayat .
- Exercise of powers of panchayat court under the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Village Courts Act ,1888 by gram panchayats till the establishment of nyaya panchayats in the Andhra area .
- Power of the Government to make rules.Chapter VIII.
BVLES, BYE-LAWS AND PENALTIES. - Power of Govenment to make rules for the purposes of this Act .
- Penalties for breach of rules.
- Bye-laws and penalties for their breach.
- General provisions regarding penalties specified in Schedules IV and V .
- Penalty for acting as member, Sarpanch or Upa-Sarpanch of a gram Panchayat when disqualified .
- Penalty for acquisition by an officer or servant of interest in contract, etc.
- Wrongful restraint of executive authoriy or his delegate .
- Punishment for obstructing gram panchayat, etc.
- Penalty for not giving information or giving false information Chapter IX .
SUPPLEMENTAL PBOVISIONS. - Special provisions in the case of new gram panchayats.
- Public roads, markets, wells, tanks, etc., to be open to all .
- Power to farm out fees .
- Extension of provisions of law relating to district municipalities or rules thereunder.
- Transfer of functions of gram panchayats to panchayat samithis, zilla parishads, or over local authorities or vice versa .
- Delegation of powers, etc.
- Revision .
- Recovery of amounts due as taxes
- Adjudication of disputes between local authorities
- Oath of allegiance to be taken by members .
- Act to be read subject to Schedule VI in regard to first constitution or reconstitution, etc.
- Power to remove difficulties.
- Amendment to section 31 of Andhra Pradesh Act XXXV of 1959 .
- Repeals
Rules regarding proceedings of gram panchayats and their committees.
Rules relating to certain taxes and their lodging of moneys received by gram panchayat and payment of moneys from the gram panchayat fund.
- General
- Assessment of the house-tax
- Profession tax—Levy of maximum and minimum rates
- Tax on vehicles
- Appeals
- Collection of taxes
- Definitions
- Existing villages and town municipalities to be deemed to be villages for purposes of this Act
- Total number of members of gram panchayats
- Term of office of existing Presidents, Vice-Presidents and and Members
- Existing wards to continue except in certain cases
- Reservation of seats
- First ordinary election
- Reconstitution of panchayats dissolved or superseded before the commencement of this Act
- Constitution of panchayats for villages notified before the commencement of this Act
- Executive Officers of Town Committees to be deemed to be executive officers appointed under section 30
- Devolution of property rights and liabilities
- Continuance of existing taxes
- Action taken under old Andhra Area Act on old Telangana Area Act or Municipal Act to continue
- Removal of difficulty
(ACT No. 2 OF 1964)
Preliminary .
- This Act may be called the Andhra Gram Panchayats Act, 1964* commencement.
- It extends to the whole of the State of Andhra Pradesh, except—
- the municipal corporations governed by the Art n of Hyderabad Municipal Corporations Act, 1955;
- the municipalities governed by the law relating to municipalities for the time being in force in the State;
- the mining settlements governed by the Andhra Pradesh (Telangana Area) Mining Settlements Act, 1956; and
- the cantonments governed by the Cantonments Act, 1924.
- It shall come into force on such date and in such area as the Government may, by notification in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette, appoint and they may appoint different dates for different areas and for different provisions.
- ‘Andhra area* means the territories of jshe of Andhra Pradesh other than the Telangana area;
- “board” means a conciliation board constituted under scction 154;
- ‘building’ includes a house, out-house, shop, stable, latrine, shed, (other than a cattle shed in an agricultu ral land) hut, wall and any other such structure, whether of ihasonry, bricks, wood, mud, metal or any other material whatsoever;
- ‘casual vacancy’ means a vacancy occurring oU^rwise than by ^ u x of time, and ‘casual election’ means an election held to fill a casual vacancy;
- '‘Gommissioner’ means any officer who is authorised by the Government to exercise any of the powers or discharge any of the duties of the Commissioner under this Act;
- ‘company’ means a company as defined in the Companies Act, 1956, and includes a foreign company within the meaning of section 591 of that Act;
- ‘District Munsiff’ means—
- in relation to the Andhra area, the DistriMimsiff appointed under the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Civil Courts Act, 1873;
- in relation to the Telangana area, the Munisiff appointed under section 6 of the Andhra Pradesh (Telangana Area) Civil Courts Act, 1954;
- ‘election authority’ means such authority not being the Sarpanch or Upa-Sarpanch or a member of the gram panchayat, as may be prescribed;
- ‘executive authority’ means—
- in the case of a gram panchayat or group of grapahcbayats having an executive officer, the executive officer, and if there is no executive officer in charge, the Sarpanch of the gram panchayat;
- in the case of any other gram panchayat, the Sarpanch thereof;
- ‘executive officer’ mfians the executive officer of a gram panchayat or a group of gram panchayats;
- ‘factory’ mcans a factory as defined in the Factories Act, 1948, and includes any premises including the precincts thereof wherein any industrial, manufacturing or trade process is carried on with the aid of steam, water, ail, gas, electrical or any other form of power which is meehwi cally transmitted and is not generated by human or aoatial agency;(central Act 68 of 1948)
- ‘Government’ means the State Government;
- ‘gram panchayat’ means the body constituted for the local administration of a village under this Act;
- ‘Gram Sabha’ means the Gram Sabha which comes into existence under section 6;
