Gram Panchayat:
According to the Act, a Gram Panchayat is constituted for a population between 3000 and 5000. The area covered by a Gram Panchayat included group of villages. There will be one member for every 400 persons. The Adyaksha and Upadyaksha (President and Vice President]) are elected from among the elected members.
There are three Standing Committees in the Gram Panchayat, namely:
1. Production Committee
2. Social Justice Committee
3. Amenities Committee
A secretary is appointed by the government as the administrative head of the Gram Panchayat. The main function of the Gram Panchayat is to promote economic and social welfare, education and health in the Gram Panchayat.
Taluk Panchayat
For each Taluk, there shall be a Taluk Panchayat consisting of local representatives from the state legislature and parliament apart from one fifth of the Gram Panchayat presidents in the taluk are chosen by lots every year (in rotation). Members are directly elected from the separate territorial constituencies at the rate of one member for every 10000 population.
The elected members of Taluk Panchayat must choose two members from among themselves to the post of President and Vice President. The Taluk Panchayat has the following Standing Committees:
* General Standing Committees
* Finance, Audit and Planning Committee
* Social Justice Committee
Group A officer of the state civil services is the administrative head of the Taluk Panchayat. Taluk Panchayats are empowered to supervise the activities of Gram Panchayats in their jurisdiction.
Zilla Panchayat
Each district will have Zilla Panchayat consisting of members of parliament and the legislature from within the district, the presidents of taluk panchayats in the district and elected members in accordance with the scale of one member for 40,000 of the population.
The elected members shall choose two members from amongst them to the post of President and Vice President. The Zilla Panchayats will have the following Standing Committees:
* General Standing Committee
* Finance, Audit and Planning Committee
* Social Justice Committee
* Education and Health Committee
Agriculture and Industries Committee
A Chief Executive Officer, not below the rank of Deputy Commissioner is to be the administrative head of the Zilla Panchayat. The Act reduced the powers of Zilla Panchayat substantially. It may be noted that the Janata Dal government, through an ordinance made the presidents of Zilla and Taluk Panchayats executive heads and gave them executive powers.
Gram Sabha
The Gram Sabha is a statutory body of Gram Panchayat today. It is obligatory on the part of the Gram Panchayat to convene Grama Sabha meeting at least once in six months. All the adults who are in the voters list of the village are the members of the Gram Sabha.
