Company : Sol Infotech Pvt. Ltd. Website : www.courtkutchehry.com Tripura Panchayats (Second Amendment) Act, 1998 CONTENTS 1. Short Title And Commencement 2. Amendment Of Section 2 3. Amendment Of Section 3 4. Amendment Of Section 6 5. Amendment Of Section 7 6. Amendment Of Section 10 7. Amendment Of Section 12 8. Amendment Of Section 17 9. Amendment Of Section 20 10. Amendment Of Section 27 11. Amendment Of Section 29 12. Amendment Of Section 50 13. Amendment Of Section 51 14. Amendment Of Section 58 15. Amendment Of Section 67 16. Amendment Of Section 68 17. Amendment Of Section 71 18. Amendment Of Section 79 19. Amendment Of Section 87 20. Amendment Of Section 103 21. Amendment Of Section 109 22. Amendment Of Section 121 23. Amendment Of Section 123 24. Amendment Of Section 126 25. Amendment Of Section 131 26. Amendment Of Section 139 27. Amendment Of Section 158 28. Amendment Of Section 177 To 187 29. Amendment Of Section 210A 30. Amendment Of Section 222 31. Amendment Of Section 229 Tripura Panchayats (Second Amendment) Act, 1998 AN ACT further to amend the Tripura Panchayats Act, 1993. BE it enacted by the Tripura Legislative Assembly in the Forty-ninth year of the Republic of India as follows :- 1. Short Title And Commencement :- (1) This may be called "Tripura Panchayats (Second Amendment) Act, 1998." (2) It shall come into force from such date or dates and in such area or, areas as the State Government may, by notification, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different Sections and for different areas. 2. Amendment Of Section 2 :- In the Tripura Panchayats Act, 1993 (hereinafter referred to as the Principal Act) in Section 2 - (a) after clause (4), the following clause shall be inserted namely - "(4A) "Beneficiary" means an individual or a family, or a group of person, or a Cooperative Society as defined in the relevant law for the time being in force, Provided with grant or benefit in cash or kind under any scheme of State Government or an Autonomous Body including a Panchayati Raj Institution and any scheme of Central Government implemented through the State Government or an Autonomous Body including a Panchayati Raj Institution." (b) for clause (10), the following clause be substituted namely - "(10) "Director of Panchayats" means Director of Panchayats, Government of Tripura and includes any Officer appointed by the State Government to exercise and perform all or any of the powers and functions of Director of Panchayats under this Act." (c) for clause (12), the following clause shall be substituted, namely - "(12) "District Magistrate" means the District Magistrate for a District and includes the Additional District Magistrate, Project Director, District Rural Development Agency appointed by the State Government to exercise and perform all or any of the powers and functions of District Magistrate under this Act." (d) for clause (13), the following clause shall be substituted, namely - "(13) "District Panchayat Officer" means the District Panchayat Officer or any other Officer as may be appointed by the State Government to exercise and perform all or any of the powers and functions of District Panchayat Officer under this Act." (e) for clause (14), the following clause shall be substituted namely - "(14) "District Planning Committee" means District Planning Committee established and notified by the State Government under appropriate provision of law." (f) after clause (18), the following clause shall be inserted, namely - "(18A) "Gram Sansad" means a body consisting of persons registered at any time in the Electoral Rolls pertaining to a constituency or a group of constituencies delimited for the purpose of last preceding election to the Gram Panchayat." (g) for clause (22), the following clause shall be substituted namely - "(22) "Local Authority" means the local authority constituted under any law for the time being in force and includes the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, Municipal Authorities, Notified Areas Authorities and Cantonment Authorities." (h) for clause (42), the following clause shall be substituted, namely - "(42) "Sub-Divisional Officer" means a Sub-Divisional Officer of the Revenue Sub-Division and includes any Officer appointed by the State Government to exercise and perform all or any of the powers and functions of Sub-Divisional Officer under this Act." 3. Amendment Of Section 3 :- In the Principal Act, in Sub-section (3) of Section 3, the punctuation mark and words, "and after consulting the Gram Panchayat or Gram Panchayats concerned constituted under provisions of this Act," appearing after the word and punctuation mark "fit", shall be deleted. 4. Amendment Of Section 6 :- In the Principal Act, in Section 6 - (a) in Sub-section (1) - (i) the words and punctuation mark "Autonomous District," shall be inserted after the word and punctuation mark "Cantonment," and before the words the Gram Panchayat". (ii) the punctuation mark", shall be inserted after the word "Cantonment Authority" and the words "or the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council" shall be inserted before the words "as the case may be". (b) in Sub-section (2) - (i) the words and punctuation mark "the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council," shall be inserted after the words and punctuation mark "Cantonment," and before the words "the area". (ii) the punctuation mark and the words ", the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council" shall be inserted after the word "Cantonment" and before the words "as the case may be". 