(1)Subject to such rules as may be prescribed, no person shall erect any building or alter or add to any existing building or reconstruct any building without the written permission of the Panchayat. The permission may be granted on payment of such fees as may be prescribed.(2)[ If a Panchayat does not, within thirty days from the date of receipt of application, determine whether such permission should be given or not and communicate its decision to the applicant, the applicant may file an appeal within thirty days from the date of expiry of aforesaid period, to the Deputy Director who shall dispose of the same within thirty days from the date of filings of such appeal. If the Deputy Director fails to dispose of the appeal within thirty days, such permission shall be deemed to have been given and the applicant may proceed to execute the work, but not so as to contravene any of the provisions of this Act or any rules or bye-laws made under this Act.] [Substituted by the Amendment Act 1 of 1997.](3)Whenever any building is erected, added to or reconstructed without such permission or in any manner contrary to the rules prescribed under sub-section (1) or any conditions imposed by the permission granted, the Panchayat may,-(a)direct that the building, alteration or addition be stopped; or(b)by written notice require within a reasonable period to be specified therein, such building alteration or addition to be altered or demolished [* * *] [The words omitted by the Amendment Act 1 of 1997.].(4)In the event of non-compliance with terms of any notice under clause (b) of sub-section (3) within the period specified in the notice, it shall be lawful for the Panchayat to take such action as may be necessary for the completion of the act thereby required to be done, and all the expenses therein incurred by the Panchayat shall be paid by the person or persons upon whom the notice was served and shall be recoverable as if it were a tax imposed under this Act.(5)[ Where the Panchayat fails to demolish the building which is erected, added to or reconstructed without the permission of the Panchayat, or in any manner contrary to the rules made under the Act or any conditions imposed in the permission, within a month from the date of the knowledge, the Deputy Director shall assume the powers of the Panchayat under sub-sections (3), (4) and (5) and take such steps as may be necessary for the demolition of such building.(6)Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing provisions, the Block Development Officer concerned may, by notice addressed to the person responsible, stop any construction which is being constructed in violation of the provisions of the Act or rules or bye-laws made thereunder and refer the case to the Deputy Director of Panchayat. On receipt of the notice, such person shall forthwith stop the same.(7)An appeal shall lie to the Director, within a period of thirty days from any order of direction or notice issued under any of the provisions of this section and the decision of the Director on such appeal shall be final.Explanation:- For the purpose of this section, failure to communicate the decision by the Panchayat under sub-section (2) and failure to demolish the building under subsections (3) and (4) shall be deemed to be 'remiss' in the performance of duties by the Panchayat.] [Existing sub-section (5) omitted and thereafter new sub-section (5) to (7) inserted by the Amendment Act 1 of 1997.]
