Batala Municipality
The
municipality was constituted in 1884.
The bye-laws were introduced in 1928.
It is a Class I municipality.
The
area of the town within municipal limits in 1971 was 6.06 sq. km. and its
population, according to the 1971 Census, was 58,200. The total number of members of the municipal committee was 21.
The
various civic amenities provided by the municipality include protected
water-supply, street lighting and arrangements for cleanliness of the town and
disposal of refuse. Underground sewers
have been constructed, but until 1971 only 20 per cent of the area one-fourth
of the population of the town. The
municipality runs a maternity hospital and library.
An
urban estate-a small modern housing colony-has been set up at Batala, where all
modern amenities are provided. By the
end of 1973, out of a total 288 plots planned, 239 had been allotted. Besides, in order to boost the development
activity in expanding towns, the Punjab Town Improvement Act, 1922, has been
extended to Batala as well.
Dera Baba Nanak Municipality
The
municipality was constituted in 1890.
The bye-laws were introduced in 1918.
It is a Class III municipality.
The
area of the town within municipal limits in 1971 was 0.78 sq. km. and its
population, according to the 1971 Census, was 5,338. The total number of members of the municipal committee in 1972-73
was 13.
The
civic amenities provided by the municipality include street lighting and
arrangements for cleanliness of the town and disposal of refuse. The municipality also runs a library.
A
Development Board has been constituted at the district level in respect of Dera
Baba Nanak with a view to formulate development programmes for the town and
watch their implementation.
Fatehgarh Churian Municipality
The
municipality was constituted in 1955.
The bye-laws were introduced in 1960.
It is a Class III municipality.
There
area of the town within municipal limits in 1971 was 0.44 sq. km. and its
population, according to the 1971 Census, was 7,590. The total number of members of the municipal committee in 1972-73
was 13.
The
civic amenities provided by the municipality include street lighting and
arrangements for cleanliness of the town and disposal of the town refuse. The municipality also runs a library.
Srigobindpur Municipality
Constituted in the first instance as a
municipality in 1865, Srigobindpur was reduced to the status of a notified area
in 1910. Again it was raised to the
status of a small town in 1924 and a Class III municipality on April 1,
1955. The municipal bye-laws were
introduced in 1930.
The area of the town within municipal
limits in 1971 was 0.52 sqz km. and its population, according to the 1971 Census, was 2,430. The total number of members of the municipal
committee in 1972-73 was 12.
The civic amenities provided by the
municipality include street lighting and arrangements for cleanliness of the
town and disposal of the town refuse.
The municipality also runs a library and a reading room.
Qadian Municipality
The
municipality was constituted in 1946. The bye-laws were introduced in
1950. At present, it is a Class II
municipality.
The
area of the town within municipal limits in 1971 was 9.06 sq. km. and its
population, according to the 1971 Census, was 13,119. The total number of members of the municipal committee in 1972-73
was 15.
The
civic amenities provided by the municipality include street lighting and
arrangements for cleanliness of the town and disposal of the town refuse. The municipality also runs a library cum
reading room.
Pathankot Municipality
The
municipality was originally constituted in 1868. At present, it is a Class I municipality.
The
area of the town within municipal limits in 1971 was 16.37 sq. km. and its
population, according to the 1971 Census, was 76,355. The total number of members of municipal committee was 21.
In
the matter of civic and other amenities, Pathankot stands at the top in the
district. The civic amenities provided
by the municipality include street lighting protected water-supply and
arrangements for cleanliness of the town and disposal of the town refuse. Sewerage in the town has been improved
lately by a network of underground system.
A network of fire-fighting service is also available. Besides, the municipality runs four
Ayurvedic Dispensaries, a Maternity and Child Welfare Centre and a Sub-Centre
and a Family Planning Centre. It also
runs a library cum reading room.
A
highpowered Development Board has been constituted for the speedy development
and growth of the Pathankot town.
