The Odisha Grama Panchayats Act, 1964

The Odisha Grama Panchayats Act, 1964

Infrastructure1964153 sections

This law establishes local self-government bodies called Grama Panchayats in the state of Orissa to manage rural areas. It applies to the entire state except for areas that are part of a Municipality. The Act provides the legal framework for these village councils, defining their structure, functions, and powers. It ensures that rural communities have their own administrative system to handle local issues, elections, and development, effectively decentralizing governance to the grassroots level.

  1. 1. Short title, extent, commencement and application
  2. 2. Definitions
  3. 3. Constitution of Grama
  4. 4. Constitution and incorporation of Grama Sasan
  5. 5. Grama Sabha and its Functions
  6. 6. Palli Sabha and its Function
  7. 7. Grama Panchayat to be the executive authority of the Grama Sasan
  8. 8. Constitution and delimitation of Wards
  9. 9. Powers of Election Commission and the Electoral Rolls of Wards
  10. 10. Constitution of Grama Panchayat
  11. 11. Qualification for membership in the Grama Panchayat
  12. 12. General Election of members of Grama Panchayat
  13. 13. Nomination on failure of election de-reservation in certain cases
  14. 14. Election of Naib-Sarpanch
  15. 15. Publication of Result of Election
  16. 16. Filling up of Casual Vacancies
  17. 17. Term of Office of members of Grama Panchayat
  18. 18. Incidents of Office
  19. 19. Powers, Duties and Functions of Sarpanch
  20. 20. Reference by a Sarpanch to the Sub-divisional Officer in certain Cases
  21. 21. Powers and functions of the Naib-Sarpanch
  22. 22. Right of individual members
  23. 23. Resignation
  24. 24. Vote of no confidence against Sarpanch or Naib-Sarpanch
  25. 25. Disqualification for membership of Grama Panchayat
  26. 26. Procedure of giving effect to disqualification
  27. 27. Manner of holding Elections
  28. 28. Bar against Servants of State Government and Local Authorities canvassing at Elections
  29. 29. Penalty for misconduct at Elections
  30. 30. Election Petitions
  31. 31. Presentation of Petitions
  32. 32. Parties to the Petition
  33. 33. Contents of Petition
  34. 34. Relief that may be claimed by the Petitioner
  35. 35. Procedure before the Civil Judge (Junior Division)
  36. 35-A. Refund of Security Deposit
  37. 36. Appearance before the Civil Judge (Junior Division)
  38. 37. Powers of Civil Judge (Junior Division)
  39. 38. Decision of Civil Judge (Junior Division)
  40. 39. Grounds for declaring election void
  41. 40. Grounds for which a Candidate other than the returned Candidate may be declared to have been elected
  42. 41. Corrupt Practices
  43. 42. Withdrawal of Petition
  44. 43. Abatement of Petition
  45. 44. Obligatory functions
  46. 45. Discretionary functions
  47. 46. Delegation of duties to Grama Panchayat by a local authority, by a Central or State Government
  48. 47. Power to execute works and take over institutions from State Government, Samiti and others
  49. 48. Duty to advise on matters referred to Grama Panchayat
  50. 49. Public Streets and Waterways
  51. 50. Powers in respect of Private water-supply
  52. 51. Duties of Grama Panchayat in respect of water-supply
  53. 52. Improvement of sanitation
  54. 53. Scavenging
  55. 54. Water hyacinth
  56. 55. Industries and factories including dangerous and offensive trades
  57. 56. Control over Places of Public resort and Entertainment
  58. 57. Power to levy fees for licences under Sections 55 and 56
  59. 58. Markets
  60. 59. Private Markets
  61. 60. Licensing Private Markets
  62. 61. Decision of disputes as to whether Places are markets
  63. 62. Restriction of sale in Markets
  64. 63. Prohibition against sale on Public Road
  65. 64. Power to dispose of corpses
  66. 65. Section 65
  67. 66. Section 66
  68. 67. Section 67
  69. 68. Penalty for contravention of licence in respect of use of premises
  70. 69. Section 69
  71. 70. Pest control and improved methods of husbandary
  72. 71. Vesting of Public Properties in Grama Sasan
  73. 72. Apportionment of income of ferries and markets
  74. 73. Allocation of properties to and withdrawal of properties from the Grama Sasan