- ‘house’ means a building or hut fit for human occupation, whether as a residence or otherwise, having a separate principal entrance from the common way , and includes any shop, workshop or warehouse or any building used for garaging or parking buses or as a bus-stand;
- ‘hut’ means any building v/hich is constructed principally of wood, mud, leaves, grass, or thatdi aitd In cludes any temporary structure of whatever size or any small building of whatever material made, which the gram panchayat may declare to be a hut for the purposes of this Act;
- ‘latrine’ includes privy, water-closet and urinal;
- ‘local authority’ includes a cantonment authority;
- ‘member’'means a member of gram panchayat;
- ‘nuisance’ includes any act, omission, place or thing which causes or is likely to cause injury, danger, anno yance or offence to the sense of sight, smell or hearing or disturbance to rest or sleep or which is or may be dangerous to life, or injurious to health or property;
- ‘nyaya panchayat’ means a nyaya panchayat established under section 165;
- ‘ordinary vacancy’ means a vacancy occurring by efflux of time and ‘ordinary election’ means an election held to fill an ordinary vacancy;
- ‘owner’ includes—
- the person for the time being receiving or entitled to receive whether on his own account, or as agent trustee, guardian, manager or I’eceiver for another person op for any religious or charitable purpose, the rent or profits u£ tiie property in connection with which the word is used and
- the person for the time being in charge of the animal or vehicle in connection with which the word is used;
- ‘Panchayat Samithi’ means a Panchayat Samithi as defined in clause (h) of section 2 of the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Samithis and Zilla Parishads Act, 1959; (Andhrapradesh Act XXXV of 1959.)
- ‘prescribed’ means prescribed by the Govern ment by rules made under this Act;
- ‘private road’ means any Street, road, square, court, alley, passage, cart-track, foot-path or riding path, which is not a ‘public road’ but does not include a pathway made by the owner of premises on his own land to secure access to, or the convenient use of, such premises;
- ‘public road’ means any street, road, square, court, alley, passage, cart-track, foot-path or riding path, over which the public have a right of way, whether a tho rough-fare or not, and includes—
- the roadway over any public bridge or cause way;
- the foot-way attached to any such road, public bridge or causeway, and
- the drains attached to any such road, public bridge or causeway, and the land, whether covered or not, by any pavement, veranda or other structure, whidi lies on either side of the roadway upto the boundaries of the adja cent property whether that property is private property or property belonging to a local authority, or the State ot Central Government;
- ‘residence’, ‘reside’.— A person is deemed to have his ‘residence’ or to ‘reside’ in any house if, he sometimes uses any portion thereof as a sleeping apartment, and a person is not deemed to cease to reside in any such house merely because he is absent from it or has elsewhere another dwelling in which he resides, if he is at liberty to return to such house at any time and has not abandoned his intention of returning;
- ‘State’ means the State of Andhra Pradesh; Act
- ‘Telangana area’ means the territories specified in sub-section (i) of section 3 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956;
- ‘village’ means any local area which is declared to be a village under this Act;
- ‘water-course’ includes any river, stream or channel, whether natural or Artificial;
- ‘year’ means the financial year;
- ‘Zilla Parisliad’ means a Zilla Parishad as defined in clause (o) of section 2 of the Andhra Pradesh Pannchayat Sami this and ZilHa Parishads Act, 1959.
Constitution , Administration and Control of Gram Panchayat
- The Commissioner may, by notification, and in accordaince with the rules made by the Government in this behalf, declare any revenue village or part thereof br any part , of a revenue taluk to be a village for the purpose of this Act and specify the name of the village.
- The Commissioner may, by notification and in accordance with such rules as may be prescribed in this behalf
- exclude from a village any local atea compri sed therein; or
- include in a village any adjoining local area in the same revenue taluk; or -
- cancel a notification issued wider sub-section (1) ; or
- alter the name of the village:
Provided that before issuing a notification under this sub-section, the Commissioner shall give the gram pancha yat which will be affected by the issue of such notification, an opportunity of showing cause against the proposal and consider the objections, if any, of such gram panchayat.
Explanation :— The expression “ revenue taluk” us«d in sub-sections (1) and (2) and the expression “revenue village” used in sub-section (1) means respectively any local area which is recognised as a taluk or village in the revenue accounts of Government after excluding therefrom the area, if any, included in—
- a municipal corporation governed by the Hyder- abad Municipal Corporations Act, 1955;
- a municipality governed by the law relating to municipalities for the time being in force in the State;
- a mining settlement governed by the Andhra Pradesh (Telangana Area) Mining Settlements Act, 1956;
- a cantonment governed by the Cantonments Act, central Act 1924. (2 of 1924-)
- The Commissioner may pass such orders as he may deem fit—
- as to the disposal of the property vested in a gram panchayat which has ceased to exist, and the discharge of its liabilities; and
- as to the disposal of any part of the property vested in a gram panchayat which has ceased to exercise juris diction over any local area, aind the discharge of the liabilities of the gram panchayat relating to such property or arising froni such local area.
