Company : Sol Infotech Pvt. Ltd. Website : www.courtkutchehry.com BOMBAY VILLAGE PANCHAYATS (GRAM SABHA MEETINGS) RULES, 1959 CONTENTS 1. . 1A. . 2. . 3. . 4. . 5. . 6. . 7. . 8. . 9. . 10. . 11. . 12. . 13. . 14. . 15. . 16. . BOMBAY VILLAGE PANCHAYATS (GRAM SABHA MEETINGS) RULES, 1959 In exercise of the powers conferred by clauses (ii) and (xvii) of subsection (2) of Section 176 of the Bombay Village Panchayats Act, 1958 (Bom. III of 1959), and in supersession of all previous rules made in this behalf and continued in force by virtue of Section 186 of the said Act, the Government of Bombay hereby makes the following rules, namely:- 1. . :- These rules may be called the BOMBAY VILLAGE PANCHAYATS (GRAM SABHA MEETINGS) RULES, 1959 1A. . :- In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires - (a) "Act" means the Bombay Village Panchayats Act, 1958; (b) "clear days" in relation to notice or intimation of a meeting means days exclusive of the day of issue of a notice or intimation and of the day of meeting; (c) "financial year" means the year commencing on the first day of April; (d) "section" means a Section of the Act. 2. . :- The meetings of the Gram Sabha shall ordinarily be held in the officer of the [panchayat] or the village chavdi or chora or at any convenient public place in the village as may be detemined by the Sarpanch or in his absence by the Upa-Sarpanch - Provided that, where a group of revenue villages is declared to be a village under Section 4, the first meeting in every financial year shall be held at the place where the office of the panchayat is situated and subsequent meetings shall be held by rotation in each of the other villages in the group in the order in which the names of the villages occur in the English alphabetical order until a meeting in each such village is held and thereafter meetings, if any, shall first be held in such office of the panchayat and then in the other villages in the manner aforesaid. ] 3. . :- (1) The first meeting of the Gram Sabha in every financial year shall be held within two months from the commencement of that year and the second meeting shall be held in November every year on such date and at such time as may be fixed by the Sarpanch or in his absence by the Upa- Sarpanch. (2) Subject to the provisions of Section 7 , a Gram Sabha shall ordinarily hold tow more meetings, the first being held in the month of August and the other on the 26th day of January, as provided by sub-rule (3). (3) The Sarpanch and in his absence the Upa-Sarpanch shall fix the date, if any, and time of the meeting of the Gram Sabha to ensure that the members of the Gram Sabha are not busy in any agricultural operation on the date and time fixed, and are free to attend the meeting. 4. . :- The Sarpanch may, at any time of his own motion, and shall, if so required by the [Standing Committee, Panchayat Samiti, or the Chief Executive Officer,] call an extraordinary meeting of the Gram Sabha. 5. . :- The notice of an ordinary meeting of the Gram Sabha shall be given at least seven clear days before the date of such meeting and in the case of an extraordinary meeting at least four clear days before the date of such meeting. 6. . :- notice of a meeting either ordinary or extraordinary, of the Gram Sabha shall be published (a) by affixing it at the office of the panchayat and the village chavdi or chora and in the absence of a village chavdi or chora at any other conspicuous place or places in the village, and (b) by making an announcement by a beat of drum 1 [on the fourth day, and also on the day] immediately preceding the date of the meeting. 1. Subs, by G.N. of 21.5.1965 7. . :- The notice of a meeting of the Gram Sabha shall specify the date, time and place of the meeting and the nature of the business to be transacted at the meeting. The business to be transacted at the first meeting in every 1 [financial year] shall include items as provided in sub-section (1) of Section 8 of the Act. 1. Subs, by G.N. of 21.5.1965 8. . :- Any proposal which a person desires to place before a meeting of the Gram Sabha may be sent by him to the Sarpanch or in his absence to the Upa-Sarpanch at least two days before the date of the meeting. The Sarpanch or in his absence the Upa-Sarpanch shall decided whether any such proposal, received before or after the publication of the notice, should be placed before