RULES REGARDING PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL AND COMMITTEES.

(See section 32.) 1. In these rules, 'member' means a councillor. 2. The council shall meet in the municipal office for the transaction of business atleast once in every month upon such day and at such hour as it may arrange and also at other times as often as a meeting may be convened by the Mayor : Provided that no meeting shall be held on a public holiday. Explanation.-The expression " public holiday " includes Sundays and any other day declared by the Government, by notification in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette to be a public holiday. 3. (1) No meeting shall be held unless at least six clear days before the day of the meeting- (a) notice of the day and hour when the meeting is to be held and of the business to be transacted thereat has been given to the members, and (b) notice of the day and hour of the meeting has been given by advertisement in the local newspapers. (2) In cases of urgency, the Mayor may convene a meeting after giving to the members shorter notice than that specified in sub-rule (1 ). In such cases, notice of the day and hour of the meeting shall be published in such manner as the Mayor may deem most expedient. 4. The agenda for the meeting of the council shall be prepared by the Mayor and the agenda for the standing committee constituted under the Act shall be prepared by the commissioner in consultation with the chairman of the standing committee. On any subject included in the agenda for the meeting of the standing committee, its chairman shall have the right of recording his views in a note and such note shall be circulated to the members of the standing committee or placed before the standing committee before or at the time of the consideration of such subject by the standing committee. 5. At an ordinary meeting held in each of the months of April, June, August, October, December and February, the Mayor shall place before the council a statement of receipts and disbursements on account of the municipal fund from the close of the last preceding year upto the close of the month before that in which the meeting takes place. 6. (1) The Mayor shall call a special meeting within ten days on receiving a request in writing signed by such number of members as shall constitute not less than one-fourth of the sanctioned strength of the council, specifying the resolution which it is proposed to move. (2) No special meeting shall be held unless at least four clear days notice, specifying the purpose for which such meeting is to be held and the date and hour thereof, has been given by a separate communication addressed to each member and by advertisement in the local newspapers. 7. If the offices of Mayor and Deputy Mayor are vacant, the functions assigned to the Mayor by rules 2 to 6 shall be performed by the commissioner. 8. All meetings of the council shall be open to the public provided that the Mayor, Deputy Mayor or presiding member may direct that the public generally or any particular person shall withdraw. 9. All questions which may come before the council at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of the members present and voting at the meeting and in every case of equality of votes, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor or presiding member shall have and exercise a second or casting vote. 10. No business shall be transacted at any meeting unless there are present at least such number of members as shall constitute not less than one-fourth of the sanctioned strength of the council. 11. No resolution of the council shall be modified or cancelled within six months after the passing thereof except at a meeting specially convened in that behalf and by a resolution of the council supported by such number of members as shall constitute not less than two-thirds of the sanctioned strength of the council. 12. (1) Minutes of the proceedings of the council shall be entered in a book to be called the minutes book, and shall be signed by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor or presiding member after each meeting. (2) The minutes book shall be open at the municipal office at all reasonable times to the inspection of any councillor without a fee and to the inspection of any other person on payment of a fee of one rupee. 13. (1) The council may appoint from among its own member committees for the purpose of inquiring into and reporting on any matter which is reserved by this Act for the decision of the council. (2) By a resolution supported by such number of members as shall constitute not less than two-thirds of the sanctioned strength of the council, the council may add to any committee so appointed persons who are not members but who may possess special qualifications in regard to the matter to be inquired into : Provided that the number of persons so appointed shall not exceed one-half of the number of members appointed to serve on the committee. All the provisions of this Act relating to the duties, powers, liabilities, disqualifications and disabilities of members shall, save as regards the disqualifications on the ground of residence or of being a Government servant, be applicable, as far as may be, to such person. (3) The proceedings of every such committee shall be recorded in writing and submitted to the council. 14. The commissioner may grant copies of the proceedings and records of the council and the standing committees on payment of such fees as the council may by general or special order determine. Copies shall be certified by the commissioner as provided in section 76 of the Evidence Act, 1872 (Central Act I of 1872) and copies certified may be used to prove the records of the council in the same manner as they may, under sub-section (5) of section 78 of the said Act be used to prove the proceedings of that body. 15. Each standing committee shall meet at the municipal office at atleast twice in a month on such day and at such hour as the committee may from time to time determine and notice of the meeting shall be given to the members at least three clear days before the date of the meeting. 16. The chairman of the standing committee may at any time call a meeting of the committee and shall do so within forty-eight hours of the receipt of a requisition signed by the commissioner or by three members of the committee and stating the business to be transacted. 17. No business shall be transacted at any meeting of a standing committee unless there is a quorum of three. 18. All questions which may come before a standing committee at any meeting shall be decided by the majority of the members present and voting at the meeting and in every case of equality of votes, the chairman or presiding member shall have and exercise a second or casting vote. 19. (1) All minutes of the proceedings of each standing committee shall be entered in a book and shall be signed by the chairman or presiding member after each meeting. (2) The minutes book of each standing committee shall be placed before the council at such times as it may appoint. 20. In any case in which two or more standing committees have passed conflicting decisions, and such conflict has not been adjusted the matter shall be placed before a joint conference of the standing committee convened whose decision shall be final except in matters which have to be placed before the council, such joint conference being convened by the chairman of the first committee concerned and if the conflict has not been adjusted or settled by a joint conference, the commissioner shall submit a report to the Mayor who shall place the subject before a meeting of the council, and pending the resolution of the council, the commissioner shall withhold action in regard to the matter at issue. 21. If any member of a standing committee, other than the chairman, fails to attend four consecutive meetings of the standing committee he shall cease to be a member thereof, but may be re-elected by the council.