Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Rules 1996 (Chapter 2 Gram Sabha and Vigilance Committee)

 Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Rules 1996

3. Gram Sabha and its meeting. – The Sarpanch or in his absence, the up-sarpanch of a Panchayat shall convene at least two-gram sabhas every year for performing functions enumerated in Section 7 of the Act.

4. Place of the meeting. – (1) Meeting of Gram Sabha shall be held in the village where the office of the Panchayat is situated. It shall be held at Panchayat Bhawan or any other convenient public place in the village. It shall not be held at any private house or place.

(2) In the case where the population of any other village of the Panchayat circle exceeds 1000 inhabitants, the Sarpanch or in his absence, up-sarpanch may convene the Gram Sabha in two or more groups. Such Gram Sabha may be in addition to the Gram Sabha held at Panchayat Headquarters as per Section 7 of the Act, but any decision in contravention of decisions taken in the main Gram Sabha at Panchayat headquarters shall not be implemented.

5. Publication of the Notice of the meeting. – (1) Notice of the day and hour of Gram Sabha meeting, as also stating the business to the transacted thereat, shall be published at least 15 days previous to the day of the meeting by: –

(i) affixing the same at one or more conspicuous places in every village of the Panchayat circle;

(ii) making an announcement of such a meeting by the beat of a drum or any sound-amplifying device in every village of the panchayat circle :

Provided that special or emergent meetings or general meetings for special purposes may be convened by giving a notice of a shorter period but in no case shall such period be of less than 3 days.

(2) A copy of the notice shall be sent to MLA, Pradhan, and elected members of Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad as also to Vikas Adhikari.

(3) Panchayat Samiti may suggest, in advance, at least one month before the period prescribed for the gram sabha meeting concerned, convenient dates for holding such meetings to ensure attendance of extension officers in gram sabha, Sarpanch or in his absence up-sarpanch shall ordinarily issue a notice of the gram sabha meeting accordingly.

(4) Notice of Gram Sabha also is sent to all Tehsil level functionaries like Tehsildar, Doctor-in-charge Primary Health Centre, Assistant Engineer Public Health Engineering Department, Assistant Engineer State Electricity Board, Assistant Engineer Irrigation, Doctor In-charge Veterinary Dispensary, etc., requesting for their participation.

(5) Vikas Adhikari shall depute an extension officer who shall reach the Panchayat Headquarters one day before the date fixed for such a meeting. He shall ensure that proper publicity has been made for such meetings and prescribed quorum of one-tenth of adult residents should be present. Sarpanch or in his absence Up-Sarpanch shall make due arrangements for publicity accordingly.

6. Adjournment for want of Quorum. – (1) If the required quorum does not assemble and the meeting is adjourned for want of quorum, it shall in no case be held on the same date. A period of one week, shall at least, elapse when the adjourned meeting of Gram Sabha is fixed.

(2) Proper publicity as provided in Rule 5 above, shall again be made to ensure maximum participation of people.

7. Agenda for Gram Sabha meetings. – Except items enumerated in Sub-Section (3) of Section 3 for Gram Sabha meeting to be held in the first quarter of the financial year i.e., April to June, and Sub-Section (4) of Section 3 for Gram Sabha meeting to be held in last quarter of Financial Year i.e., January to March, the items enumerated below shall also be included in Agenda for Gram Sabha meeting: –

(i) Compliance with the last Gram Sabha meeting.

(ii) Attest mutations of deceased cultivators.

(iii) identification of families for allotment of free house sites.

(iv) Below poverty line families for I.R.D.P. Loan and Subsidy.

(v) Receipt, expenditure, and physical progress of development work.

(vi) Fixing priority in the proposed plan works next year.

(vii) Rural sanitation program, drinking water, and drainage.

(viii) Health Programmes-Vaccination and family welfare.

(ix) Methods of increasing own income.

(x) Development of Abadi and Pasture lands.

(xi) Audit objections and replies.

(xii) Comments on the report of a vigilance committee.

(xiii) Re-Constitution of vigilance committee (only first quarter meeting).

8. Record of proceedings. – (1) It shall be the duty of Vikas Adhikari or the Extension Officer attending the gram sabha on his behalf, to ensure that Secretary records the proceedings of the meeting truly on the same date.

