The Manipur Panchayati Raj Act, 1994

(1) This Act may be called the Manipur Panchayati RajAct, 1994. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Manipur excepting any area to which the Manipur (HillAreas) District Council Act, 1971 (Manipur Act 76 of 1971) or the Manipur (Village Authorities in HillAreas) Act, 1956 (Manipur Act 80 of 1956) extends, or which has been or may hereafter be declared as,or included in, a municipality under any law for the time being in force, or which has been or mayhereafter be declared as, or included in a cantonment under the Cantonment Act, 1924 (2 of 1924). (3) It shall come into force on such date1as the Government may, by notification in the OfficialGazette, appoint; and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-- (a) "Adhyaksha and Up-Adhyaksha" means an Adhyaksha and a Up-Adhyakhsa of a ZillaParishad elected under section 54 of this Act; (b) "Chairperson" means Chairperson of a Standing Committee of a Zilla Parishad or a GramPanchayat, as the case may be, constituted under the provisions of this Act; (c) "Chief Executive Officer" means the Chief Executive Officer of a Zilla Parishad appointedunder section 75 of this Act; (d) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the Government in the Development andPanchayati Raj or such other person as may be appointed by the State Government to exercise thepowers of a Commissioner under this Act; (e) "district" means the revenue district; (f) "Deputy Commissioner" means the Deputy Commissioner of District; (g) "Government" means the State Government of Manipur; (h) "Gram Sabha" means a body consisting of persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to avillage comprised within the area of the Panchayat at the village level; (i) "Gram Panchayat" means the Gram Panchayat constituted under the Act; (j) "Official Gazette" means the Manipur Gazette; (k) "Panchayat" means a Gram Panchayat and a Zilla Parishad constituted under the provisions ofthis Act; (l) "Panchayat area" means the territorial area of a Panchayat; (m) "population" means the population as ascertained at the last preceding census of which therelevant figures have been published, (n) "Pradhan" means a Pradhan of a Gram Panchayat elected under section 21 of this Act; (o) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under the Act; (p) "Secretary" means the Secretary of a Gram Panchayat appointed under this Act; (q) "Standing Committee" means a Standing Committee constituted by a Zilla Parishad or a GramPanchayat under this Act; (r) "Up-Pradhan" means a Up-Pradhan of a Gram Panchayat elected under section 24 of this Act; (s) "village" means a village specified by the Governor by public notification to be a village forthe purpose of this Act and includes a group of villages so specified; and (t) "Zilla Parishad" means a Zilla Parishad of a district constituted under section 48 of this Act.

(1) A Gram Sabha shall, subject tosub-section (2), consist of all persons whose names are included in electoral rolls referred to in section 15within the area of the Gram Sabha: Provided that no person shall be a member of more than one Gram Sabha. (2) A person shall be disqualified for being a member of the Gram Sabha, if-- (a) he is not a citizen of India; or (b) he is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court; or (c) he is for the time being disqualified from voting under the provision of any law relating tocorrupt practices and other offences in connection with election to State Legislature.

(1) A member of Gram Sabha shall cease to be a member, if he hasceased to be ordinarily resident within the Gram Sabha area. (2) Where any person ceases to be a member of Gram Sabha under sub-section (1) he shall also ceaseto hold any office to which he may have been elected or appointed by virtue of being a member thereof.

The Gram Sabha shall meet from time to time but six months shall notintervene between any two meetings.