Sujanpur Municipality
Formerly
a municipality, Sujanpur was reduced to the status of a notified area in
1909. At present, it is a Class II
municipality. The area of the town
within municipal limits in 1971 was 0.31 sq. km. and its population, according
to the 1971 Census, was 12,568. The
total number of members of the municipal committee in 1972-73 was 12.
The
civic amenities provided by the municipality include street lighting and
arrangements for cleanliness of the town and disposal of the town refuse. The municipality also runs a library cum reading
room.
(c)
Town and Country Planning and Housing
The
office of the Divisional Town Planner, Pathankot, Division, Pathankot, started
functioning from March 1, 1968. Its
jurisdiction extends up to the boundaries of District Gurdaspur. The functions of the office are more or less
that of a technical service agency for urban and rural planning for the
district at the divisional level. In
its case the executing authorities are
the local bodies-Municipal Committees and the Town Improvements trusts, whereas
in the case of Government projects, the execution is done by the Public Works
Departments. The main activities of the
office are briefly indicated below :
Besides
tendering the technical assistance to the various departments, one of the basic
functions of this office is to prepare the Master Plans for the towns. The important schemes sponsored by the
Government, through various departments, for which necessary technical
assistance is provided by this office are : rehabilitation schemes for the displaced
persons, such as model township, housing colonies and cheap tenement ;
industrial areas and estates sponsored from time to time by the Industries
Departments ; Mandi Township schemes of the low income group housing,
industrial housing and slum clearance schemes of the Housing Department ;
village planning for the Director General of Rural Rehabilitation and later for
the community projects ; rental housing schemes for Government employees ; etc.
The
most important among the municipal scheme is the Town Planning Scheme, which is
prepared by this officer on behalf of the municipal committee under section
3(18) (b) and 192 of the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911. These schemes are purely
of regulative nature and their actual implementation remains in the hands of
the landowners.
To
ensure the non-concentration of ownership of urban land, all local bodies and
organisation dealing with urban land development schemes have been directed not
to create residential plots bigger than 500 sq. yds. It has been further
ensured, through legal measures, that no individual or the spouse or dependent
children can obtain more than one residential or one hose under the scheme of
Government or of a local body. This measures has been taken to ensure against
the hoarding in land as also t curb the exiting speculating in real estate by
affluent individuals/ parties. In order to assist urban development, every
Class II municipality was given Rs. 40,000 by way of loan and Rs. 60,000 as
grant during 1972-73.
Pathankot
Improvement Trust, Pathankot.- It was
formed in 1962, vide Punjab Government Notification No. 1910-4CIII-62/10750,
dated March 9, 1962, under the Punjab Town Improvement Act, 1922. An
improvement Trust is an ad hoc body constituted for the general purpose of city
development. Its functions include opening up of congested areas, clearance of
slums, provision of sanitary dwellings and orderly expansion of the towns. Thus
an Improvement Trust is an important organ of the municipal bodies, which
actually looks after the health, well being and prosperity of the people living
in the city.
The
Pathankot improvement Trust has 2 members, appointed by the Government for 3
years besides one ex-officio member.
The
various types of schemes taken up by the Pathankot Improvement Trust are
development scheme, street scheme, Improvement of junction, shopping centres
and other architectural projects. Such schemes are prepared by this office on
behalf of the Improvement Trust under the provision of the Town Improvement
Act, 1922.
The
sources of income of the Improvement Trust are: municipal contribution,
Government grants, loans, Trust property, Nazul property, fees, investments,
costs awarded by Government, fines and penalties, deposits, collection of
advances, unclassified suspense account, and others. The details of income and
expenditure of the Pathankot Improvement Trust, Pathankot, during 196-66 to
1972-73 are given below:
|
Year
|
|
Income
(Rs)
|
Expenditure
(Rs)
|
|
1965-66
|
..
|
18,530
|
1,70,020
|
|
1966-67
|
..
|
81,205
|
2,12,481
|
|
1967-68
|
..
|
4,77,554
|
2,74,178
|
|
1968-69
|
..
