Panchayat Samiti
This is the next tier of administration at the Block level. It consists of:
1. Sarpanchas of all panchayat.
2. Local M.L.A. and M.L.C. with right to vote but not to hold office.
3. One person nominated by District Collector for every panchayat for which no Sarpanch has been elected
Reservation and Cooption:
1. Tow women.
2. One from scheduled castes.
3. One form scheduled tribes.
4. Two persons with experience in administration and public life.
The president and vice-president of the samiti are elected form among the village panchayat presidents.
Block Development Officer appointed by the Government is the chief executive of the samiti and function as the leader of the team of block level officials.
Every Panchayat Samiti Normally ahs Seven Standing Committees as Follow:
Standing Committee I – Planning and Production
II – Co-operation and Industries
III – Education
IV – Women Welfare
V – Social Welfare
VI – Communication
VII – Taxation and Finance
Each standing committee consists of 7 members including the Samiti President who is the Chairman of all standing committees. Each standing committee has independent powers of sanction within specified limits and arranges for executing the works and schemes within it jurisdiction,
Powers and Functions of Panchayat Samiti:
1. The President and members of the Panchayat Samiti have to endeavour to instill among the people within their jurisdiction a spirit of self-help and initiative and harness their enthusiasm for raising the standard of living.
2. They have to enlist the whole-hearted support of the people for the implementation of the Development Programmes, not only of those which relate to the community for which Government assistance is forthcoming but much more so of those which relate to individuals and which as mainly based on self-help.
3. They have to exercise all the powers conferred on and perform all the functions entrusted to the Panchayat Samiti by the Government.
4. In particular all the activities of Community Development Programme are taken over by Panchayat Samiti. The activities concerning the rural welfare and development in the field of agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Health and Sanitation, Elementary Education, cottage industries, social welfare etc. which were being carried on by the normal Development Departments are now entrusted to the Panchayat Samiti. These schemes have been transferred with all the institutions, staff and funds to the Panchayat Samiti.
5. The powers and functions of the District Boards, with institutions, staff and assets and liabilities have been transferred to the Panchayat Samiti with effect form 1, Dec, 1959. The Presidents and members will have to see to the proper implementation of tall the programmes and working of the institutions entrusted to them.
6. The Panchayat Samiti can borrow funds for carrying out the purposes of the Act subject to the conditions laid down in the Andhra Pradesh panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad Loans Rules 1959.
7. The powers of the various authorities to accord administrative and financial sanction in respect of the works and schemes of Panchayat Samiti are embodied in the rules issued by Government.
8. Government of Andhra Pradesh have given funds to the Panchayat Samiti provided under the head “Loans for irrigation and rural housing” in the Community Development Programme. These funds will be recovered form the Panchayat Samiti in installments. The Panchayat Samiti will have to sanction and disburse loans to individuals and will have to recover them from the loanees.
9. The loan funds available with some of normal development departments such as Agriculture. Animal Husbandary, and Industries etc. are also made over to Panchayat Samiti to be similarly spent and recovered.
10. The funds available under the Village Housing Project are also entrusted to Panchayat Samiti. All these loans will have to be recovered form the loanees by the Panchayat Samiti Themselves.