2. Repeal of portion of Regulation XX of 1817. - Section 21, [Regulation XX of 1817], is hereby [repealed], as to all villages to which this Act may apply,
[3. Appointment of panchayats. - The District Magistrate may-(1)by an order in writing, appoint not less than three nor more than five residents in any village within the district of which he has charge to be the panchayat thereof; or(2)he may, with the previous sanction of the [State] Government, direct that the adult male rate-paying residents of any village shall select, according to any rules that may be prescribed by the [State] Government and published in the [Official Gazette], not less than three or more than five residents of the village to be the panchayat thereof, and the District Magistrate shall if he approves of the person so selected, appoint such persons to be the panchayat; but if, in his opinion any person so selected is, for reasons to be recorded by him in writing, unfit to be a member of the panchayat, the District Magistrate shall appoint a fit and proper resident to be a member of the panchayat :Provided that no panchayat shall be appointed in any place to which the [Bengal Municipal Act, 1884] has been, or may hereafter be, extended :Provided also that the [State] Government shall be entitled to prescribe that in certain specified local areas, to be notified in the [Official Gazette], the number of persons to be appointed to discharge the duties of a panchayat may be reduced to one.][3A. Delegation of powers by the District Magistrate. - The District Magistrate may from time to time by an order in writing, [* * * * *] delegate his powers under this Act, either wholly or in part, to any Magistrate of the first class subordinate to him, or to any Magistrate in charge of a subdivision or to the District Superintendent of Police; and by a like order, [* * * *], may withdraw such delegated powers.][4. Power to define a village. - The District Magistrate may, from time to time, by an order in writing under his hand, declare any local area or group of dwellings, within the district of which he has charge, to be a village for the purposes of this Act.]