5. Amendment Of Section 7 :- In the Principal Act, for Section 7, the following shall be substituted, namely - "(1) The periodicity and procedure for convening and conducting the meetings of the Gram Sabha or the Gram Sansad as the case may be, shall be such as may be prescribed. (2) It shall be the responsibility of the Pradhan to convene the meeting of the Gram Sabha or the Gram Sansad as the case may be. Provided that in the absence of Pradhan, the Upa-Pradhan may convene meeting with prior specific approval of Gram Panchayat." 6. Amendment Of Section 10 :- In the Principal Act, for Section 10, the following shall be substituted, namely - "(1) The Gram Sabha shall consider the following matters in such manner as may be prescribed - (a) The annual statement of accounts of the Gram Panchayat, the report of administration of the preceding financial year and the last audit note and replies made thereto ; (b) The budget of the Gram Panchayat for the next financial year ; (c) A broad 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. Such report shall be accompanied by full statement of funds available during the preceding year and the funds likely to be available during the current financial year ; (d) A report prepared under Section 30 and such report shall be deemed to be modified to the extent of the recommendations and suggestions, if any, of the Gram Sabha : and ( e ) Such other business relating to the affairs of the Gram Panchayat may also be transacted at such meeting of the Gram Sabha as may be agreed upon by the persons present and also such other issues as referred by the State Government from time to time. (2) The Gram Sansad shall consider the following matters in such manner as may be prescribed - (a) Selection of beneficiaries ; (b) Selection of sites for works of public utility ; (c) A full report in respect of development programmes relating to the concerned constituencies in the preceding year and development programmes proposed to be undertaken during the current year ; and (d) Such other issues referred by the State Government or Panchayat from time to time. 7. Amendment Of Section 12 :- In the Principal Act, for clause (b) of Sub-section (I) of Section 12, the following shall be substituted, namely - "(b) the members of the Panchayat Samiti from the constituency comprised from any part of the Gram as ex-officio members shall have no voting right in the meeting for election and removal of the Pradhan and Upa-Pradhan." 8. Amendment Of Section 17 :- In the Principal Act, after Sub-section (5) in Section 17, a new Subsection will be inserted, namely - "(6) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act if any Gram is created after any General Election following exclusion of area from a Local Authority, the Gram Panchayat for such newly created Gram shall be constituted by direct election under the provision of this Act and Rules framed thereunder and such election in the newly created Gram shall be deemed to be the First General Election." 9. Amendment Of Section 20 :- In the Principal Act, after Sub-Section (3) of Section 20, the following proviso will be inserted, namely - "Provided that in the event of non-availability of any elected member belonging to Scheduled Castes or, as the case may be. Scheduled Tribes, the reservation rotation for the office of Pradhan will skip to next rotation." 10. Amendment Of Section 27 :- In the Principal Act, for the existing provision of Sub-section (4) of Section 27, the following provision shall be substituted, namely - "One-third of the total number of members plus one, including ex- officio members entitled to attend, shall from the quorum for a meeting of a Gram Panchayat. Provided that no quorum shall be necessary for an adjourned meeting." 11. Amendment Of Section 29 :- In the Principal Act, for Section 29, the following shall be substituted, namely - "The Gram Panchayat shall place for deliberation before the Gram Sabha or the Gram Sansad, as the case may be, all such matters as are specified in Section 10 of the Act, as may be prescribed." 12. Amendment Of Section 50 :- In the Principal Act, in Section 50 - (a) in Sub-section (1) the word "two" after the word "be" and before the word "Panchayat" shall be substituted by the words "one or more" ; (b) Sub-section (2) shall be deleted ; and (c) Sub-section (3) shall be renumbered as Sub-section (2). 13. Amendment Of Section 51 :- In the Principal Act, in Sub-section (2) of Section 51, the words "and all such Officers and employees shall comply with instructions as may be issued in this respect from time to time" shall be added after the word "fit". 14. Amendment Of Section 58 :- In the Principal Act, in Section 58- (a) for the existing provisions of Sub-section (3), the following shall be substituted, namely - "(3) Every Gram Panchayat shall have the power to open such Bank or Postal accounts as may be directed by the State Government." (b) for the existing provisions of Sub-section (5), the following shall be substituted, namely - "(5) Subject to such control as the Gram Panchayat may exercise from time to time, all orders for payment from the Gram Panchayat Fund shall be jointly signed by the Pradhan and Panchayat Secretary. In absence of Pradhan, the Upa-Pradhan may sign jointly with Panchayat Secretary with prior specific approval of the Gram Panchayat. Provided that no order for payment shall issue without prior approval of Gram Panchayat". 