Section 3(1) in The Orissa Grama Panchayats Act, 1964
(1)The State Government may for the purposes of this Act by declaration notified in the Gazette constitute any village or group of contiguous villages as a Grama and assign to such Grama, a name which shall be of one of the villages comprised within the Grama.Explanation - Village intervened only by forest areas, hills, streams, rivers and such other natural barriers, and lands not forming part of any village may be treated as contiguous villages :[Provided that in the Scheduled Areas, a Grama shall ordinarily consist of a habitation or group of habitations, a hamlet or a group of hamlets comprising a community or communities and managing its affairs in accordance with traditions and customs.] [Inserted by O.A.15 of 1997 vide Orissa Gazette Extraordinary No. 1567, Notification No. 22433 dated 22.12.1997.]
