धारा 116 · Meeting of Panchayat Samiti

(1) A Panchayat Samiti shall hold a meeting (hereinafter in this section called the ordinary meeting) for the transaction of business at least once in two months and shall subject to the provisions of the following sub-sections make regulations not inconsistent this Act, or with any rules made thereunder with respect to the day, hour, notice, management and adjournment of its meeting and generally respect to the transaction of business therein. (2) The Chairman may, whenever he thinks fit, shall, upon the written request of not less than one-third of the total number of members specify the object for which the meeting is supposed to the called and on a date within fifteen days from the receipt of such request call a special meeting. (3) If the Chairman fails to call a special meeting under sub-section (2) the Vice-Chairman or one-third of the total number of members may call the special meeting for a day not more than fifteen days after presentation of such request and require the Executive Officer to give notice to the members and to take such action as may be necessary to convene the meeting. (4) Ten clear days' notice of an ordinary meeting and seven clear days notice of a special meeting specifying the time at which such meeting is to be held and the business to be transacted thereat, shall be sent to the members and pasted at the office of the Panchayat Samiti and such notice shall include in the case of a special meeting any motion or proposition in the written request made for such meeting. (5) Majority of the total number of members in office of the Panchayat Samiti shall form a quorum for transacting business at a meeting of the Panchayat Samiti and at the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the person presiding shall wait for thirty minutes and if within such period there is no quorum he shall, proceed with the meeting but if within such period there is no quorum the person presiding shall adjourn the meetings to such hour on some future day as he may fix. He shall similarly adjourn the meeting at any time after it has begun if his attention is drawn to the want of quorum. At such adjourned meetings at which there is quorum the business which would have been brought before the original meeting shall be transacted. (6) Every meeting shall be presided over by the Chairman or if he is absent, by the Vice-Chairman and if both are absent or if the Chairman is absent and there is no Vice-Chairman, the members present shall elect one from among themselves to preside. (7) All questions shall, unless otherwise specially provided be decided by a majority of votes of the members present and voting. The presiding member, unless he refrains from voting, shall give vote before declaring the number of votes for and against a question and in case of equality of votes for and against a question, he may give his casting vote. (8) No member of a Panchayat Samiti shall vote on, or take part in the discussion on any question coming up for consideration at a meeting of the Panchayat Samiti or any Committee, if the question is one in which apart from its general application to the public he has any direct pecuniary interest. (9) If the person presiding is believed by any member present at the meeting to have any such pecuniary interest in any matter under discussion, and if a motion to that effect is carried, he shall not preside at the meeting during such discussion or vote on or take part in it and in that case any member of the Panchayat Samiti may be chosen to preside at the meeting during the continuance of such discussion. (10) No matter shall be discussed at any ordinary meetings unless it has been specified in the notice convening such meeting or in the case of special meeting, in the written request for such meeting: Provided that a member may propose any resolution connected with or incidental to the subject included in the list of business and toe Chairman may propose any urgent subject of routine nature not included in the list of business if no member objects to it: Provided further that no permission shall be given in the case of motion or proposition to modify or cancel any resolution within three months after the passing thereof. (11) Any ordinary meeting may, with the consent of a majority of the members present, be adjourned from time to time, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than that left undisposed at the meeting from which the adjourned took place. . (12) No resolution of Panchayat Samiti shall be modified or cancelled within six months after the passing thereof except by a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the total number of members at an ordinary or special meeting, a notice whereof shall be given fulfilling the requirements of sub-section (4) and setting forth fully the resolution which is proposed to be modified or cancelled at such meeting. (13) The proceedings of every meeting shall be recorded in the minutes book immediately after the deliberations of the meeting and shall after being read over by the member presiding over the meeting, be signed by him. The action taken on the decisions of the Panchayat Samiti. shall be reported at the next meeting fo the anchayat Samiti. The minutes book shall always be kept in the office of the Panchayat Samiti and shall not be taken outside the Panchayat Samiti office under any circumstances. The Executive Officer shall be the custodian of the minute book. (14) A copy of every resolution passed at any meeting of the Panchayat Samiti shall within three days from the date of meeting be forwarded to the Director. (15) If it shall appear to a Panchayat Samiti that the attendance of any officer of the State Government, having jurisdiction over an area of a district or less than a district and not working under the Panchayat Samiti, is desirable at a meeting of the Panchayat Samiti, the Executive Officer shall by a letter addressed to such officer not less than fifteen days before the intended meeting, request that officer to be present at the meeting and the officer shall unless prevented by sickness or other reasonable cause, attend the meeting. (16) (a) Subject to any directions issued by the State Government in this behalf, a Panchayat Samiti may require any officer of the State Government serving in the Panchayat Samiti area and with the previous permission of the Deputy Commissioner in the case of an officer serving in the concerned district to attend any such meeting and tender advice on any matter department to which such officer belongs. C re which concerns the (b) Where a Panchayat Samiti requires an officer specified in sub-section (12) to perform any other duty or execute any work such officer shall, subject to any general or special order of the State Government, perform such duties or execute such works. ndi 117. Defect or irregularity not to vitiate proceedings of Panchayat Samiti .- (1) No act done or proceedings taken by a Panchayat Samiti or Standing Committee or any other committee appointed under this Act shall be questioned on account of any vacancy in membership or any defect in the election or qualification of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, presiding authority or member or any defect or irregularity of such act or proceeding not affecting the merits of the case. (2) Until the contrary is proved every meeting of the Panchayat Samiti or Standing Committee or any other Committee shall be deemed to have been duly convened and held and all members, attending the meeting shall be deemed to have been duly qualified, when the minutes of the meeting have been duly signed in accordance with the provisions of this Act.