LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT

ZILLA PARISHAD

Historical Background.

The villages in ancient India had always been autonomous.  In ancient India the characteristic feature of administration was the prevalence of freedom and autonomy in governing the village institutions. However, in course of time the villages lost their autonomy as more and more power came to be vested and concentrated in the sovereign kings.

During the British administration, some attempts were made to revive the local self-government institutions in India. As a result of this, municipalities, district school boards, taluka local boards and village panchayats came to he established.

Vidarbha organised its Gram Panchayats and Nyaya Panchayats in 1946 while in Marathwada region the village panchayats started functioning in every village with a population of 5,000 and above from 1941. After the reorganisation of the erstwhile Bombay State, the Village Panchayats Act was passed in 1958, for the whole State. The Act gave every district a village panchayat mandal and gat nyaya panchayats also came to be organised for groups of five or more village panchayats.

Balwantrai Mehta Samiti.

In course of time the experience indicated that the progress of rural development was not commensurate with the expectations of the Government. Various developmental activities introduced in the various Plan periods could not achieve commendable success owing to non-participation of the villagers in the implementation of such schemes. The Central Government, therefore, decided to investigate the causes behind such a state of affairs and appointed a Committee called ' Balwantrai Mehta Samiti.

The 'Balwantrai Mehta Samiti' pointed out mainly, among other findings, that the Government could not succeed in appealing and in attracting the leadership of the masses to participate in the Community Development and National Development Schemes under the then existing administrative set-up. The Samiti, therefore, suggested that the responsibility for regional and local development works should be assigned to local institutions at the district level with the Government accepting the role of guiding, supervising and planning from a higher level, making available the required finances and so on. The Samiti recommended the formation of local committees on par with Block Development Committees, to be named as Panchayat Samitis, and at the district level a district committee to be called " Zilla Parishad ", instead of Local Board. The gram panchayat, the Panchayat Samiti, and the Zilla Parishad are the three responsible functionaries in the decentralisation of administration, which are entrusted with the implementation of the development schemes.

Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act.

The Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act was passed in 1961, for the formation of Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis. Government functions of a local nature and the execution of certain works and development schemes of the State Plans are entrusted to them. The Act provides for decentralisation of powers and functions and is expected to promote the development of democratic institutions by securing a greater measure of participation by people in Government affairs and development programme.

Under the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961, which came into force from May 1, 1962, all ex-Boards, i.e. District Local Board, District School Board, District Building Committee, District Development Board and Janpad Sabhas were abolished and their work was vested in the Zilla Parishad. All Village Panchayats have to work under their, respective Panchayat Samitis..

With a view to promoting development of democratic institutions and securing greater measure of participation by people in development plans and in local and Governmental affairs by decentralization of powers and functions, a Zilla Parishad and 14 Panchayat Samitis were established in Yeotmal district in 1962. The area under the jurisdiction of the Zilla Parishad, corresponds to the district boundaries except for the eight municipal towns which are not covered by them. The Zilla Parishad covers 92.20 per cent of the area and 87.39 per cent of the total population of the district. The Zilla Parishad covers the entire rural population and does not include any urban population.

In what follows are given in brief the powers and functions of the President, the Vice-President and other official and non-official authorities of the Zilla Parishad.

President.

The President shall-

(a) convene, preside at and conduct meetings of the Zilla Parishad,

(b) have access to the records of the Zilla Parishad,

(c) discharge all duties imposed, and exercise all the powers conferred on him by or under the Act,

(d) watch over the financial and executive administration and submit to the Parishad all questions connected therewith which shall require its orders, and

(e) exercise administrative supervision and control over the Chief Executive Officer for securing implementation of resolutions or decisions of the Zilla Parishad or of the Standing Committee, or of any Subjects Committee, or of any Panchayat Samiti.

The President may in cases of emergency direct the execution or suspension or stoppage of any work or the doing of any act which requires the sanction of the Zilla Parishad or any authority thereof, and immediate execution or doing of which, in his opinion, is necessary for the service or safety of the public, and may direct that the expense of executing such work or doing such act shall be paid from the District Fund.

Provided that, he shall report forthwith the action taken under this section and the full reasons thereof to the Zilla Parishad, the Standing Committee and the appropriate Subjects Committee at their next meetings, and the Zilla Parishad or the Committee may amend or annul the direction made by the President.