|
8,77,485
|
9,76,438
|
|
1969-70
|
..
|
5,82,008
|
5,40,676
|
|
1970-71
|
..
|
1,32,13,000
|
13,64,000
|
|
1971-72
|
..
|
26,17,064
|
29,89,660
|
|
1972-73
|
..
|
16,28,818
|
16,11,046
|
(Statistical
Abstracts of Punjab, 1966 to 1973)
(d)
Panchayati Raj
The fundamental approach of democracy is
not only that power flows from the people, but that people should be associated
in the largest possible numbers with decision making and the wielding of
authority. This is the spirit in which
the Panchayati Raj movement was launched on October 2, 1961, to widen and take
to each village the rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India. The movement has, indeed, contributed to the
political awakening and buoyancy that is now found in rural India.
Panchayati Raj is a three-tier system of administration
for the development of villages, with the Panchayat at the village level, the
Panchayat Samiti at the block level and the Zila Parishad at the district
level.
The
basic objective of the Panchayati Raj is to transfer the initiative in the
formulation and execution of the Community Development Programme to the
three-tier system of local bodies (at the village and district level).
Gram Panchayats. – The institution of village panchayats is as old as
Indian history and is a part of Indian tradition. The ancient panchayats discharged most of the functions affecting
the life of the village community and were effective units of administration
until the 18th century. With the advent
of the British, however, they got relegated to a subservient place in the
colonial set-up. Even during the
British rule, particularly after the Ripon Resolution of 1882, attempts were
made to revive these village institutions.
Accordingly, panchayats and local boards were set up. After the independence, the importance of
revitalising the village panchayats and assigning them a specific role in the
administration was recognised. The first
organised effort to tackle the problems of rural India was through the Community
Development Programme2.
A
brief history of the attempt to revive in Punjab, as in the rest of the
country, a village institution which had its origin in the ancient period and
which enjoyed a great reputation for providing stability, peace and prosperity
to the village life in ancient India, is traced below.
The
earliest legislation on panchayats, in the State was the Punjab Panchayat Act
of 1912, which was followed by another Act in 1921-22. These enactments failed badly in their
purpose and did not get any encouraging response from the people. “The Panchayats which were formed existed
merely on paper because they had no effective powers. Now the Panches could inspire confidence or respect in the people
because only those persons could find a place in the Panchayats who had
ingratiated themselves with the authorites”3. Complete control was maintained over these
bodies and their powers and resources were extremely meagre.
_______________________________________________________________
2.
Panchayati Rajat a Glance, p.i (published by the Ministry of Community
Development and Co-operation, Government of India, New Delhi)
3. Malaviya, H.D., Village
Panchayats in India (New Delhi, 1956), p. 370.
The Unionist Ministry in the Punjab
passed another Act in 1939 which superseded the earlier Acts and conferred,
among others, wide judicial powers, both civil and criminal, on the
panchayats. Efforts were also made to
improve the financial resources of Panchayats through Government grants. Panchayats were allowed to levy taxes in
their respective areas with the previous sanction of the Government. A separate Panchayat Department was created
to look after panchayats4.
This Act made a considerable advance in the organization of the village
Panchayats in the pre-partition Punjab.
The panchayats did some good and encouraging work.
At the time of the partition of the
country in 1947, where were 318 panchayats in the district, of which 33 did not
function. The partition unsettled the
life in the whole of the State, but, with remarkable rapidly, initiative,
courage and perseverence, the people set themselves to the task of buliding and
reconstructing their social, economic and political institutions. In 1952, the Punjab Gram Panchayat Act was
passed. Under theis Act, every village
or group of villages with a population of 500 or more was to have one or more
Gram Panchayat. This limit could be
relaxed in suitable cases. The Act provided
that each Gram Panchayat will consist of 5 to 9 members. The Panches were elected by the universal
adult franchise for a period of five years.
