231. Power of Government to dissolve and reconstitute Panchayats on the alteration, of limits of Panchayat area and districts.
(1)When on account of the reason that the limits of a panchayat area or district are, during the term of office of the members of a Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat, altered, the Government may by order published in the Official Gazette, dissolve such Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat from a date specified in the order and direct that a Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat.(i)be reconstituted for the Panchayat area of which the Panchayat or the district of which the Zilla Panchayat has been dissolved; or(ii)be established for a Panchayat area or district which has been newly constituted.(2)The members of the Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat which has been dissolved under sub-section (1), shall vacate their office from the date specified in the order of the Government.(3)The Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat reconstituted or established under the provisions of sub-section (1), shall consist of members nominated by the Government and such members shall as far as may be practicable be persons who are members of the Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat which has been dissolved under sub-section (1).(4)The Sarpanch and Deputy Sarpanch of Panchayat or Adhyaksha and Upadhyaksha of Zilla Panchayat shall be elected in the manner provided in this Act.(5)The term of the Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat so reconstituted or established shall be for such period not exceeding six months as the Government may by order specify.(6)Before the expiry of the term of the Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (5), a Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat shall be constituted in the manner provided by this Act:Provided that where the remainder of the period for which the dissolved Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat would have continued is less than six months, it shall not be necessary to hold an election under this section for constituting a Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat for such period.(7)A Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat constituted under sub-section (6), shall continue only for the remainder of the period for which the dissolved Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat would have continued had it not been so dissolved.(8)When a Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat has been dissolved and reconstituted or established under this section, so much of the Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat Fund and other property vesting in the Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat which has been dissolved, shall vest in and such portion of the debts and obligations shall be transferred to the Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat reconstituted or established under this section as the Government may, by order in writing direct.(9)The rights and liabilities of the Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat which has been dissolved in respect of civil and criminal proceedings, contracts, agreements and other matters or things arising in or relating to any part of the area subject to the authority of the Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat reconstituted or established shall vest in such Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat.(10)Any appointment, notification, notice, tax, order, Scheme, licence, permission, rule, regulation or form made, issued, imposed or granted by the Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat which has been dissolved in respect of any part of the area subject to the authority of the Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat which has been reconstituted or established, shall be deemed to have been made, issued, imposed or granted by such Panchayat, or Zilla Panchayat unless and until it is superseded by any appointment, notification, notice, form, order, Scheme, licence, permission, rule, regulation or form, made, issued, imposed or granted by such Panchayat or Zilla Panchayat.(11)If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of the preceding sub-sections, the Government may by order published in the Official Gazette, as the occasion may require, do anything which appears to it to be necessary to remove the difficulty.