15. Amendment Of Section 67 :- In the Principal Act, in Sub-section (3) of Section 67 the words and punctuation mark "and after consulting the views of the Panchayat Samiti or Samities concerned," appearing after the word "fit" and before the word "by" shall be deleted. 16. Amendment Of Section 68 :- In the Principal Act, in Sub-section (1) of Section 68, the punctuation marks and words, "Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, Cantonment" shall inserted after the words "Notified Area Authority" and before the word "constituted". 17. Amendment Of Section 71 :- In the Principal Act in Section 71 - (a) in Sub-section (1), the following shall be substituted namely - "(1) The number of elected members of a Panchayat Samiti shall sonsist of persons elected from the territorial constituencies in the Panchayat Samiti area, as may be notified from time to time by the Government. The number of directly elected members of a Panchayat Samiti shall not be less than nine and not more than fifteen as may be prescribed". (b) in Sub-section (3), the following provisos shall be inserted, namely - "Provided that after the General Election, if due to exclusion of any area from or inclusion of any area in a Panchayat Samiti, the number of seats and constituencies for a Panchayat Samiti determined in the General Election is affected, determination of total number of seats including reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the division of the Panchayat Samiti area into constituencies shall be made afresh before conducting next election, as may be prescribed. Provided further that where such determination of total number of seats including determination of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and division of the Panchayat Samiti area into Constituencies is made, the rotation of the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Women shall be made afresh before conducting next election, as may be prescribed." 18. Amendment Of Section 79 :- In the Principal Act, after Sub-section (1) of Section 79, the following proviso will be inserted, namely - "Provided that in the event of non-availability of any elected member belonging to Scheduled Castes or as the case may be Scheduled Tribes, the reservation rotation for the office of Chairman will skip to next rotation." 19. Amendment Of Section 87 :- In the Principal Act in Sub-section (4) of Section 87, the words and punctuation mark "including ex-officio members, entitled to attend" shall be inserted after the word "members" and before the word "shall". 20. Amendment Of Section 103 :- In the Principal Act in Sub-section (1) of Section 103, the words "and all such Officers and employees shall comply with instructions as may be issued in this respect from time to time" shall be added after the word "fit". 21. Amendment Of Section 109 :- In the Principal Act, in Sub-section (5) of Section 109 - (a) the words "The President or any member" shall be substituted for the words "Any member". (b) the words "President or" shall be inserted after the words and punctuation mark "Panchayat Samiti", and before the words "such member". 22. Amendment Of Section 121 :- In the Principal Act in Section 121 - (a) in Sub-section (1) the words "Cantonment Area Authority" shall be inserted thereinafter the words "Notified Area Authority" and before the word "constituted". (b) in Sub-section (3) the words and punctuation mark "and after consulting the Zilla Parishad or the Parishads concerned," appearing after the word "fit" and before the word "by" shall be deleted. 23. Amendment Of Section 123 :- In the Principal Act, in Section 123 - (a) in Sub-section (1), the following shall be substituted namely - "(1) The number of elected members of a Zilla Parishad shall consist of persons elected from the territorial costituencies in the Zilla Parishad area, as may be notified from time to time by the Government. The number of directly elected members of a Zilla Parishad shall not be less than nine and not more than forty as may be prescribed". (b) in Sub-section (3) the following provisos may be added namely - "Provided that after the General Election, if due to exclusion of any area from or inclusion of any area in a Zilla Parishad the number of seats and constituencies for a Zilla Parishad determined in the General Election is affected, determination of total number of seats including reservation of scats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the division of the Zilla Parishad area into constituencies shall be made afresh before conducting next election, as may be prescribed. Provided further that where such determination of total number of seats including determination of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and division of the Zilla Parishad area into constituencies is made, the rotation of the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Women shall be made afresh before conducting next election as may be prescribed," 24. Amendment Of Section 126 :- In the Principal Act, after Sub-section (6) of Section 126, a new Sub-section may be added namely - "(7) After the First General Election or General Election, if due to exclusion of any area from or inclusion of any area in any Zilla Parishad area, the number of seals and constituencies for a Zilla Parishad determined in the previous First General Election or General Election is affected, determination of total number of seats including reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and the division of the Zilla Parishad area into constituencies shall have to be made afresh before next General Election ; "Provided that where such determination of total number of seats including determination of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and division of the Zilla Parishad area into constituencies is made the rotation of the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Women shall be made afresh in the next General Election". 