Declaration of a village as Gramadan village and constitution of Gram

THE GRAM SABHA

Sabha -(1) Where, in a village:

1. (a) the extent of lands donated for Bhoodan Yagna or Gramdan in respect of which declarations filed and deemed to have been filed under section 12 have been confirmed and deemed to have been confirmed is not less than fiftyone per cent of the total extent of lands under private ownership in that village;
2. (b) the number of persons whose declarations have been so confirmed is not less than seventy-five per cent of the total number of persons owning lands and residing in the village; and
3. (c) not less than seventy-five per cent of the persons who have completed the age of twenty-one years and who are residing in the village have declared in the prescribed form and manner their desire to participate in the Gramdan movement;
4. (d) the Government may, on the recommendation of the Board, declare by notification in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette, that village to be a Gramdan village with effect from the date specified in such notification.

1. (2) As soon as may be after the publication of the notification under sub- section (1), there shall be constituted for the Gramdan Village specified in the notification, a Gram Sabha, and every person who has completed the age of twenty one years who, either has donated any land for Bhoodan Yagna or Gramdan or who owns any land or house or whose name is included in the electoral roll of that village under the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994], shall be a member of such Sabha: Provided that a person shall be disqualified for being a member such Sabha if he is not a citizen of India or is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court.
2. (3) The Gram Sabha shall be a body corporate having perpetual succession and a common seal with power to enter into contracts, and to acquire, hold and dispose of property and which may, by the said name, sue or be sued.
3. (4) The Board shall cause to be prepared and published in the prescribed manner a list of the names of members of each Gram Sabha. The Gram Sabha may, from time to time, amend the list for the purpose of bringing it upto-date and a copy of every such amendment shall be sent to the Board which shall cause it to be published in the prescribed manner. Every such list and the amendments thereto published under this sub-section shall be final and shall not be questioned in any court of law.
4. (5) With effect from the date on which the list of members of the Gram Sabha is first published in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette, all the lands in the Gramdan Village which have vested in the Board under this Act, shall stand transferred to and vest in, the Gram Sabha. Any land in the Gramdan Village which vests in the Board by way of donation after the date aforesaid shall also stand transferred to, and vest in, the Gram Sabha with effect from the date on which it vested in the Board.
5. (6) (a) There shall be a President and a Vice-President for each Gram Sabha who shall be elected from among themselves by the members of Gram Sabha in the manner prescribed.
   • (b) The President or Vice-president shall hold office for a period of four years from the date of his election.
   • (c) The President may resign his office by giving notice in writing to the Gram Sabha and on the resignation being accepted by the Gram Sabha, he shall be deemed to have vacated his office.
   • (d) The Vice-President may resign his office by giving notice in writing to the president and he shall be deemed to have vacated his office with effect on and from the date on which the notice was received by the president.
   • (e) The Vice-President shall exercise such powers and perform such functions of the president as the president may, from time to time, delegate to him in writing.
   • (f) Any casual vacancy, in the office of the president or vice- president shall, as soon as may be after the occurrence of such vacancy be filled by the election of another person from among themselves by the members of Gram Sabha and the president or the vice-president so elected shall enter upon office forthwith but shall hold office only for the residue of the term of his predecessor.