the meeting of the Gram Sabha or not. The Sarpanch or in his absence the Upa- Sarpanch may disallow any such proposal on any of the following grounds:- (i) if the proposal is of a defamatory character; (ii) if the language used in the proposal is offensive; (iii) if the proposal is against public interest; (iv) if the proposal is of a trivial nature; (v) if the proposal is in respect of matter which is subjudice; 1 (vi) if the proposal is vague and does not raise a definite issue. If the proposal proposed to be placed before the meeting of the Gram Sabha is to be disallowed on any other ground, the Sarpanch or in his absence the Upa-Sarpanch shall place the matter before the Village Panchayat whose decision in the matter shall be final. 1. Ins. by G..N. of 21.5.1965. 9. . :- A meeting of the 1 [panchayat] shall be held on the day immediately preceding the date fixed for the meeting of the Gram Sabha to consider the proposals coming before the meeting of the Gram Sabha. 1. Ins. by G..N. of 21.5.1965. 10. . :- (1) 1[Fifteen] per cent of the total number of persons included in the list of voters o r 1 [hundred] such persons, whichever is less, shall form a quorum for a meeting of the Gram Sabha. (2) If a meeting is adjourned for want of quorum, no quorum shall be necessary for the adjourned meeting but a fresh notice of such adjourned meeting shall be given in the manner provided in rule 6. 1. Ins. by G..N. of 21.5.1965. 11. . :- 1 (1) The minutes of the previous meeting shall be read in the beginning of every meeting, and shall be confirmed and signed by the person presiding at the meeting (hereinafter referred to as "Chairman")- After the minutes of the previous meeting are signed by him, the Chairman shall at every first meeting in a financial year explain to the meeting the programme and activities which the panchayat intends to undertake during that year; and in every subsequent meeting, he shall explain the (1A) Any member of the Gram Sabha may ask questions relating to the programme or activities of the panchayat and Chairman shall give an oral reply to any such question, (1B) The Chairman shall, having regard to the state of business before the meeting and the nature of the subject, prescribe a time- limit for questions and answers as he deems fit. (2) Except with the permission of the Chairman - (a) no business, which is not included in the notice, shall be transacted at any meeting; (b) the business to be transacted at a meeting shall ordinarily be taken in the order in which it is entered in the notice. (3) If the business of a meeting is left undisposed of, the Chairman may, with the consent of the persons present, adjourn the meeting to a subsequent date, time and place to be announced in the meeting. No other fresh business shall be transacted at such adjourned meeting. Explanation:- For the purpose of clause (a) of sub-rule (2), a proposal directed to be placed before the meeting of the Gram Sabha by the Sarpanch or Upa-Sarpanch under rule 8 shall be deemed to be business included in the notice. 1. Ins. by G..N. of 21.5.1965. 12. . :- The Chairman may disallow the discussion of any proposition which he considers to be beyond the competence of the Gram Sabha and in doing so, he shall record his reasons in writing. 13. . :- All propositions, not disallowed by the Chairman, shall be discussed at the meeting of the Gram Sabha. The Chairman shall decide all points of order arising during the course of the meeting and his decision thereon shall be final. 14. . :- It shall be the duty of the Chairman to regulate the transaction of business at the meeting and to preserve order. He shall have all the powers necessary for 1 [these] purposes. 1. Subs, by G.N. of 21.5.1965 15. . :- If any member disregards the authority of the Chairman or is guilty of obstructive or offensive conduct in, or interrupts the proceedings of, a meeting, the Chairman shall have power to cause withdrawal of such person from the meeting. 16. . :- A brief record of the proceedings of every meeting of the Gram Sabha shall be kept in 1[Marathi] in a bound book and a copy of the proceedings shall be sent within seven days of the meeting to the District Village Panchayat Officer or to any other officer authorised by the 1 [Chief Executive Officer or subject to his control by the Block Development Officer, in this behalf. 1. Subs, by G.N. of 21.5.1965