Insertion of section 8A in Bom. III of

After section 8 of the Bombay Village Panchayats Act, 1958 (hereinafter in this Chapter referred to as "the principal Act"), the following section shall be inserted, namely :—

Powers and duties of Gram Sabha in Scheduled Areas. "8A. It shall be competent for every Gram Sabha in the Scheduled Areas,—

1. (i) to safeguard and preserve the traditions and customs of the tribals, their cultural identity, community resources and the customary mode of dispute resolution;
2. (ii) to approve the plans, programmes and projects to be implemented by the panchayat for social and economic development before such plans, programmes and projects are taken up for implementation by such panchayat;
3. (iii) to issue to the panchayat certificate of utilisation of funds by that panchayat for the plans, programmes and projects referred to in clause (ii);
4. (iv) to identify and select persons as beneficiaries under the poverty alleviation and similar other programmes or schemes;
5. (v) to enforce prohibition or to regulate restrict through panchayat concerned, the sale and consumption of intoxicants;
6. (vi) to issue to the panchayat with regard to the exploitation and regulation of trading of minor forest produce, subject to the provisions of the Maharashtra Transfer of Ownership of Minor Forest Produce in the Scheduled Areas, and the Maharashtra Minor Forest Produce (Regulation of Trade) (Amendment) Act, 1997;
7. (vii) to make recommendations through panchayat concerned with a view to prevent transfer or alienation of land in the Scheduled areas and to take appropriate action through the panchayat to restore any unlawfully transferred or alienated land of a Scheduled Tribe;
8. (viii) to make recommendations through the panchayat concerned with a view to exercise control over money-lending to the Scheduled Tribes;
9. (ix) to make recommendations through the panchayat concerned with a view to exercise control over local plans and resources for such plans including tribal sub-plans."