The President of the Zilla Parishad receives an honorarium of Rs. 500 per month with rent-free residential accommodation.

Vice-President.

The Vice-President shall-

(a) in the absence of the President, preside at the meeting of the Zilla Parishad;

(b) exercise such of the powers and perform such of the duties of the President as the President from time to time, may, subject to the rules made by the State Government in this behalf, delegate to him by an order in writing; and

(c) pending the, election of a President, or during the absence of the President, exercise the powers and perform the duties Of the President.

The Vice-President who is the Chairman of two Subjects Committees gets consolidated honorarium of Rs. 300 per month along with rent-free residential accommodation.

Chairman of Standing committee or Subjects committee.

Subject to the provisions of the Act, and the rules made there- under by the state Government, the Chairman of the Standing Committee or a Subjects Committee shall-

(i) convene, preside at and conduct meetings of the Committee and,

(ii) have access to the records of the Committee;

The Chairman of any such Committee may, in relation to subjects allotted to the Committee-

(i) call for any information, return, statement, account, or report from any officer employed by or holding office under the Zilla Parishad or any servant thereof, and

(ii) enter and inspect any immovable property occupied by the Zilla Parishad or any institution under the control and management of the Zilla Parishad or any work or development scheme in progress undertaken by the Zilla Parishad or under its direction:

Provided that the Chairman of the Standing Committee may, in relation to any subject allotted to any Subjects Committee also exercise the powers under this clause.

The Chairman of the Standing Committee may grant leave of absence for any period exceeding two months but not exceeding four months, to any officer of Class I Service (other than the Chief Executive Officer) or Class II Service holding office under the Zilla Parishad.

Save as otherwise provided by or under this Act, the powers to be exercised and the duties to be discharged by and which subjects enumerated in the district list are to be allotted to the Standing Committee and each of the Subjects Committees, shall be such as may be prescribed by regulations, but all subjects in relation to social welfare enumerated in the district list are allotted to the Standing Committee.

The Vice-President is the Chairman of two Subjects Committees. The Councillors have to elect from amongst elected Councillors two persons to be Chairmen of the remaining Subjects Committees. They also get an honorarium of Rs. 300 each per month along with rent-free residential accommodation.

Officials.

The Chief Executive Officer, a Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Block Development Officers and the Heads of various departments of the Zilla Parishad are the executive officers of the Zilla' Parishad. They are all gazetted officers and are transferable by the State Government to other districts. The Chief Executive Officer belongs to the cadre of Indian Administrative Service and his rank is equal to that of a Collector. The Deputy Chief Executive Officer is an officer of the rank of the Deputy Collector. The Block Development Officers are Class II Officers while the heads of the departments are either Class I or Class II Officers.

Chief Executive Officer.

The Chief Executive Officer-

(i) shall lay down the duties of all the officers and servants of or holding office under the Zilla Parishad in accordance with the rides made by the State Government;

(ii) shall he entitled to call for any information, return, statement, account or report from any officer or servant of or holding office under the Zilla Parishad;

(iii) shall supervise and control the execution of all the activities of the Zilla Parishad;

(iv) shall have papers and documents connected with the proceedings of meetings of the Zilla Parishad and of its committees (excluding Panchayat Samitis);

(v) shall draw and disburse money out of the District Fund;

(vi) shall exercise supervision and control over the acts of officers and servants holding office under the Zilla Parishad in matters of executive administration and those relating to accounts and records of the Zilla Parishad;

(vii) shall be entitled to attend the meetings of the Zilla Parishad or any of its committees (including any Panchayat Samiti);

(viii) any of the powers conferred or duties or functions imposed upon or vested in the Chief Executive Officer by or under the Act, may also be exercised, performed or discharged under the control of the Chief Executive Officer and subject to such conditions and limitations, if any, as he may think fit to lay down by any officer or servant holding office under the Zilla Parishad to whom the Chief Executive Officer generally or specially empowers by order in writing. All such orders of the Chief Executive Officer shall, however, be laid before the President, the Standing Committee and the relevant Subjects Committees for information.

(ix) He shall assess and give his opinion confidentially, every year, on the work of the officers of Class I Service and Class II Service holding office under the Zilla Parishad, forward them to such authorities as may be prescribed by the State Government and lay down the procedure for writing such reports about the work of officers and servants of Class III and Class IV Service under the Zilla Parishad.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer shall be the Secretary, ex-officio, of the Zilla Parishad, as well as the Standing Committee.

