(1)For the improvement of sanitation, a Gram Panchayat shall have power to do all acts necessary for, and incidental to, the performance of the functions entrusted or delegated to it and in particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power or to the provisions of any other Act for the time being in force, a Gram Panchayat may require the owner or occupier of any land or building, by written notice and within a reasonable period to be specified in the notice, after taking into consideration his financial position, -(a)to close, remove, alter, repair, cleanse, disinfect, or put in good order any latrine, urinal, water-closet, drain, cess-pool, or other receptacle for filth, sullage water, rubbish or refuse pertaining to such land or building, or to remove or alter any door or trap or construct any drain for any such latrine, urinal or water-closet which opens on to a street or drain or to shut off such latrine, urinal or water-closet by a sufficient roof or wall or fence from the view of persons passing by or dwelling in the neighbourhood;(b)to cleanse, repair, cover, fill up, drain off or remove water from, a private well, tank, reservoir, pool, pit, depression or excavation therein which may be injurious to health or offensive to the neighbourhood;(c)to clear off any vegetation, undergrowth, prickly pear or scrub jungle therefrom;(d)to remove any dirt, dung, night-soil, manure or any obnoxious or offensive matter therefrom and to cleanse the land or building : Provided that a person on whom a notice has been served as aforesaid may, within thirty days of receipt of the notice, appeal to the prescribed authority against the order contained in the notice whereupon the prescribed authority may stay the operation of the order contained in the notice till the disposal of the appeal and it may, after giving such notice of the appeal to the Gram Panchayat concerned as may be prescribed, modify, set aside or confirm the order :Provided further that the prescribed authority shall, when it confirms or modifies the order contained in the notice after the expiry of the period mentioned therein, fix a fresh period within which the order contained in the notice, as confirmed or modified by it, shall be carried out.(2)If a person upon whom a notice has been served as aforesaid and which has not been set aside by the prescribed authority fails, without sufficient reason, to comply with the order contained in the notice or the order as modified by the prescribed authority, within the time specified in the notice or within the time fixed by the prescribed authority, as the case may be, he shall be liable, on conviction by a Magistrate, to a fine which may extend to twenty-five rupees.