(2) He shall also ensure that all the items prescribed in Section 3 of the Act and Rule 7 above are thoroughly discussed in gram sabha and proceedings are recorded accordingly. Vikas Adhikari or Extension Officer shall sign the proceedings before departure.

(3) Copies of such proceedings shall be forwarded to the Panchayat Samiti within 15 days and in case a such meeting is held in response to the requirement of Zila Parishad or the State Government, the copy shall also be sent to such authority.

9. Compliance with decisions. -with1) It shall be the duty of the Panchayat and also of the Panchayat Samiti to ensure compliance with the decisions taken in Gram Sabha meetings.

(2) Compliance report shall be placed before the next Gram Sabha meeting.

(3) Vikas Adhikari of the Panchayat Samiti concerned, shall also maintain Panchayat wise control register mentioning important decisions.

(4) Panchayat Extension Officer and Vikas Adhikari shall review the progress of such compliance during their inspection of Panchayats.

10. Monitoring of Gram Sabha meetings. – (1) During April and January every year, Vikas Adhikari shall place the progress of Gram Sabha meetings in the meetings of Panchayat Samiti. He shall forward such report to the Chief Executive Officer also for taking further necessary action.

(2) In case of failure of any Sarpanch or Up-Sarpanch as the case may be, to hold a prescribed meeting of Gram Sabha as mentioned in Section 3, Panchayat Samiti shall report the matter to the State Government for action under Section 38 of the Act.

11. Formation of Vigilance Committees. – (1) Sarpanch shall keep on agenda an item for the constitution of Vigilance Committee/Committees in the Gram Sabha meeting to be held in the first quarter of the financial year,

(2) Vigilance Committee shall work in close coordination with Panchayat.

(3) Secretary of Panchayat shall also work as Secretary for Vigilance Committee meetings and recording its proceedings.

12. Membership. – (1) Vigilance Committee shall have seven members who are recognized community leaders and generally do not participate in elections.

(2) Members of Panchayat Samiti or Zila Parishad residing in such Panchayat area, can also be a member of such Vigilance Committee by approval of Gram Sabha.

(3) Members may decide to form groups for supervision of development works, trespass on Abadi, Pasture lands, Sanitation and Drinking Water, etc.

(4) Members shall elect one person as Chairman to decide dates for holding and presiding meetings.

13. Role of Vigilance Committee. – (1) Role of the Vigilance Committee shall not be only to find faults and criticize Panchayat.

(2) Its role shall be constructive, cooperative, and advisory through supervisory. The main objective is speedy implementation of development activities, Maintaining the quality of words, preventing misuse of funds, and objective assessment of complaints from the public.

14. Meeting. – (1) First meeting of the Vigilance Committee shall be fixed by Secretary immediately after the constitution of the committee on a date convenient to members.

(2) Subsequent dates for the meeting shall be fixed by the Chairman of the Vigilance Committee. Notice of the meeting shall be got served by the Secretary.

(3) Vigilance Committee shall meet at least once a month.

(4) Secretary of the Panchayat shall invariable attend all such meetings.

15. Agenda items. – Vigilance Committee shall review the following items: –

(i) Complaints from the public on a specific issue,

(ii) Quality of construction works under execution,

(iii) Use of Panchayat Fund,

(iv) Trespass in Abadi and Pasture lands,

(v) Notice Board indicating sanction and expenditure on works,

(vi) Other relevant matters like Sanitation, Drainage, Drinking Water, Health, Vaccination, etc.

16. Report of Vigilance Committee to be part of Gram Sabha proceedings. – It shall be the duty of the Sarpanch or in his absence of the Up-Sarpanch, to discuss the report of the Vigilance Committee in Gram Sabha. It shall form part of the gram sabha proceedings.

17. Comments of Sarpanch/Panchas. – (1) Sarpanch/Up-Sarpanch or Panchas or Secretary as the case may be, shall place their comments for consideration of Gram Sabha.

(2) Such comments may also be incorporated in Gram Sabha proceedings.
18. Reconstitution of Vigilance Committee. – Gram Sabha may continue the same committee or reconstitute it every year in its meeting to be held in the first quarter of the financial year.