116. Term of office of members of interim Grama Panchayat and their powers.
(1)The Government shall take steps to hold election for a new Grama Panchayat within a period not exceeding five years from the date on which the interim Grama Panchayat has been constituted under section 115:Provided that where an interim Grama Panchayat has been constituted to a panchayat area converted under section 115 prior to the date on which the first elections to the Grama Panchayats are held under this Act, no election to constitute a new Grama Panchayat for such area shall be held before the date on which the unexpired portion of the term of office of the [councillors of municipal council or Town Panchayat] [Substituted by Act 29 of 1997 w.e.f. 20.10.1997.], as the case may be, would have ended:Provided further that nothing in the above provision shall apply to a panchayat area, the limits of which are altered by including within such panchayat area any village or group of villages.(2)The members of the interim Grama Panchayat shall hold office until the date immediately preceding the date of first meeting of the new Grama Panchayat.(3)Any vacancy in the office of the interim Grama Panchayat shall be filled, as soon as may be, by appointment by the Deputy Commissioner.(4)All arrears of rates, taxes and fees vesting in the interim Grama Panchayat shall, notwithstanding that such rates, taxes and fees cannot be levied under this Act, be recoverable in the same manner as a tax levied under section 199 of this Act:Provided that the steps to recover arrears of rates, taxes and fees shall be taken within a period of three years from the date on which they vest in the interim Grama Panchayat.(5)In other respect, the provisions of this Act shall, mutatis mutandis apply to the interim Grama Panchayat and its members.(6)If any difficulty arises,-(i)in the constitution of the interim Grama Panchayat or the new Grama Panchayat which succeeds it, or(ii)in giving effect to the provisions of section 115 and this section, the Government may, by order not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, remove the difficulty.