Seats were reserved for Shceduled Castes. Under this Act, the Panches elected the Sarpanch from amongst
themselves and possessed the power to remove him by a motion of no-confidence
passed by two-third majority. These
panchayats were given considerable functions to undertake the work of
reconstructing village life by providing various civic amenities and were
vested with powers to try both civil and criminal cases.
The
Punjab Gram Panchayat Act, 1952, was amended in 1960, and that was the first
step towards the establishment of Panchayati Raj in the State. Under the Act, a gram sabha may be
constituted for any village or group of contiguous villages with a population
of not less than 500 and a gram panchayat is elected for the Gram Sabha area
and not for each village. The
Government of course has the power to relax it 9under section 4 of the
Panchayat Act, 1960). Every male or female who is entered as a voter on
the electoral roll of the State Vidhan Sabha is a member of the Gram
Sabha. These members of the Gram Sabha
elect the members of the Panchayats from amongst themselves. If no woman is elected as a Panch, the woman
candidate, securing the highest number of votes amongst the women candidates in
that election, is co-opted by the panchayat as a Panch, and, where no such
woman candidate is available, a woman is co-opted as a Panch by the prescribed
authority (under section 6 of the Act).
Similarly, it has been provided that every panchayat shall have one or
two members of the Scheduled Caste, depending upon the ratio of their
population in the village (under section 6 (4) of the Act).
Under
the Act, Gram Panchayat is to meet at least once a month at a place within the
Gram Panchayat area. Three Panches
constitute a quorum.
_______________________________________________________________
4. Ibid
All
the decisions of the Panchayat are taken by majority and, when the voting is
equal, the Sarpanch has an additional or casting vote (under section 14 (3) of
the Act).
In
1971-72, the number of panchayats in the Gurdaspur District was 1,056 and their
membership was 5,963.
Functions
Under
the Act, panchayat is expected to play within its own area the roles of
sanitary inspector, an electrician, a public health officer and doctor, an
engineer and a planner, a veterinary surgeon a librarian and sports organiser,
an agriculturist expert in the modern methods of food production, an overseer,
a forest officer and a social reformer.
It may also assume the role of a nurse, a relief worker and, last but
not the least, of a benevolent creditor to relieve the poor of the curse of
indebtedness.
Apart
from these, the Act confers on the panchayats the power to make certain general
orders, to enquire and make report about mis-conduct of petty officials. It can introduce prohibition within its area
by a vote of two-third majority of Panches (under sections 22, 24 and 26). The panchayats can also establish primary
schools, hospitals, dispensaries, etc.5
Judicial functions
A. Criminal. – The criminal
jurisdiction of a Gram Panchayat relates to the trial of offences specified in
schedule 1 (A) of the Act, a panchayat with enhanced powers and every Adalti
Panchayat had jurisdiction of try offences mentioned in schedule 1 (B).
A
panchayat may on conviction, sentence an accused for a fine not exceeding Rs
100 and, if it is panchayat with enhanced powers to a fine of not exceeding Rs
200. It has the power to demand from an
accused a bond of good behaviour.
B. Civil and Revenue. - A Panchayat has a jurisdiction to try civil
cases to the maximum value of Rs 200, and, a panchayat with enhanced powers, to
the maximum value of Rs 500.
Sources of Revenue
To
enable panchayats to undertake the various development and other functions
vested in them, the Punjab Gram Panchayat Act, 1952, provides the following
sources of revenue. The income from
these sources is credited to the gram fund which is provided for each
panchayat. The sources of gram fund are
: all grants from Government and other local authorities; all donations ; all
taxes, duties, cesses and fees ; the sale proceeds of duct, dirt and dung;
income derived form common lands ; income derived form villages fisheries ;
etc.
The
income of the panchayats in the district, during 1968-68 to 1971-72, is given
below :
|
Sources of Income
|
|
1967-68 (Rs)
|
1998-69 (Rs)
|
1969-70 (Rs)
|
1970-71 (Rs)
|
1971-72 (Rs)
|
|
1. Grants
from Government
|
..
|
3,20,000
|
3,33,722
|
1,83,011
|
2,48,065
|
2,29,574
|
|
2.
