GRAM PANCHAYAT

THE KARNATAKA PANCHAYAT RAJ ACT, 1993, specifies the constitution of Gram Panchayat, functions, duties and powers of Gram panchayat adhyaksha and upadhyaksha. The Act, provides for a 3- tier structure of Panchayats. The Zilla Panchayat forms the apex institution at the district level. Each of the 10 taluks in Belagavi district has the Taluk Panchayat, where again the members are directly elected from the people, and which has a similar administrative structure headed by the Executive Officer(EO).At the lowest level there are the Gram Panchayats which are having jurisdiction over a group of villages so notified.

Functions

Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) and Schedule I, it shall be obligatory on the part of a Grama Panchayat in so far as the Grama Panchayat fund at its disposal will allow, to make reasonable provision within the Panchayat are in regard to the following matters, namely :-

• providing sanitary latrines to not less than ten percent of the households every year and achieve full coverage as early as possible;
• constructing adequate number of community latrines for the use of men and women and maintaining them;
• maintaining water supply works either on its own or by annual contract by generating adequate resources;
• revising and collecting taxes, rates and fees periodically which are leviable under this Acct;
• ensuring universal enrollment of children in primary school;
• achieving universal immunisation of children;
• ensuring prompt registration and reporting of birth and deaths;
• providing sanitation and proper drainage;
• construction, repair and maintenance of public streets;
• removing encroachments on public streets or public places;
• providing adequate number of street lights and paying electricity charges regularly;
• filling-up insanitary depressions and reclaiming unhealthy localities;
• destruction of rabid and ownerless dogs;
• maintenance of all community assets vested in it;
• maintenance of records relating to population census, crop census, cattle census, census of unemployed persons and person below poverty line;
• earmarking places away from the dwelling houses for dumping refuse and manure.
• The Grama Panchayat may also make provision for carrying out within the Panchayat area any other work or measure which is likely to promote the health, safety, education, comfort, convenience or social or economic well being of the inhabitants of the Panchayat area.
• The Grama Panchayat may, by a resolution, passed at its meeting and supported by two-thirds of its total number of members and with the prior approval of the Taluk Panchayat :-
• make provision for or make contribution towards, any exhibition, conference or seminar within or outside the Panchayat area but within the district; or
• make contribution to any medical, educational or charitable institutions or any other institutions of public utility, within the Panchayat area which are registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1961, Karnataka Co-operative Societies Act, 1959 or under any other law for the time being in force