  75. 74. Acquisition of land for Grama Sasan
  76. 75. Powers to transfer management of Property to Samiti or Parishad
  77. 76. Disposal of Property
  78. 77. Procedure for entering into Contract
  79. 83. Taxes which may be levied by the Grama Panchayats
  80. 86. Vehicle Tax
  81. 87. Grant of licence on payment of vehicle tax
  82. 88. Liability in absence of owner and prohibition to keep vehicle without licence
  83. 89. Limits on double taxation in respect of vehicle tax
  84. 90. Assessment, review and revisions
  85. 91. Power of Collector to require the Grama Panchayat to impose tax
  86. 92. Formal defects not to invalidate tax and Government properties not be exempted from tax
  87. 93. Grama Fund
  88. 94. Vesting, custody and investment of Grama Fund
  89. 95. Power to Borrow
  90. 96. Priority of payments out of Grama Fund
  91. 97. Application of Property and Grama Fund
  92. 98. Budget estimate of the Grama Panchayat
  93. 100. Audit and Accounts
  94. 100-A. Section 100-A
  95. 101. Date and manner of payment of taxes, etc.
  96. 102. Recovery of taxes and other dues
  97. 103. Recovery by Seizure in respect of Vehicle Tax
  98. 104. Power to write off dues
  99. 105. Overriding effect of this Chapter and imitation for recovery of dues
  100. 106. Failure of Grama Panchayat to take steps for recovery of dues
  101. 107. Alternative procedure by suit
  102. 108. Amount of tax, etc., to be final
  103. 109. Control over the Grama Panchayat
  104. 110. Powers of inspection, supervision and control in respect of particular matters
  105. 111. Grama Panchayat to afford facilities for inspection
  106. 112. Deputation of Officers to advise Grama Panchayats
  107. 113. Samiti to act during disability of Grama Panchayat
  108. 114. Power of Sub-divisional Officer in respect of certain resolutions and orders of Grama Panchayat
  109. 115. Suspension and removal of Sarpanch, Naib-Sarpanch and Member
  110. 116. Dissolution and reconstitution of Grama Panchayat
  111. 117. Supersession of Grama Panchayat
  112. 118. Devolution of assets on dissolution or supersession
  113. 119. Collector's power to take action on the default of Grama Panchayat or its Sarpanch
  114. 120. Review of orders
  115. 121. Power of Sub-divisional Officer to recover records and money
  116. 122. Executive Officer of Grama Sasan
  117. 123. Secretary and other employees of Grama Sasan
  118. 124. Meeting
  119. 125. Committees
  120. 126. Joint Committees
  121. 127. Vacancy not to invalidate proceedings
  122. 128. Penalty for infringement of the provisions of the Act
  123. 129. Penalty for infringement of rules and bye-laws
  124. 130. Penalty for tampering with Grama Panchayat's Property
  125. 131. Disobedience to notice issued
  126. 132. Notice not to be invalid for defect of form
  127. 133. Appeal
  128. 134. Finality of orders
  129. 135. Suspension of prosecution in certain cases
  130. 136. Power to compound offence
  131. 137. Entry and inspection
  132. 138. Suits against Grama Panchayats or their Officers
  133. 139. Protection to Grama Panchayats
  134. 140. Duties of Police in respect of offences and assistance to Panchayats
  135. 141. Penalty for failure to handover charge by ex-Sarpanch and others
  136. 142. Delegation of Powers
  137. 143. Members and Servants of Grama Panchayat to be Public Servants
  138. 144. Responsibility of the member for misappropriation of Grama Fund
  139. 145. Liability of Officers and employees for misappropriation of Fund
  140. 146. Settlement of disputes between different Grama Sasans and between Grama Sasan and other local authorities
  141. 147. Disposal of Claims
  142. 148. Reconstitution of Grama
  143. 149. Matters ancillary to abolition or reconstitution of Gramas
  144. 150. Power to make Rules
  145. 151. Power to make bye-laws
  146. 152. Issue of order and removal of difficulties
  147. 153. Repeals
  148. 154. Savings in respect of Panchayat Police and Adalti Panchayat
  149. Schedule. Tax on vehicles [See Section 83 (b)]
  150. Repeal and Savings (1). Repeal and Savings
  151. Repeal and Savings (2). Repeal and Savings
  152. Saving. Saving
  153. Repeal and Savings (3). Repeal and Savings

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