INDIAN POLITY (PART-14)

• The Constitution Seventy-Third Amendment Act, 1993 added provisions to the Constitution regarding Panchayats.
• Articles 243 to 243O contain provisions regarding Panchayats.
• Part IX of the constitution contains provisions regarding Panchayats.
• Gram Sabha consists of registered voters of village.
• The powers and functions of Gram Sabha are provided by the law of the State.(Article 243A)
• Panchayats shall be constituted at village level, intermediate and district levels. However, intermediate level panchayats may not be constituted in a state having a population not exceeding 20 lakhs. (Article 243B).
• All the seats in a Panchayat shall be filled by persons chosen by direct election.(Article 243C)
• The Chairperson of a Panchayat at the village level shall be elected in the manner provided by the law of state.
• The Chairperson of a Panchayat at the intermediate or district level shall be elected by the elected members from among them.
• In every Panchayat seats shall be reserved for SCs and STs according to their population.
• One-third of the seats that are reserved for SCs and STs shall be reserved for women belonging to SCs and STs.
• One-third (includes seats reserved for SC and ST women) of the total number of seats shall be reserved for women.
• The office of Chairperson at all levels of Panchayats shall be reserved for SCs, STs, and Women as per the law of the state. (Article 243D)
• The duration of the Panchayat is 5 years from the date of its first meeting. (Article 243E)
• The powers, authority and responsibility of Panchayats and powers to impose taxes by panchayats shall be as per the law of the state.
• As per Article 243I the Governor of the State constitutes the Finance Commission once for every five years to review financial position of the Panchayats.
• The maintenance of accounts and audit of accounts shall be as per the law of state.(Article 243J)
• The State Election Commission conducts elections to all panchayats. It consists of State Election Commissioner appointed by the Governor. (Article 243K)
• The provisions of Part IX also apply to Union Territories.
• The Constitution Seventy-Fourth Amendment Act, 1993 added provisions to the Constitution regarding Municipalities.
• Articles 243P to 243ZG of the Constitution contain provisions regarding Municipalities.
• Part IXA of the constitution contains provisions regarding Municipalities.
• Municipality means an institution of self-government constituted under Article 243Q of the Constitution.
• As per Article 243Q of the Constitution Nagar Panchayat for a transitional area (area transition from rural to urban); Municipal Council for a smaller urban area; municipal Corporation for a larger urban area shall be constituted.
• All the seats in a Municipality shall be filled by persons chosen by direct election.(Article 243R)
• Wards Committees consisting one or more wards, shall be constituted within the area of Municipality having a population of three lakhs or more.(Article 243S)
• In every Municipality seats shall be reserved for SCs, STs according to their population in the Municipal Area.(Article 243T)
• One-third of the seats that are reserved for SCs and STs shall be reserved for women belonging to the SCs and STs.
• Not less than one-third (including the seats reserved for SC, ST women) of the total seats shall be reserved for women.
• The duration of every Municipality is five years from the date of its first meeting.(Article 243U)
• The powers, authority and responsibilities of the Municipalities and power to impose taxes by the Municipalities shall be as per the law of the State.
• The Finance Commission constituted under Article 243I reviews the financial position of the Municipalities and makes recommendations to the Governor of the State.
• The maintenance of accounts by the Municipalities and auditing of the accounts shall be as per the law of the State.
• The State Election Commission conducts elections to the Municipalities.
• The provisions of Part IXA also apply to the Union Territories.
• As per Article 243ZD District Planning Committee shall be constituted at the district level to consolidate the plans prepared by the Panchayats and Municipalities in the district and to prepare the development plan for the whole district.

Polity Index