Block Development Officer.

The Block Development Officer-

(i) shall have the custody of all papers and documents connected with the proceedings of meetings of the Panchayat Samitis;

(ii) shall be the Secretary, ex-officio, of the Panchayat Samiti;

(iii) shall, subject to the general order of the Chief Executive Officer, grant leave of absence to an officer or servant of Class III Service or of Class IV Service of the Zilla Parishad working under the Panchayat Samiti;

(iv) shall call for any information, return, statement, account, report, or explanation from any of the officers or servants working under the Panchayat Samiti;

(v) shall draw and disburse money out of the grant or rents payable to the Panchayat Samiti under sections 185 and 188;

(vi) shall, in relation to the works and development schemes to be undertaken from the block grants, exercise such powers of sanctioning acquisition of property, sale or transfer thereof, as may be specified by the State Government.

Heads of Departments.

(i) Every head of the department of the Zilla Parishad may in respect of works and development schemes pertaining to his department, accord technical sanction thereto.

(ii) He shall assess and give his opinion confidentially every year on the work of officers of Class II Service working in his department and shall forward them to the Chief Executive Officer.

(iii) The head of department, specified in this behalf, shall be the secretary, ex-officio, of such Subjects Committees as the Zilla Parishad may direct.

Administrative Organisation.

The Yeotmal Zilla Parishad started functioning from May 1, 1962, with the coming into force of the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961. The Parishad consists of 63 members, 51 elected and 12 co-opted, co-opted members being two for each Committee. Nine Chairmen of the Panchayat Samitis are elected to the Zilla Parishad while four are ex-officio members of the Zilla Parishad by virtue of their being Chairmen of the Panchayat Samitis.

The Zilla Parishad has been divided into six Subjects Committees along with the Standing Committee. The Subjects Committees along with department of the Zilla Parishad they control are as under:-

The Chief Executive Officer is the administrative head of the Zilla Parishad.

In what follows is given a short description of the working of the departments of the Zilla Parishad.

General Administration Department.

The General Administration Department of the Zilla Parishad came into being from May 1, 1962, along with six other departments of the Zilla Parishad. The General Administration department is headed by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer. He is, besides, the Secretary of the Standing Committee of the Zilla Parishad. Prior to May 1, 1962, the General Administration department was not in existence hut two branches of the Collector's office, viz., the development branch and the Village Panchayat branch were dealing with the development work. The development branch was headed by the District Project Officer in the Deputy Collector's grade and the village panchayat branch by Village Panchayat Officer who was also in the Deputy Collector's grade. The most important role of this department is to control the whole non-gazetted establishment of the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samitis, to arrange for the meetings of the Zilla Parishad and Subjects Committees, to plan for the development works to be undertaken by the Zilla Parishad and to keep administrative control on all the departments and the Panchayat Samitis. All revenue and village panchayat matters of the Zilla Parishad are dealt with by this department.

The department deals with groups of subjects of a non-technical nature and the work is controlled and supervised by the Standing Committee. The work of the department is done through its different sections such as establishment, parishad, planning and development, panchayat, revenue, miscellaneous, registry and record.

Social Welfare Department.

The Social Welfare department, a section of the General Administration department, is headed by the Social Welfare Officer (Class II Gazetted). The activities carried out by the Social Welfare department in Yeotmal district are classified into Backward Class Welfare and Social Welfare Programmes.

Backward Class Welfare Programmes: -

Backward Class Welfare Programmes aim at the amelioration of the conditions of the backward classes so that they reach the standards of other sections of the society as quickly as possible. Several schemes of educational, financial and miscellaneous nature have been sanctioned for their welfare. Under educational schemes, various concessions towards payment of scholarships, tuition-fees and examination-fees are granted to all categories of backward classes. The department encourages the voluntary agencies to maintain hotels for boys and girls belonging to backward classes by giving substantial grants-in-aid, the advantage of which is taken by all categories of students belonging to backward classes.

Under the housing programme, subsidy is given to the backward class families towards construction of houses.

Social Welfare Programme: -

Though the activities under social welfare do not come under the Zilla Parishad still the Social Welfare Officer of the Zilla Parishad has to do the work concerning the social welfare activities in the district. They include the work in connection with the: (1) certified schools, (2) remand homes, (3) social and physical welfare institutions, (4) dance, drama and music schools, (5) grants to orphanages and (6) grants to institutions for physically handicapped.