Voluntary contribution
|
..
|
11,047
|
10,814
|
8,484
|
15,762
|
12,878
|
|
3. House
Tax
|
..
|
1,30,599
|
1,11,650
|
2,46,969
|
1,78,816
|
91,079
|
(Source: Director of Panchayats, Punjab, Chandigarh)
Achievements
During
1971-72, the panchayats in the district constructed 46 new school buildings and
repaired and extended a large number of existing ones, provided 4 playgrounds
and 4 children parks, established 2 libraries, constructed 10 panchayatghars,
provided street light to 28 villages, constructed 202 km of roads and 371
culverts, besides making drains pucca, pavement of streets, disinfection of
well, etc.
As
regards the judicial work done during 1971-72, the Panchayats in the district
decided 91 revenue cases and 98 criminal cases.
Panchayat Samitis.- The Panchayat samitis constitute the second
tier of the ‘Panchayati Raj’ scheme.
These bodies have been constituted under the Punjab Panchayat Samitis
and Zila Parishads Act, 1961. This tier
of local self-government acts as a bridge between the Zila Parishads and
Village Panchayats.
Every
community development block in the State is to have a panchayat samiti
consisting of primary members, associated members, co-opted members and ex-officio
member, as under:
Primary Members 19 to be elected as under:
16 by the Panchayat and Sarpanches of
all panchayats in the block from amongst themselves; 2 members to be elected by
members of all co-operative societies within the jurisdiction of the Panchayat
samiti, from amongst themselves; and one members to represent all market
committees in the block, to be elected by the members of these committees from
the producer members residing within the panchayat samiti’s jurisdiction.
Associate Members6: Every member of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha representing
the constituency, of which the bock forms the part of the panchayat samiti, is
the associated member.
Co-opted Members: Every
panchayat samiti must have at least two women and 4 members of the Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes as its members.
If this number is not elected, the primary members of the panchayat
samiti, at a meeting specially called for the purpose, co-opt the prescribed
number of members to represent the women and the members of the Scheduled
Castes.
Ex-officio Members : The Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) having
jurisdiction in the block and the Block Development and Panchayat Officer are
the ex-officio members.
The
Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the panchayat samiti are elected by the primary
and co-opted members from amongst themselves and their term of office is 5
years. The Block Development and
Panchayat Officer is the Executive Officer of the samiti. He however, is not the sole repository of
the executive power of the panchayat samiti.
It is bifurcated between the Chairman and the Executive Officer, the
residuary executive powers vesting in the former.
The
panchayat samitis have the most active role to play in all round development of
the villages. Their functions include
development of agriculture, animal husbandry, co-operation, minor irrigation
works, village industries, social education, local communication, sanitation,
health and medical relief, etc., etc.
Besides the above obligatory functions, the panchayat samiti has some
optional functions which it may, with the approval or at the suggestion of the
Zila Parishad, provide for any matter approval than those set out above. In addition, it has also some agency
functions i.e. functions entrusted to panchayat samitis by Government.
The
panchayat samitis have also the power to frame bye-laws on various subject,
power to acquire land or other immovable property; power to contribute towards
joint works and under-takings, power under the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911,
which the Government may authorise the Panchayat, samitis to exercise, power to
delegate to the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, the Executive Officer or any other
Government servants all or any power conferred upon the panchayat samitis,
except the power to make bye-laws and supervisory powers over the panchayats.
The
sources of income of a panchayat samiti consist of a composite samiti fund
which comprises (i) apportionment made by the Government out of the balance of district
fund at the credit of District Board concerned ; (ii) all proceeds of local
rate allotted to the panchayat samitis under section 63 of the Punjab Panchayat
Samitis and Zila Parishad Act, 1961; (iii)the proceeds of all taxes, cesses and
fees imposed by the panchayat
_______________________________________________________________
6. Prior to the abolition of the Punjab Vidhan
Sabha Parishad in 1969, the membership of the Panchayat Samiti also included
such members of the Punjab Vidhan Parishadas the Government might by order
specify.
samitis; (iv) income arising from all sources of
income placed at its disposal under section 62 of the Act; (v) surcharge on
duty on the transfer of immovable property ; (vi) proceeds from periodically
fairs and markets and bazars; (vii) voluntary public contribution; and (viii)
grants received from Government.
