ARUNACHAL PRADESH PANCHAYAT RAJ ACT, 1997
No: 5 Dated: Feb, 13 2001
ARUNACHAL PRADESH PANCHAYAT RAJ ACT, 1997
(ACT NO. 5 OF 2001)
An Act to replace the North East Frontier Agency Panchayat Raj Regulation, 1967 (Regulation No. 3 of 1967) relating to Panchayats by a comprehensive law.
BE it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Arunachal Pradesh in the Forty eighth year of the Republic of India as follows : .-
1. Short title extent and commencement:- (1) This Act may be called the ARUNACHAL PRADESH PAN CHAY AT RAJ ACT, 1997:
(2) lt extent to the whole of the Arunachal Pradesh.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may by notification, appoint, and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act and for different areas.
2. Definitions:- In this act unless the context otherwise, requires
(i) "Additional Deputy Commissioner" means the Additional Deputy Commissioner attached to the establishment of the Deputy Commissioner of a district;
(ii) "Adult" means a person, male or female, who has completed his or her 18 years on the 1st January of the year in which the election takes place;
(iii) "Anchal Samiti" means an Anchal Samiti constituted under section 54;
(iv) "Block" means such area as may be declared by the Government under section 53 to be an Anchal Block;
(v) "Casual Vacancy" means a vacancy occurring otherwise than by efflux of time;
(vi) "Circle Officer" means a Circle Officer-In-Charge of a Circle;
(vii) "Deputy Commissioner" means the Deputy Commissioner of a District;
(viii) "District" means a district of the State of Arunachal Pradesh;
(ix) "Extra Assistant Commissioner" means an Extra Assistant Commissioner-in-Charge of an Anchal Block /Anchal Samiti as constituted under Sections 53 and 54;
(x) "Government" means the Government of Arunachal Pradesh;
(xi) "Governor" means the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh;
(xii) "Gram Panchayat" means a Gram Panchayat constituted under Section 10;
(xiii) "Gram Sabha" means a body consisting of persons registered in the Electoral Rolls relating to a village comprised within the area of Gram Panchayat;
(xiv) "Notification" means a notification published in the Arunachal Pradesh Gazette;
(xv) "Prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(xvi) "Presiding Officer" means .an officer appointed by the Deputy Commissioner to conduct the election under this Act;
(xvii) "Village" means an area recognized to be a village at the commencement of this Act and includes any area which the Government may, by notification, declare to be a village;
(xviii) "Zilla Parishad" means a Zilla Parishad constituted under Section 85.
CHAPTER-II
GRAM SABHA
3. Gram Sabha:- Subject to general orders of the Government the Gram Sabha shall meet from time to time but six months shall not intervene between any two meetings.
4. Agenda:- The Gram Panchayat shall prepare the agenda for discussion of the Gram Sabha and such matters shall relate to the following, namely :-
(a) the annual statement of accounts of the Gram Panchayat,
(b) the report of administration of the preceding financial year and the last audit note and replies if any,made thereto ;
(c) the report in respect of development programmes of the Gram Panchayat relating to the preceding year and development programmes proposed to be undertaken during the current year.
5. Resolution:- Any resolution relating to the functions entrusted to the Gram Sabha under section 6, shall have to be passed by a majority of votes of the members present and voting in the meeting of the Gram Sabha
6. Functions of Gram Sabha:- A Gram Sabha shall exercise the following functions, namely:
(a) rendering assistance in the implementation of development schemes pertaining to the village;
(b) identification of beneficiaries for the implementation of development schemes pertaining to the village;
Provided that in case the Gram Sabha fails to identify the beneficiaries within a reasonable time the Gram Panchayat can identify the beneficiaries
(c) mobilize voluntary labour and contributions in kind or cash or both for the community welfare programmes;
(d) to promote adult education and family welfare within the village;
(e) promotion of unity and harmony among all sections of society in the village;
(f) such other matters as may be prescribed,
7. Gram Sabha Meeting:- Every meeting of Gram Sabha shall be presided over by the Chairperson of the concerned Gram Panchayat and in his absence by a member of the Gram Panchayat to be chosen from amongst the members of the Panchayat.
8.Quorum:- (a) The quorum for a meeting of the Gram Sabha shall be one-tenth of its total membership.
(b) If at the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the person presiding shall wait for thirty minutes, and if within such period, there is no quorum, the person presiding shall adjourn the meeting to the same time on the same day in the following week. He shall similarly, after waiting for thirty minutes, adjourn the meeting if at any time after it has begun; attention is drawn to the want of a quorum. A notice of the meeting so fixed shall be pasted in the office of the Gram Panchayat. The business which could not be considered at the meeting so postponed for want of quorum shall be brought before and disposed of at the meeting so fixed at any subsequent adjourned meeting at which there is a quorum.