Kalapathak:-Under the Directorate of Social Welfare of the former Government of Madhya Pradesh, the Kalapathak forming a cultural squad was attached to each district. The same squad consisting of seven articles is being continued in Vidarbha region after the reorganisation of States in November 1956. Each Kalapathak is equipped with musical instruments, stage equipment and green-room accessories. A Kalapathak is a song and drama party that instructs while it entertains. Dramatics, bhajanas, powadas, dialogues are some of the items of its repertoire. In short, they stage performances to bring into limelight all social handicaps and the ways to overcome them.

Under audio-visual scheme, films and documentaries are exhibited in the villages.

Finance Department.

The Finance department of the Zilla Parishad is entrusted with four-fold duties, viz., accounts, audit, custody of cash, and custody and verification of stores. It has to act as financial advisor to the several departments of the Zilla Parishad. The Chief Accounts and Finance Officer who is the Secretary of the Finance Committee is the head of the department and is drawn from the Directorate of Accounts and Treasuries. There is an Accounts Officer to assist him.

Preparation of the budget is also a function of the department which is dealt with by an independent branch created for the purpose. The department co-ordinates the budgets of the several departments before they are placed for approval. The Subjects Committees scrutinise the budget proposals and make recommendations. The Chairman of the Finance Committee is the ex-officio President of the Standing Committee for Finance and guides the deliberations of the Committee.

As mentioned earlier Finance department is in custody of cash. Pursuant to this funds required for the activities of the Panchayat Samitis are allotted by the department through the Central Co-operative Bank, Yeotmal, which has nine branches in the district. The budgets of the Panchayat Samitis are included in the budget of the Zilla Parishad. Otherwise, the Panchayat Samitis work as independent units in respect of work executed in their respective jurisdictions.

Works Department.

The Works department like other departments is directly under the administrative control of the Chief Executive Officer. The Executive Engineer is the head of the department and is solely responsible for execution of works pertaining to buildings, roads, irrigation and water-supply under the Zilla Parishad. The execution of these works is vested mainly in the Deputy Engineers incharge of the Sub-Divisions under the Executive Engineer.

In Yeotmal district there are 14 Panchayat Samitis and the works in these Samitis arc under the administrative control of Block Development Officers concerned, excepting road works under schemes No. T & C-8, T & C-11B and T & C-12B. So far as the technical matters are concerned the Block Development Officers are under the administrative control of Executive Engineer, Zilla Parishad and in respect of all other matters they are directly responsible to the Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad, Yeotmal.

The Works department has undertaken many constructional activities in the district.

(1) Rules.-In all 35 road works were in progress. This programme of road development included construction of major district roads, up-gradation of existing other district roads to the standard of major district roads as also the construction and improvement of other district roads. It also included construction of village roads which could serve as link roads. The programme was directed towards achievement of the targets fired under what is known as the Nagpur Plan of Road Development, 1961-1981.

In addition, construction of eight bridges was taken up of which Dhawanda Bridge near Digras, bridge across Lendhi nallah near Umarkhed, bridge across Deurwadi nallah near Ami, bridge across Arunawati river near Ami, bridge across Ship river near Shirpur are completed. The construction works of the bridge across Nirguda river near Wani, and bridge across Waghadi river near Ghatanji are in progress.

(2) Irrigation Works.-Forty-five pacca bandharas irrigating less than 250 acres each, have so far been completed in the district. In addition to these works on 11 bandharas and 12 permanent lift irrigation schemes are in progress.

Agriculture Department.

The Agriculture department is in charge of the Parishad Agricultural Officer who is directly responsible to the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad. He is assisted by one-Assistant District Agricultural Officer and two Agricultural Officers and members of the subordinate service.

The District Agricultural Officer has been specially assigned the work relating to animal husbandry. He is the head of the animal husbandry section of the department. In this work he is assisted by the Animal Husbandry Officer of the Zilla Parishad who is in actual charge of the section.

The Agricultural Officers have to undertake kharif and rabi campaigns, paddy pilot scheme and have to look after the work of their subordinate staff. The District Agricultural Officer is responsible for the development of agricultural activities with a view to increasing agricultural production in the district.

