How Many Members are There in The Gram Panchayat

How Many Members are There in The Gram Panchayat

Edited By Team Careers360 | Updated on Jun 28, 2023 12:46 PM IST

Introduction

Gram panchayat is a democratic institute at the grass root level in India. It is considered the basic governing institute of the villages and acts as a cabinet of the village. It is a political institute also. The general body of the gram panchayat is the gram sabha which elects the members of the gram panchayat. The Panchayat Raj System in India has three tiers such as district panchayat, block panchayat and gram panchayat. Gram panchayat is the lowest level of Panchayat Raj institutions which are divided into wards, and each ward is represented by a ward member. Ward member is elected by the villagers. Panchayat President is the head of the gram panchayat. The representatives are elected for five years. The panchayat secretary, appointed by the state government, oversees the activities of the gram panchayat.

Main Contents With Detailed Explanations

Every five years, elections take place in villages. People above the age of eighteen have the right to vote. The Government of India has reserved one-third of the seats for women with the purpose of women empowerment. Some seats are reserved for scheduled castes. The gram panchayat has various functions, such as administrative functions, social and economic functions and judicial functions.

1. Administrative functions

  • Provide primary education

  • Install and maintain street lamps

  • Public works

  • Welfare functions such as construction, maintenance and repair of roads, drains, bridges, wells and schools

  • Collect local taxes

  • Execute government schemes for employment

2. Social and economic functions

  • Construction of libraries, marriage halls

  • Run fair-price shops

  • Establish cooperative societies

  • Make gardens, ponds etc

3. Judicial functions

  • Ensuring quick and inexpensive justice

  • Imposing fines up to Rs. hundred

Gram panchayat discusses various issues such as water issues, social issues, BPL benefits etc. The gram sabha is the key factor of the gram panchayat. It makes the gram panchayat work properly. Gram sabha is where all plans for the work of gram panchayat are placed before the people. Gram sabha has a key role in preventing the panchayat from misusing money. It also ensures that the elected persons are responsible to the people who elected them. The gram panchayat mainly gets funds by collecting taxes on houses and marketplaces, from government funds for the improvement of villages and from donations for community work. Gram Panchayat is funded by state and central governments and is subject to state and central government laws. As the central government makes decisions for the entire country, glam panchayat is primarily concerned with their village.

Gram Panchayat reduces poverty in villages by addressing grassroots needs. Make better use of local resources. People are directly involved in local government. In 1993, the 73rd Amendment came into force, making the Panchayat Raj system part of the Constitution.

Conclusion

In the Panchayat Raj System, the basic unit of administration is the gram panchayat. Usually, the number of members ranges from 7 to 31. The groups can be larger, but the members should not be less than 7.

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