4. Constitution of Gram Panchayats for villages and their incorporation.
(1)A Gram Panchayat shall be deemed to have been constituted,-(a)for every village which has been specified in Schedule VIII, on and from the date following the date on which the present term of the elected body of the existing Gram Panchayat corresponding to the areas covered by such village expires;(b)for every village which has been specified in Schedule VIII, where there is no elected body for the existing Gram Panchayat corresponding to the areas covered by such village as on the date of commencement of this Act, on such date of commencement, and(c)for any village added subsequently to Schedule VIII by a notification in terms of section 3, from the date of such notification.(2)Subject to the provisions of this Act, the administration of the village shall vest in the Gram Panchayat, but the Gram Panchayat shall not be entitled to exercise functions expressly assigned by or under this Act or any other law to its Sarpanch, or to any other local authority, or other authority.(3)Every Gram Panchayat shall be a body corporate by the name of the village specified or subsequently included as the case may be in Schedule VIII, shall have perpetual succession and a common seal, and subject to any restriction or qualification imposed by or under this Act or any other law, shall be vested with the capacity of suing or being sued in its corporate name, of acquiring, holding and transferring property, of entering into contracts, and of doing all things necessary, proper or expedient for the purposes for which it is constituted.
