266. Constitution of State Council for panchayats its functions, etc.
(1)There shall be a State Council for panchayats consisting of the following members, namely:-(A)Chairman:(i)Minister in charge of the Department dealing with Panchayats Organisation of the State;(B)Vice-Chairman:-(ii)The Minister of State dealing with the Panchayats Organization of the State or if there is no such Minister of State, the Deputy Minister dealing with such Organization, or in the absence of both such Ministers, the Parlimentary Secretary dealing with such Organization:Provided that where there is no person holding any of such offices, the Vice-Chairman shall be elected by the Council from amongst its members;(C)Members:-(iii)Presidents of the district panchayats:(iv)Seven members to be nominated by the State Government from amongst persons taking interest in the development of panchayats. Out of these one shall be a woman and one shall be a person from Scheduled Castes and one shall be a person from amongst the Scheduled Tribes if none of the members falling under clause (iii) is a person belonging to a Scheduled Tribe;(v)Three Officers to be nominated by the State Government;(vi)Three members to be elected by the members of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly from amongst themselves.(2)Such officer as the State Government may appoint in this behalf shall act as a Secretary to the Council.(3)The functions of the Council so constituted shall be as under-(a)to advise the State Government on all general questions pertaining to panchayats;(b)to advise the State Government in respect of a scheme for the training of Secretaries and other servants of panchayats;(c)to review the administration of panchayats and to suggest ways of co-ordinating the activities of panchayats in the State;(d)to suggest ways and means to remove the difficulties experienced by the panchayats in the State in their administration;(e)to make suo motu recommendations to the State Government in regard to any matter relating to the administration of the panchayats;(f)to report to the State Government on such matters as may be referred to it by the State Government for its opinion.(4)The State Government may by general or special order provide for-(a)the calling of the meetings of the Council and the procedure of meeting;(b)duties of the Secretary for the Council;(c)sub-committees of the Council;(d)the term of office of nominated members of the Council, travelling allowance and daily allowance to the members of the Council and the rate thereof.(5)The term of office of the member elected by the Members of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly shall expire on the expiry of his term as the member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly or if he otherwise ceases to be such member.(6)Any elected or nominated member of the Council may resign from the membership by tendering his resignation in writing to the Chairman and the resignation shall take effect from the date on which it is accepted by the Chairman who shall give intimation of the vacancy-(a)to the State Government in the case of the resignation of a nominated member, and(b)to the Secretary to the Gujarat Legislative Assembly in the case of the resignation of a member elected by that Assembly.
