Chapter II ESTABLISHMENT OF DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

1. (1) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, establish the Development Authority to be known as "the Pandharpur Development Authorityd" to exercise the powers conferred on, and to perform the duties and functions assigned to it, under this Act.
2. (2) The Development Authority established under sub-section (1) shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid, having perpetual succession and a common seal, with power to contract, acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable, and to do all things necessary for the purposes of this Act, and may sue or be sued by its corporate name.
3. (3) The headquarters of the Development Authority shall be at Solapur. It shall normally sit at Solapur, but may hold its sitting at any other place within the State, as the exigency of the Development Authority may require.

1. (1) The Development Authority shall consist of the following, namely :-
2. (2) The term of non-official members of the Development Authority, their emoluments and other conditions of service shall be such as may be prescribed.
3. (3) Any non-official member of the Development Authority may at any time resign his office by writing under his hand addressed to the State Government, and his office shall on acceptance of the resignation, become vacant.
4. (4) Any non-official member of the Development Authority may be removed if he,-
   • (a) has been adjudged insolvent;
   • (b) is found to be a lunatic or becomes of unsound mind; or
   • (c) is or has been convicted of any offence involving moral turpitude. (a)The Guardian Minister of Solapur DistrictChairperson; (b)The Ministers or State Ministers from Solapur District, to be nominated by the State Government. Vice-Chairpersons; (c)Member of the Legislative Assembly elected from the Pandharpur Legislative Assembly Constituency.Member; (d)The President of the Pandharpur Municipal Council.Ex Officio Member; (e)Two eminent persons to be nominated by the State Government. Members; (f)The Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad, Solapur.Ex Officio Member; (g)The Superintendent of Police, Solapur District. Ex Officio Member; (h)The Superintending Engineer, Public Works Department, Solapur. Ex Officio Member; (i)The Superintending Engineer, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited, Solapur. Ex Officio Member; (j)The Civil Surgeon, Solapur.Ex Officio Member; (k)The Executive Engineer, Maharashtra Jivan Pradhikarn, Solapur.Ex Officio Member; (l)The Assistant Director of Town planning, Solapur.Ex Officio Member; (m)The District Project Officer, Office of the collector, Solapur.Ex Officio Member; (n)The Chairman, Shri Vitthal-Rukmini Temples Committee, Pandharpur. Ex Officio Member; (o)The Chief Officer, Pandharpur Municipal Council.Ex Officio Member; (p)The District Planning Officer, Solapur.Ex Officio Member; (q)The Collector, Solapur District.Ex Officio Member-Secretary.

The Development Authority shall be an authority within the meaning of sub-section (1B) of section 40 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966 (Mah. XXXVII of 1966) and accordingly, it shall be lawful for the State Government to declare the Development Authority to be the Special Planning Authority for the Pandharpur Development Area or any part thereof.

1. (1) The Development Authority shall observe such rules of procedure in regard to transaction of its business at its meeting (including quorum at such meeting), as may be prescribed.
2. (2) The Chairperson shall preside over the meetings of the Development Authority and if the Chairperson, for any reason, is unable to attend a meeting, the Vice-Chairpersons shall preside over such meeting. If the Vice-Chairperson is also unable to attend a meeting, any other member chosen by the members present from amongst the members shall preside over the meeting.
3. (3) Save as otherwise provided in the rules made under sub-section (1), all questions before any meetings of the Development Authority shall be decided by a majority of votes of the members present and voting, and in the event of an equality of votes, the person presiding shall have a second or casting vote.
4. (4) The Chairperson shall have the powers of general superintendence and direction in conduct of the affairs and administrative matters of the Development Authority and shall exercise such other powers and discharge such other functions as may be assigned to him by the Development Authority.

No act or proceedings of the Development Authority shall be invalid merely by reason of,-

1. (a) any vacancy or any defect in the constitution of the Development Authority;
2. (b) any defect in the appointment of a Chairperson or member of the Development Authority; or
3. (c) any irregularity in the procedure of the Development Authority not affecting the merits of the case: Provided that, if any question arises as to whether any irregularity in the procedure has affected the merit of the case or not, the matter shall be referred to the State Government, whose decision thereon shall be final.