The West Bengal Panchayat Act, 1973 - MGNREGA Jalpaiguri, Home

Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti 1 [, Zilla Parishad, Mahakuma Paris-had or
Council] or of any municipal authority constituted under any of the Acts referred
to in sub-section (2) of section I, for the trial of—
(a) the offences specified in the Second Schedule or a case transferred
to the Nyaya Panchayat under sub-section (2) of section 52;
(b) all or any of the classes of civil suits specified in section 61:
Provided that no person shall be elected to be a member of Nyaya
Panchayat if he has any of the disqualifications mentioned in section 8.
(2) Every Nyaya Panchayat constituted under sub-section (1) shall be notified in
the Official Gazette, or in such other manner as may be prescribed, and shall
come into office with effect from the date specified in the said notification.
(3) Every Nyaya Panchayat shall elect at such time and in such manner as may
be prescribed one of its members to be called Pradhan Vicharak to preside over
its sittings and in the absence of the Pradhan Vicharak, the Vicharaks present at
the sitting of the Nyaya Panchayat shall elect one of them to be the Pradhan
Vicharak for the purpose of that sitting.
(4) The term of office of a member of a Nyaya Panchayat shall be '[five years]
from the date of the notification mentioned in subsection (2): Provided that the
members of a Nyaya Panchayat shall continue in office unlit the election of the
members of the Nyaya Panchayat by the newly constituted Gram Panchayat
after a general election and assumption of office by such members.
(5) No Nyaya Panchayat shall try any suit, case or other proceeding pending
before it unless al least three members of the Nyaya Panchayat are present
during such trial.
(6) The Secretary to the Gram Panchayat shall act as the Secretary to the Nyaya
Panchayat for the purpose of keeping the records of its proceedings and
decisions, and doing such other duties as may be prescribed.
52. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure,
1898, a Nyaya Panchayat constituted under section 51 shall have jurisdiction,
within the local limits of the Gram Panchayat constituting such Nyaya Panchayat,
Criminal
Jurisdiction
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