18-12-2017, 04:53 PM
Grama Sabha in Kerala
*Gram sabha is the foundation of Panchayati Raj system
*It is a body consisting of persons registered in the electoral rolls of a village
*Article 243 A deals with Grama Sabha.
*Article 243 B of he Indian constitution deals with Constitution of Panchayat.
*The grama Sabha shall meet at least once in three months.
*The Quorum for a meeting of Grama Sabha is - 1/10 of total members
*Singhvi committee also emphasised the importance of Grama sabha and called it as the embodiment of direct democracy.
*Kerala Panchayati Raj Act came into force on
Ans : 23rd April 1994.
* Kerala Municipality Act came into force on
Ans : 30th May 1994.
Enactment of 73 rd Amendment Act
*The first attempt to constitutionalise the Panchayati Raj Institutions was made by Rajiv Gandhi in 1989 in the form of 64th Constitutional Amendment Bill.
*However Panchayati Raj Was constitutionalised only during the term of Narasimha Rao Government.
*73rd Amendment Act added a new Part - IX and Article 243 to 243 ‘O’ to the Constitution of India.
Salient features of the 73rd Amendment Act
*The Act provides for three tier system of Panchayati Raj in every state ie, Panchayats at the village, intermediate and district levels.
*However a state having a population not exceeding 20 lakh may not constitute panchayats at the intermediate level.
*All the members of the panchayats at the village, intermediate and district levels shall be elected directly by the people
*The chairperson of Panchayats at the intermediate and district levels shall be elected indirectly by and from amongst the elected members.
*However the chairperson of a Panchayat the village level shall be elected in such manner as the state legislature determines.
*The Act Provides for the reservation seats for SC’s & ST’s
*The Act Provides for the reservation of not less than one third of the total number of seat for women.
*However most of the states including Kerala has increased the reservation of seats for womwn to 50% of the total seats in Local Self Govt.Institutions.
*The Act provides for a five year term of office to the Panchayats at every level
*A State Election Commission is appointed under Article 243 K of the Constitution.
*The Superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of all elections to the panchayats shall be vested in the State Election Commission.
