Chapter XXIII PENALTIES

(a)contravenes any of the provisions of this Act, specified in the first and the second columns of the sixth schedule; or (b)contravenes any rule or order under any of the provisions so specified; or (c)fails to comply with any direction lawfully given to him, or any requisition lawfully made upon him under or in pursuance or any of the said provisions; Shall be punishable with fine which may extend to the amount mentioned in that behalf in the fourth column of the said schedule. (2)Whoever after having been convicted of: (a)contravening any of the provisions of this Act specified in the first and the second column of the seventh schedule, or (b)contravening any rule or order made under any of the provisions so specified to; or (c)failing to comply with any direction lawfully given to him or any requisition lawfully made upon him under or in pursuance of any of the said provisions, continues to fail on comply with the said direction or requisition shall be punishable for each day after the date of previous conviction during which be continues so to offend, with fine, which may extend to the amount mentioned in that behalf in the fourth column of the said schedule.

Explanation. -The entries in the third column of sixth and seventh schedules headed

‘subject’ are not intended as definitions of the offences described in the provisions specified in the first and the second columns thereof, or even as abstracts of those provisions, but are inserted merely as references to the subject dealt with thereon.

Panchayat when disqualified. - (1) Whoever acts as the President, acting President, or Vice-President of a Panchayat, or exercises any of his functions knowing that under this Act or the rules made thereunder, he is not entitled or has ceased to be entitled to hold office as such, or to exercise such functions, shall be punishable with fine not exceeding five thousand rupees for every such offence.

1. (2) Whoever acts as a member of a Panchayat knowing that, under this act or the rules made thereunder, he is not entitled or has ceased to be entitled to hold office as such, shall be punishable with fine not exceeding one thousand rupees for every such offence.

199[or member of]

interest in contract work. - If any officer or . employee or member of a Panchayat knowingly acquires, directly or indirectly, by himself or by a partner, employer or servant, any personal share or interest in any contract or employment with, by or on behalf of the Panchayat, he shall be deemed to have committed an offence under section 168 of the Indian Penal Code: Provided that no person shall by reason of being a share holder in, or member of, any company, be held to be interested in any contract entered into between such company and the Panchayat unless he is a director of such company. °i

(1) Any person who prevents the President, the Secretary or any person to whom the President or the Secretary has lawfully delegated his powers of entering on or into any place, building or land, from exercising his lawful power of entering thereon or there into shall be deemed to have committed as offence under section 341 of the Indian Penal Code. 202[(2) Any person who prevents any standing committee or any other committee of the Panchayat or the Chairman of the Standing Committee from exercising its or his legal power of entering into any place, building or land shall be deemed to have committed the offence specified in sub-section (1)]

202[(2) Any person who prevents any standing committee or any other committee of the Panchayat or the Chairman of the Standing Committee from exercising its or his legal power of entering into any place, building or land shall be deemed to have committed the offence specified in sub-section (1)]

Any person obstructing or molesting a Panchayat, or the President, Vice-President, Chairman of Standing Committee, member or the Secretary of the Panchayat, or any person employed by it or any person with whom a contract has been entered into by or on behalf of the Panchayat, in the discharge of his duty or of anything which he is empowered or required to do by virtue, or in consequence, of this Act or of any rule, bye-law or order made there under, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees.

Any person who without authority in that behalf, removes, destroys, deface or otherwise on literates any notice exhibited or any sign or mark erected by, or under the orders, of a Panchayat or its Secretary, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees.

Any person who is required by this Act or by any notice or other proceedings issued there under to furnish any information, without reasonable excuse omits to furnish such information or knowingly furnish false information shall be punishable with fine not exceeding five hundred rupees.

All fines imposed [by the panchayat or the court] under this Act or any rule or bye-law made there under shall on realisation be credited to the fund of the Panchayat concerned in respect of offences committed within the jurisdiction of such Panchayat. 199 2 I n s O m i t