In
1971-72, the number of panchayat samitis in the Gurdaspur District was 11 and
their membership was 264.
Zila Parishad.- The Zila Parishad, which
has replaced former District Board, stands at the apex of the structure of
Panchayati Raj. The District Board,
Gurdaspur, was constituted in 1833, under the Punjab District Boards Act, 1883. It consisted of 28 members, of whom 19 were
elected and 9 appointed. Of these 9
appointed members, 1 was nominated by Government, while other 8 were
ex-officio, viz. the Deputy Commissioner (as Chairman), the Civil Surgeons, the
Superintendent of Police, the District Inspector of School and the 4 Tahsildars
of then four tahsils in the district.
The Vice-Chairman was a non-official, elected by the members of the
board. There were no boards and the
Finance sub-committee was the only sub-committee.
The
District Board, Gurdaspur, was replaced by the Zila Parishad on March 1, 1962,
under the Punjab Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads Act, 1961.
The
Zila Parishad consists of elected members (two members of every panchayat
samiti in the district, to be elected by each panchayat samiti); Chairman of
every panchayat samiti in the district; the Deputy Commissioner, every M.L.A.,
representing the district7. Besides, every Zila Parishad must have
at least 2 women and 5 members of the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes and
if, this number does not come in by election, the deficit is to be made up by
co-option under section 86(3) of the Act.
The Zila Parishad has a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman, elected by the
primary members, Chairmen of the panchayat samitis and co-opted members, from
amongst themselves. The Secretary of
the Zila Parishad is appointed by the Government.
The
total number of members of the Zila Parishad, Gurdaspur, as on April 1, 972,
was 51. Their tenure of office is 5
years.
The
Zila Parishad is to advise, supervise and co-ordinate the functions of the panchayat
samitis in the district ; has the power to examine and approve the budgets of
panchayat samitis ; can issue directives to panchayat samitis for the efficient
performance of their duties ; can give advise to panchayat samitis on its own
motion or at the request of a panchayat samiti or an being required to do so by
Government ; is to co-ordinate and consolidate development plans prepared for
each block by their respective panchayat samitis ; and is to secure the
execution of plans, projects schemes or works common to two or more panchayat
samitis or block in the block in the district.
_______________________________________________________________
7. Prior to the abolition of the Punjab Vidhan
Sabha Parishad in 1969, the membership of the Zila Parishad also included the
members of the Vidhan Parishad representing the district.
The Zila Parishad, Gurdaspur, maintains
4.28 km of pucca and 505.21 km kutcha roads.
The
main sources of income of the Zila Parishad are Government grants, share of
local rate and funds allotted to it for implementing departmental schemes. The income and expenditure of the Zila
Parishad, Gurdaspur, during 1962-63 to 1970-71, is given below:
|
Year
|
|
Income (Rs)
|
Expenditure (Rs)
|
|
1962-63
|
..
|
17,40,905
|
7,53,988
|
|
1963-64
|
..
|
10,92,733
|
7,94,771
|
|
1964-65
|
..
|
10,45,679
|
9,00,052
|
|
1965-66
|
..
|
11,34,799
|
12,68,342
|
|
1966-67
|
..
|
10,39,178
|
8,56,054
|
|
1967-68
|
..
|
12,20,767
|
12,50,632
|
|
1968-69
|
..
|
9,54,133
|
10,59,831
|
|
1969-70
|
..
|
12,35,787
|
12,44,393
|
|
1970-71
|
..
|
18,42,190
|
18,76,799
|
(Source: Zila Parishad, Gurdaspur)
_______________________________________________________________