The Animal Husbandry department at the district level was formerly headed by the District Animal Husbandry Officer and many of the powers of the Regional Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry had been delegated to him. With the formation of the Zilla Parishad, the Animal Husbandry department is merged with the Agriculture department and it now forms a section of the Agriculture department. The Animal Husbandry Officer is responsible for the technical guidance pertaining to all animal husbandry matters and as a head of the section he is directly responsible to the Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad, Yeotmal.

Education Department.

Before the inception of the Zilla Parishad, education was under the jurisdiction of the State Government and the Director of Education was the head of the department at the State level.

Central Government schemes and the State Government policies regarding education were executed at the district level by the Educational Inspector in the district. The District Inspectorate consisted of one Educational Inspector, one Deputy Educational Inspector and 34 Assistant Deputy Educational Inspectors. All educational institutions in the district were under the control of the Educational Inspector. To facilitate the administration of primary education, District School Boards were entrusted with the work of primary education, secondary schools, primary training colleges and other technical and professional institutions were directly under the control of the Educational Inspector. The Inspector and his deputies visited and inspected these institutions and recommended grants-in-aid. Besides this the responsibility for the control of the primary education also partly vested with the Educational Inspector, as he was empowered to have general Supervision over the administration of the schools.

The District School Board which is now a defunct body was composed of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, and 14 other elected and nominated members. The Administrative Officer who worked as the ex-officio Secretary of the body was the representative of the State Government to guide the Board on Government policies in respect of educational matters. He executed the programmes chalked out by the Board for primary education in consultation with the Staff Selection Committee, a statutory body under the Primary Education Act, 1947. Teachers were interviewed, selected and appointed by him in accordance with the rules prescribed by the State Government.

The academic side of primary schools was supervised and controlled by the Assistant Deputy Educational Inspector working under the control of the Educational Inspector who visited and inspected the primary schools. They recommended cases for opening of primary schools, grants to primary schools, etc. through the Deputy Educational Inspector who was their immediate superior.

This was in brief the picture of the administrative set-up with the powers and duties of the functionaries of the Education department prior to the advent of the Zilla Parishad.

The Parishad Education Officer is the head of the Education department in the district. He has to work under the direct, control of the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad. He is assisted by two Deputy Educational Inspectors.

In 1962 there were 1,219 primary schools as against 1,671 in 1968 and 71 secondary schools as against 130 in 1968.

Public Health Department.

Under the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961, all responsibilities regarding public health and medical aid in rural areas have been transferred to the Zilla Parishad. As such the Public Health staff and Medical staff (except that of the Civil hospital and College hospitals) formerly working under Public Health department, Medical department and ex-Janpada Sabha have been transferred to the Zilla Parishad, Yeotmal from May 1, 1962.

The health matters in the district are under dual control. The primary health centres, maternity and child health centres along with other institutions in the district health organisation are looked after entirely by the Zilla Parishad while the leprosy survey, education and treatment units and family planning centres are looked after by the Zilla Parishad on agency basis.

The municipal allopathic dispensaries run by the different municipal committees are also controlled in the State sector by the Civil Surgeon, Yeotmal.

The Health department of the Zilla Parishad is looked after by the Public Health Officer of the Zilla Parishad as the head of the department. All the staff pertaining to the schemes controlled by the Zilla Parishad works under him. The services of all Assistant Medical Officers have been transferred to the Zilla Parishad. The Public Health Officer acts as the Secretary to the Health Committee.

The Zilla Parishad has under its control eight allopathic dispensaries, which were formerly under the different Janpad Sabhas. The ayurvedic dispensaries numbering 26 and 15 vaccinators' establishment which were controlled by the Janpad Sabhas, have also been transferred to the Zilla Parishad. After the formation of the Zilla Parishad, it has under its control 17 dispensaries, which are named as Rural Medical Relief Centres. These dispensaries are managed by the Zilla Parishad from its own funds. Seventeen family planning centres with 51 sub-centres in rural areas and one sterilisation mobile family planning unit at Yeotmal town and two mobile family planning units one each at Pandharkaoda and Digras, and organisation of vasectomy camps, orientation training camps, are some of the duties of the Zilla Parishad. Similarly, thirteen leprosy survey, education and treatment centres in rural areas are managed by the Zilla Parishad while the leprosy control unit at Darwha in this district, is in the State sector.

The national small-pox eradication scheme is also transferred to the Zilla Parishad. The implementation of the State scheme with central assistance has been given to the Zilla Parishad. The necessary equipment has also been provided to the Zilla Parishad.

