Gram Panchayat Role

Grama Panchayat Political Setup:-

Adhyaksha

1. The Adhyaksha of the Grama Panchayat shall, in addition to the power exercisable under any other provision of the Act or rules made thereunder :-
   • convene meetings of the Grama Panchayat;
   • have access to the records of the Grama Panchayat; and
   • exercise supervision and control over the acts of the officers and employees of the Grama Panchayat including the Secretary.
2. The Adhyaksha may, if in his opinion the immediate execution of any work or the doing of any act which requires the sanction of a Committee of the Grama Panchayat, is necessary in public interest convene a meeting for the purpose with a notice of twenty four hours.

Upadyaksha:

The Upadyaksha of the Grama Panchayat shall exercise the powers and perform the duties of the Adhyaksha when the Adhyaksha is absent, on leave or is incapacitated from functioning.

Standing Committeess:-

(1) Every Grama Panchayat shall constitute the following Committees by election :-

• Production Committee
• Social Justice Committee
• Amenities Committee

Production Committee :-

This committee shall perform functions relating to agricultural production, animal husbandry and rural industries and poverty alleviation programmes.

Social Justice Committee :-

This committee shall perform functions relating to

• Promotion of educational, economic, social, cultural and other interests of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes;
• Protection of such castes and classes from social injustice and any form of exploitation;
• Welfare of women and children;

Amenities Committee :

This committee shall perform functions in respect of education, public health, public works and other functions of the Grama Panchayat.

Staff of Grama Panchayats:-

Panchayat Development Officer / G.P. Secretary

• Every Grama Panchayat shall have a whole time PDO/Secretary who shall be an officer of the Government and shall draw his salary and allowance from the Zilla Panchayat fund.
• The PDO/Secretary shall perform all the duties and exercise all the powers imposed or conferred upon him by or under this Act or any rules or bye-laws made there under.

Staffing pattern and schedule of employees:-

1. The Government may, by order, specify the staffing pattern, the scales of pay and mode of recruitment of staff of Grama Panchayats.
2. The Grama Panchayat shall, subject to the sub-section(1), determine and submit for approval of the Chief Executive Officer a schedule of employees specifying the designation and grades and the salaries and allowances payable to its officers other than the Secretary required for carrying out the duties imposed upon the Grama Panchayat by or under this Act.

Functions of the Grama Panchayat:-

1. The Grama Panchayat shall perform the functions specified in Schedule I:
2. Provided that where the state Government or Central Government provide fund for the performance of any function specified in Schedule I, the Grama Panchayat shall perform such function in accordance with the guidelines or norm laid down for performing such function.

   Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) and Schedule I, it shall be obligatory on the part of a Grama Panchayat in so far as the Grama Panchayat fund at its disposal will allow, to make reasonable provision within the Panchayat are in regard to the following matters, namely :-

   • providing sanitary latrines to not less than ten percent of the households every year and achieve full coverage as early as possible;
   • constructing adequate number of community latrines for the use of men and women and maintaining them;
   • maintaining water supply works either on its own or by annual contract by generating adequate resources;
   • revising and collecting taxes, rates and fees periodically which are leviable under this Acct;
   • ensuring universal enrollment of children in primary school;
   • achieving universal immunization of children;
   • ensuring prompt registration and reporting of birth and deaths;
   • providing sanitation and proper drainage;
   • construction, repair and maintenance of public streets;
   • removing encroachments on public streets or public places;
   • providing adequate number of street lights and paying electricity charges regularly;
   • filling-up insanitary depressions and reclaiming unhealthy localities;
   • destruction of rabid and owner less dogs;
   • maintenance of all community assets vested in it;
   • maintenance of records relating to population census, crop census, cattle census, census of unemployed persons and person below poverty line
   • earmarking places away from the dwelling houses for dumping refuse and manure.
3. The Grama Panchayat may also make provision for carrying out within the Panchayat area any other work or measure which is likely to promote the health, safety, education, comfort, convenience or social or economic well being of the inhabitants of the Panchayat area.
4. The Grama Panchayat may, by a resolution, passed at its meeting and supported by two-thirds of its total number of members and with the prior approval of the Taluk Panchayat :-

• make provision for or make contribution towards, any exhibition, conference or seminar within or outside the Panchayat area but within the district; or
• make contribution to any medical, educational or charitable institutions or any other institutions of public utility, within the Panchayat area which are registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1961, Karnataka Co-operative Societies Act, 1959 or under any other law for the time being in force.