State Act

The Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act.

3. Definitions.— In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 5[* * * * * * * *] (a-2) “Auditor” means an Auditor as defined in the Bombay Local Fund Audit Act, 1930 (Bom. XXV of 1930) 6[and in relation to a panchayat having an annual income (including grant received from the State Government) of 7[not exceeding rupees Ten thousand includes a Gram sabha and exceeding rupees Ten thousand but less than rupees Twenty-five thousand] also includes an Extension Officer duly authorised in writing by the Chief Executive Officer] ; 8[(a-3) “Backward Class of citizens” means such classes or parts of or groups within such classes as are declared, from time to time, by the State Government to be Other Backward Classes and Vimukta Jatis and Nomadic Tribes ;] 9[(aa-1) “ballot box” or “ballot paper” includes an electronic voting machine used at an election for giving or recording of votes ;] 10[(a-4) “Beneficiary Level Sub-Committee” means a sub-committee constituted under section 49A for a particular programme, scheme, activity or utility having regard to the geographical, geohydrological, technological, economic, social and demographic situation of the habitation (ward, wasti, wadi, tanda, pada or by whatever name such independent habitation may be called) or part thereof in the panchayat ;] (1) “building” includes a hut, shed, or other enclosure, whether used as a human dwelling or for any other purpose whatsoever and also includes walls, verandahs, fixed platforms, plinths, doorsteps and the like ; (2) “by-laws” means the by-laws made by the 1[Zilla Parishad] under section 177 ; 2[* * * * *] (4) “Cattle” includes elephants, camels, buffaloes, horses, mares, geldings, ponies, colts, fillies, mules, asses, swine, sheep, ewes, rambs, lambs, goats and kids ; 3[(4A) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of a revenue division appointed under section 6 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 (Mah. XLI of 1966) ;] 4[* * * * *] 5[(6) “Zilla Parishad” means a Zilla Parishad constituted under the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961 (Mah. V of 1962) ;] 6[* * * * *] (8) “factory” means a factory as defined in the Factories Act, 1948 (LXIII of 1948) ; 7[(8A) “Finance Commission” means the Finance Commission constituted in accordance with the provisions of article 243-I of the Constitution of India ;] 8[(9) “Gram Sabha” means a body consisting of persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to village comprised within the area of the panchayat ;] (10) “land” includes land which is built upon, or covered with water ; (11) “list of voters” means a list of voters provided for and maintained under section 12 ; 9[* * * * *] 10[(11AA) “Local Panchayat Tax” means a tax on the entry of goods into the limits of any panchayat other than the area of panchayat included in the limits of the notified area within the meaning of clause (11B) for consumption, use or sale therein, levied in accordance with the provisions of section 124 ;] 11[(11AAA) “member” means a member duly elected as a member of panchayat under section 11 and include the Sarpanch of panchayat elected directly under section 30A-1A ;] 12[* * * * *] 13[* * * * *] (14) “panchayat” means a panchayat established or deemed to have been established under this Act ; 1[(14A) “population” means the population as ascertained at the last preceding census of which the relevant figures, 2[* * *] have been published ; (15) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules ; (16) “rules” means rules made, or deemed to have been made, under this Act ; (17) “Sarpanch” and “Upa-Sarpanch” means a Sarpanch and Upa-Sarpanch elected under section 30, 3[, 30A-1A] 4[30A,] 5[* *] or 43 ; 6[(17A) “Scheduled Areas” means the Scheduled Areas referred to in clause (1) of article 244 of the Constitution of India ;] (18) “Scheduled Castes” means such castes, races or tribes or parts of, or groups within, such castes, races or tribes as are deemed to be Scheduled Castes in relation to the 7[State of Maharashtra] under article 341 of the Constitution of India ; (19) “Scheduled Tribes” means such tribes or tribal communities or parts of, or groups within, such tribes or tribal communities as are deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in relation to the 8[State of Maharashtra] under article 342 of the Constitution of India ; (20) “Secretary” means a Secretary of a panchayat appointed or deemed to be appointed under section 60 of this Act ; 9[(20A) “State Election Commission” means the State Election Commission consisting of a State Election Commissioner appointed in accordance with the provisions of clause (1) of article 243-K of the Constitution of India ;] (21) “street” means any road, footway, square, court, alley or passage accessible whether permanently or temporarily to the public, whether a thoroughfare or not ; 10[* * * * *] (23) “tax” means a tax, cess, rate or other impost leviable under this Act, but does not include a fee ; 11[(24) “village” and “a group of villages” means the village or, as the case may be, a group of villages specified in the notification issued under clause (g) of article 243 of the Constitution of India ;] 12[(24A) “Village Development Committee” means a committee constituted under section 49, which shall be deemed to be a committee of the panchayat ;] (25) “ward” means an area into which a village is divided under clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 10 for the purpose specified therein ; (26) the expression “the term of a panchayat” means the period for which the members thereof elected or deemed to be elected shall hold office under section 27 ; 13[(27) the expressions “Standing Committee”, “Panchayat Samiti” 14[, “Chief Executive Officer”,] 15[“Block Development Officer” and “block grant”] shall have the meaning respectively assigned to them in the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act, 1961 (Mah. V of 1962).]