The Director of Public Health, Maharashtra State, exercises technical control over all the health activities of the Yeotmal Zilla Parishad through the Deputy Director of Public Health Services, Nagpur.

Co-operation and Industries Department.

The Co-operative department in the district is headed by the Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies and under him are three Assistant Registrars placed with territorial jurisdictions. The Co-operative department executes two types of functions, viz., (1) regulatory and (2) promotional and extension activities. According to the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961, the Zilla Parishad has been entrusted with the promotional and extension activities with certain reservations for municipal areas. The regulatory functions have, however, been retained with the department in the State sector.

The department in the Zilla Parishad is headed by the Co-operation and Industries Officer. He is assisted by a Co-operative Officer and one Assistant Co-operative Officer along with two Extension Officers, one for co-operation and another for industries attached to each Panchayat Samiti. The statutory powers under the Co-operative Societies Act, 1960 regarding registration of cooperative societies and amendment of bye-laws and hearing appeals for non-admission of membership by co-operative societies are delegated to this officer under the Zilla Parishad.

Panchayat Samitis.

Under Section 57 of the Act, a Panchayat Samiti has been provided for every block. Every Panchayat Samiti will consist of the following members:-

(a) All councillors who are elected on the Zilla Parishad from the electoral divisions in the block.

(b) The co-opted councillor of the Zilla Parishad residing in the block.

(c) The Chairman of such co-operative societies conducting the business of purchase and sale of agricultural products in the block as nominated by Government (to be as associate members).

(d) The Chairman of a co-operative society conducting business relating to agriculture (not being a society falling under "c" above) in the block co-opted by the Panchayat Samiti (to be an associate member).

(e) In case of non-availability of a woman member or a member belonging to the scheduled castes of the scheduled tribes, one member who is a regular resident in the block to be co-opted by the Panchayat Samiti, and

(f) Sarpanchas elected by members of the village panchayats.

The term of office of the Chairman and members of the Panchayat Samiti is co-terminous.

The Chairman of the Panchayat Samiti is paid an honorarium of Rs. 300 per month with the facilities of free residential accommodation. The Deputy Chairman of Panchayat Samiti is paid an honorarium of Rs. 160 per month.

Chairman.

Subject to the provisions of the Act and the rules or regulations made thereunder:-

(1) The Chairman of a Panchayat Samiti shall-

(a) convene, preside at and conduct meetings of the Panchayat Samiti;

(b) have access to the records of the Panchayat Samiti;

(c) exercise supervision and control over the acts of officers and servants of or under the Zilla Parishad and working in the block in matters of execution or administration and the accounts and records of the Panchayat Samiti:

(d) in relation to works and development schemes to be undertaken from block grants, exercise such powers of sanctioning acquisitions of property or sale or transfer there of, as may be specified by the State Government.

(2) The Chairman of a Panchayat Samiti may-

(a) call for any information, return, statement, account or report from any officer or servant working under the Panchayat Samiti:

(b) enter on and inspect any immovable property in the block occupied by the Zilla Parishad or any instructions in the block under the control and management of the Zilla Parishad, or the Panchayat Samiti or any work or development scheme in progress in the Block undertaken by the Zilla Parishad or the Panchayat Samiti or under its direction.

Deputy Chairman.

(1) The Deputy Chairman of a Panchayat Samiti shall-

(a) in the absence of the Chairman, preside at the meeting of the Panchayat Samiti;

(b) exercise such of the powers and perform such of the duties of the Chairman of the Panchayat Samiti as the Chair man from time to time, may, subject to the rules made by the State Government in that behalf, delegate to him by an order in writing, and

(c) pending the election of the Chairman or during the absence of the Chairman exercise the powers and perform the duties of the Chairman.

(2) The Deputy Chairman of a Panchayat Samiti may enter on and inspect any immovable property in the block occupied by the Zilla Parishad or any institution in the block under the control and management of the Zilla Parishad or the Panchayat Samiti or any work or development scheme in progress in the Block undertaken by the Zilla Parishad or the Panchayat Samiti or under its direction and shall send a report of such inspection to the Chairman of the Panchayat Samiti.

In Yeotmal district the Panchayat Samitis have been formed at Yeotmal, Digras, Pusad, Umarkhed, Mahagaon, Pandharkaoda, Wani, Maregaon, Ner, Babulgaon, Kalamb, Ralegaon, Ghatanji and Darwha.

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