An order made under this sub-section may contain such supplemental, incidental and consequential provisions as the Commissioner may deem necessary, and in particular may direct—
- that any tax, fee or other sum due to tgram panchayat or where a gram panchayat has ceased to exercise; jurisdiction over any local area, such tax, fee, or other sum due to the grajti panchayat as relates to that area, shall be payable to such authorities as may be specified in the order; and
- that appeals, petitions, or other applications with reference to any such tax, fee or sum which are pending on the date on which the gram panchayat ceased to exist or, as the case may be, on the date on which the gram panchayat ceased to exercise jurisdiction over the local area, shall be dis posed of by such authorities as may be specified in the order.
- A gram panchayat shall be deemed to have been constituted for a village on the date of publication of the notification under section 3 in respect of that village and the Special Officer appointed under sub-section (i) of section 226 shall make arrangements for the election of the members and of the Sarpanch of the gram panchayat as provided in that section.
- Subject to the provisions of this Act, the administration of the village shall vest in the gram panchayat, but the gram panchayat shall not be entitled to exercise functions expressly assigned by or under this Act or any other law to its Sarpanch or executive authority, or to any other local authority or other authority.
- Every gram panchayat shall be a body corporate by the name of the village specified in the notification issued under section 3, shall have perpetual succession and a common seal, and subject to any restriction or qualification imposed by or under this Act or any other law, shall be vested with the capacity of suing or being sued in its corporate name, of acquiring, holding and transferring property, of entering into contracts, and of doing all things necessary, proper or expedient for the purposes for which it is constituted.
- The Government may declare, by a notification in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette, a village or any other area to be a township if it is an industrial or institutional colony, a labour colony, a health resort or a place of religious importance.
- If the area declared as township linder sub-section (1) comprises a village or forms part of a village, the Commissioner shall, under sub-section (2) of section 3, cancel the notification issued under sub-section (1) of that section in respect of such village, or as the case may be, exclude such part from the village.
- In regard to any area declared to be a township, the Government shall, by notification in the Andhra -Pradesh Gazette, constitute a township committee which shall consist of the members elected in the prescribed manner and the members nominated by the Government:
Provided that the number of members chosen by nomination by the Government shall not exceed one-third of the total number of members.
- A notification issued by the Government under sub-section (3) may direct that any functions vested in a gram panchayat by or under this Act shall be transferred to and performed by the township committee and shall provide for—
- the total number of members of the township committee;
- the persons to be nominated by Government to the township committee;
- the person who shall be the chairman of the township committee or the manner in which he shall be elected;
- the term of office of members and the chairman of the township committee;
- the restrictions and conditions subject to which the township committee may perform its functions; and
- any other matter incidental to, or connected with, the transfer of the functions of a gram panchayat to the township committee including the apportionment of the revenues beween the township committee and the gram panchayat concerned or any contribution or compensation that shall be paid by the township committee to the gram panchayat concerned.
- Every township committee shall, in regard to the conduct of its business, follow such procedure as may be prescribed.
- The Government may, by notification in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette, direct that any of the provisions of this Act or of the law relating to municipalities for the tiine being in force, or of any rules made thereunder or of any other enactment for the time being in force elsewhere in the State but not in the village or local area or specified part thferfeof referred to in sub-section (1), shall apply to that village, local area or part to such extent and subject to such modifications, additions and restrictions as may be specified in the notification.
- There shall come into existence a Gram Sabha for every village on the date of publication of notification under section 3.
- A Gram Sabha shall consist of all persons whose names are included in the electoral roll for the gram panchayat referred to in section 14, and such persons shall be deemed to be the members of the Gram Sabha.
- The Gram Sabha shall meet at least twice in every year on such date and at such place and time as may be prescribed to consider the following matters, which shall be placed before it by the gram panchayat, namely:—
- annual statement of accounts and audit report,
- report on the administration of the preceding year;
- programme of works for the year or any new programme not covered by the budget or the annual programme;
- proposals for fresh taxation or for enhancement of existing taxes;
- such other matter as may be prescribed.
The gram panchayat shall give due consideration to the suggestions, if any, of the Gram Sabha.
- The Gram Sabha shall observe such rules of pro cedure at its meetings as may be prescribed.
- Every meeting of the Gram Sabha shall be presided over by the Sarpanch or in his absence by the Upa-Sarpanch of the gram panchayat.
| Gram Panehayat with a population at the last census. | Number of members. |
|---|---|
| of less than 500 | 5 |
| of 500 or more but not exceeding 1,500 | 7 |
| Exceeding 1,500 but not exceeding 3,000 | 9 |
| Exceeding 8,000 but not exceeding 5,000 | 11 |
| Exceeding 5,000 but not exceeding 10,000 | 13 |
| Exceeding 10,000 but not exceeding 15,000 | 15 |
| Exceedng 15,000 | 17 |
Powers Functions and Property of Gram Panchayats.