25. Amendment Of Section 131 :- In the Principal Act, after Sub-section (1) of Section 131, the following proviso will be inserted, namely - "Provided that in the event of non-availability of any elected member belonging to Scheduled Castes or as the case may be Scheduled Tribes, the reservation rotation for the office of Sabhadhipati will skip to next rotation." 26. Amendment Of Section 139 :- In the Principal Act, in Sub-Section (2) of Section 139, the words "including the ex-officio members, entitled to attend" shall be inserted after the words "members of a Zilla Parishad" and before the word "shall". 27. Amendment Of Section 158 :- In the Principal Act, in Section 158, the words "and all such Officers and employees shall comply with instructions as may be issued in this respect from time to time" shall be added after the word "fit". 28. Amendment Of Section 177 To 187 :- In the Principal Act, for Sections 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, and 187 the following shall be substituted, namely - "177.Electoral Rolls- For each constituency, there shall be Electoral Rolls showing the names of the persons qualified to vote. Electoral Rolls shall be prepared in accordance with the provisions of this Act under the superintendence, direction and control of the State Election Commissioner." "178.Notification regarding programme for preparation of Electoral Rolls (1) The State Election Commissioner shall, in consultation with the State Government, draw up the programme for publication of Electoral Rolls in draft and for final publication and other matter relating to the preparation of Electoral Rolls. (2) The State Election Commissioner, shall, in relation to the preparation or revision of Electoral Rolls for any constituency or, as the case may be, constituencies of the Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad, specify by notification published in the official gazette - (a) the date for publication of Electoral Rolls in draft ; (b) the last date for filing claims and objections which shall not be earlier than the seventh day of the date of publication of the electoral roll in draft under clause (a) above ; (c) the period of disposal of claims and objections ; and (d) the date of final publication of the Electoral Rolls. Provided that the State Election Commissioner may it he considers it expedient so to do for sufficient reasons, extend the period for lodging of claims and objections, period for disposal of such claims and objections and may also make consequential changes with respect to the date for final publication of the Electoral Rolls." Proparation of Electoral Rolls and draft publication. "179. preparation of Electoral Rolls and draft application- (1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act, so much of the Electoral Rolls of any Assembly Constituency or, as the case may be, Assembly Constituencies, for the time being in force, as relates to the area comprised within the Gram Panchayats, shall be the Electoral Rolls for the election of members of Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad. (2) The Electoral Rolls for each constituency of the Panchayat shall be prepared by the Electoral Registration Officer appointed for that constituency by the State Election Commissioner under Sub-section (5) of Section 176 of this Act. (3) For the purpose ofthe preparation of the Electoral Rolls of each constituency of the Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad, Electoral Rolls of any Assembly Constituency, or, as the case may be, Assembly Constituencies, shall be split up in such manner as the Electoral Registration Officer may consider fit, proper and necessary. (4) Electoral Rolls of each constituency of the Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad, may be divided into convenient parts which shall be numbered consecutively and shall be prepared in the form as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner in Bengali or if so directed by the State Government in any other language. Provided that wherever necessary, the split up Rolls referred to in Sub-section (3) may be consolidated and in such event, the serial number of the electors may be renumbered so as to ensure consecutive serial numbers of the electors of each part. (5) The Electoral Registration Officer shall publish the roll for a constituency or, as the case may be, constituencies of the Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad in draft by making a copy thereof available for inspection and displaying the notice in the form as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner at his office and at such place or places in the constituency, as may be specified by him for the purpose, if his office is outside the constituency ; Provided that