Officer, to be the Appellate Officers for such areas, as it thinks fit, to exercise the powers and discharge the duties under this Act.

Issuance of Woman Farmer Certificate in Village Panchayat area

1. (1) Any woman who is a farmer residing within the jurisdiction of the Village Panchayat may make an application to the Designated Officer for being recognised as Woman Farmer and for obtaining a Woman Farmer Certificate in such form and manner as may be prescribed.
2. (2) The Designated Officer shall place all the applications received under sub-section
3. (1) before the Gram Sabha at the next regular meeting or at a special meeting called for this purpose.
4. (3) The Gram Sabha shall, upon applications placed before it under sub-section (2), after considering whether each applicant has been carrying out at least one of the activities as referred to in clauses
   • (a) and
   • (d) of section 2 of the Act, pass a resolution either accepting or rejecting such application: Provided that, in case of rejection of any such application, the Gram Sabha shall provide, in writing, the reasons for such rejection in the resolution: Provided further that, the Gram Sabha may also, by resolution, suo moto recognise those women within its jurisdiction who have not applied for a Woman Farmer Certificate under sub-section (1), but who are farmers, as women farmers and direct Designated Officer to issue them Woman Farmer Certificates.
5. (4) Where the Gram Sabha, by its resolution under sub-section (3), recognises any woman as a woman farmer, the Designated Officer shall, within a period of fifteen days from the date of passing of such resolution, issue a Woman Farmer Certificate, in such form and manner as may be prescribed.
6. (5) Where the Gram Sabha, by its resolution under sub-section (3), refuses to recognise an applicant as a woman farmer, the Designated Officer shall, within a period of seven days from the passing of the resolution, inform the applicant in writing,-
   • (a) the reasons for such rejection as specified in Gram Sabha resolution;
   • (b) the period within which an appeal against such rejection may be preferred; and
   • (c) the particulars of the Appellate Officer before whom an appeal may be filed.
7. (6) Any person aggrieved by,-
   • (a) the resolution of the Gram Sabha rejecting an application to recognise a woman as woman farmer under sub-section
8. (3) may, within a period of one-hundred and twenty days from the date of such resolution, or
   • (b) the failure of the Designated Officer to issue a Woman Farmer Certificate within the time period specified under sub-section
9. (4) may, after the expiry of such period and within a period of one-hundred and twenty days thereof, may prefer an appeal to the Appellate Officer in such form and manner as may be prescribed.
10. (7) The Appellate Officer shall, on receipt of an appeal, after giving the parties to the appeal an opportunity of being heard, consider and dispose of such appeal with a reasoned order, within a period of thirty days from the date of its filing: Provided that, the Appellate Officer may admit an appeal after the expiry of the period of one-hundred and twenty days if he is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from filing an appeal within the said period.
11. (8) Where the Appellate Officer, upon hearing the appeal, is of the opinion that the appellant is a woman farmer then he shall direct the Designated Officer to issue a Woman Farmer Certificate to the appellant within a period of fifteen days from the date of order.