such Electoral Rolls may be published in draft either primed or otherwise as may be directed by the State Election Commissioner. Provided further that such publication of Electoral Rolls in draft shall be made on the date appointed by the State Election Commissioner under Sub-section (2) of Section 178. (6) As soon as the Electoral Rolls for a constituency are published in draft in accordance with the provision of Sub-section (5) above, the Electoral Registration Officer shall also give publicity as widely as possible by beat of drum or otherwise within the constituency that the Electoral Rolls have been published and may be inspected at his office during office hours on all working days and may also state in the notice, in the form as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner, the other places at which the Electoral Rolls may be inspected." "180.Claims and Objections.- (1) Every claim for the inclusion of a name in the Electoral Rolls shall be in the form as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner and signed by the person desiring his name to be included in the Electoral Roll. Provided that no claim for inclusion of a name in the Electoral Rolls of a constituency shall be entertained except on the ground that the name of the person appears as an elector in that part of the Electoral Rolls of the Assembly Constituency which relates to the constituency of the Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad. (2) Every objection to an entry in the electoral roll shall be in the form as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner and preferred by a person whose name is already included in that Roll ; Provided that no objection for exclusion of any name from the Electoral Rolls shall be entertained except on the ground that such name has been included in the Electoral Rolls of a constituency of the Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad though such name docs not appear in the related Electoral Rolls of the Assembly Constituency of (3) Every objection to a particular or particulars in an entry in the Electoral Rolls shall be - (a) in the form as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner ; and (b) preferred only by the person to whom that entry relates." "181. Manner of lodging claim and objections.- Every claim or objection shall be presented either to the Electoral Registration Officer or to such other officer as may be designated by him in this behalf by the last date fixed by the State Election Commissioner under clause (b) of Sub-section (2) of Section 178 ; Provided that any claim or objection which is not lodged within the period or in the form as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner as in the manner herein specified shall be rejected by the Electoral Registration Officer." "182. Procedure for disposal for claims and objections.- (1) "Every Officer designated under section 181 shall forward the claims and objections presented before him to the Electoral Registration Officer with such remarks as he considers proper after having a preliminary inquiry. (2) If the Electoral Registration Officer is satisfied as to the validity of any claim or objection, he may allow it without further inquiry, provided there is no demand in writing for holding an inquiry in the matter. (3) Where the claim or objection is not disposed of under Sub- section (2) above, the Electoral Registration Officer shall fix the place, date and time of hearing claims and objections and shall give notice of hearing - (a) in the case of claim, to the claimant in the form as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner ; (b) in the case of an objection to the inclusion of a name, to the objector and to the person objected to, in the forms as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner ; and (c) in the case of an objection to a particular or particulars in any entry, to the objector in the form as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner. (4) Notice under Sub-section (3) may be given either personally or by registered post or by affixing it to the persons residence or last known residence within the constituency. (5) On the date fixed for the hearing or to which the hearing may be adjourned the Electoral Registration Officer shall hold a summary inquiry into the claims, or, as the case may be, objections, and after considering evidence as may be adduced shall pass orders either allowing or disallowing the claims or, as the case may be the objections." "183. Inclusion of names in the Electoral Rolls inadvertently omitted. (1) If it appears to the Electoral Registration Officer that owing to inadvertence or error or otherwise during the preparation of Electoral Rolls, the names of electors appearing in the Electoral Rolls for any Assembly Constituency and covered by a constituency of the Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad have been left out of the Rolls and that remedial action should be taken under provision of this Act, the Electoral Registration Officer shall prepare a list of the names and the details of such electors and exhibit a copy of the list together with a notice in his office stating the place, date and time at which the inclusion of these names in the Electoral Rolls will be considered. (2) After considering verbal or written objection, if any, the Electoral Registration Officer, shall decide whether all or any of the names should be included in the Electoral Rolls and shall pass order accordingly." "184.Final publication of Electoral Rolls (1) The Electoral Registration Officer shall thereafter - (a) prepare a list of amendments to carry out his decisions under Sub-section (2) and (5) of section 182 and under section 183 and to correct any clerical or printing error or other inaccuracies subsequently discovered in the Electoral Rolls ; (b) publish the Rolls together with the lists of amendments, by making a complete copy thereof available for inspection and displaying a notice in form, as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner, at his office ; and (c) subject to such general or special direction as may be given by the State Election Commissioner, supplied free of cost, two copies of the Electoral Rolls as finally published with the lists of amendments, if any, to every political party for which a symbol has been exclusively reserved by the Election Commission of India. (2) On such publication, the Rolls together with lists of amendments shall be the Electoral Rolls of the constituency." "185. Claim for inclusion of name after final publication- (1) "Any person whose name is not included in the Electoral Rolls of a constituency may apply to the Electoral Registration Officer for inclusion of his name in the Rolls in form as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner. Provided that no application for inclusion of a name in the Electoral Rolls shall be entertained under the provisions of this Act except on the ground that the name of the applicant has not been included in the Electoral Rolls of the constituency of the Gram Panchayat. Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad though his name appears as an elector in the related Electoral Rolls of the Assembly Constituency which is for the time being in force. (2) The Electoral Registration Officer shall immediately on receipt of such application direct that one copy thereof be posted in some conspicuous place in his office together with a notice inviting objection to such inclusion within a period of seven days from the date of such posting. (3) The Electoral Registration Officer shall, as soon as may be, after the expiry of the period specified in Sub-section (2) above, consider the objections, if any received by him and shall, if satisfied that the applicant is entitled to be registered as an elector, direct his name to be included thereon. (4) No amendment by way of inclusion of a name in the electoral roll shall be made under the provision of this Act and no direction for inclusion of a name in the electoral roll of a constituency shall be given after the last date for making nomination for an election in the constituency and before the completion of that election." "186. Correction of error in roll after final publication.- If the Electoral Registration Officer for a constituency, on application made to him or on his own motion, is satisfied after inquiry as he thinks fit, that any entry in the electoral roll of the constituency is erroneous of defective in any particular, the Electoral Registration Officer may subject to such general or special direction as may be given by the State Election Commissioner, take such action as is necessary to remove the defects ; Provided that no amendment shall be made under provision of this Act and no direction for inclusion of a name or deletion of a name shall be given after the last date for making nomination for an election in constituency and before the completion of that election." "187. Appeal- (1) An appeal shall lie before the District Election Officer within a period of seven days or such further period as may be prescribed by the State Election Commissioner from the date of order of the Electoral Registration Officer made under section 182, 185 and 186. (2) Every appeal under this section shall be - (a) in the form of a Memorandum signed by the applicant ; (b) accompanied by a certified copy of the order passed by the Electoral Registration Officer. (3) The District Election Officer may call for the records and after hearing the parties may either allow or reject the appeal ; Provided that the District Election Officer shall not make any order for amendment of the Electoral Rolls or make any direction for inclusion of a, name in or deletion of a name for the Electoral Rolls after the last date for making nomination for an election in the constituency and before the completion of the election." 29. Amendment Of Section 210A :- In the Principal Act in Section 210A - (a) in Sub-section (1) the following shall be substituted, namely - "(1) If any dispute arises as to the validity of the election of a member of a Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti or Zilla Parishad, any candidate or any person tntitled to vote at such election may within sixty days from the date of declaration of results of such election present in person a petition calling in question such election before the Panchayat Election Tribunal having jurisdiction constituted under Section 198 and at the same time deposit in the Tribunal such fee as may be prescribed being the costs likely to be incurred." 30. Amendment Of Section 222 :- In the Principal Act, the Section 222 shall be deleted. 31. Amendment Of Section 229 :- In the Principal Act, in Sub-section (3) of Section 229, the word "two" after the word "of" and before the word "years" shall be substituted by the word "ten)".