(a) "Committee" means the Metropolitan Planning Committee constituted under Section 3;
(b) "Government" means the State Government;
(c) "Metropolitan Area" means an area having a population of ten lakhs or more comprised in one or more districts and consisting of two or more municipalities or panchayats or other contiguous areas, specified by the Government, by notification, to be a Metropolitan Area for the purposes of this Act;
(d) "Municipality" means Nagar Panchayat, Municipality and Municipal Corporation as constituted, as the case may be, under the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1965(Act VI of 1965); or the Hyderabad Municipal Corporations Act, 1955(Act II of 1956); the Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Act, 1979(Act 19 of 1979); the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation Act, 1981(Act 23 of 1981), and the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Corporations Act, 1994(Act 25 of 1994):
(e) "Notification" means a notification published in the Andhra Pradesh Gazette and the word "notified" shall be construed accordingly;
(f) "Panchayat" means a Gram panchayat or Mandal Praja Parishad and Zilla Praja Parishad constituted under the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994(Act 13 of 1994);
(g) "Population" means the population as ascertained by the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published;
(h) "Prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act.
3. Constitution of Metropolitan Planning Committee - There shall be constituted for every Metropolitan Area, a Metropolitan Planning Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) to consolidate the plans prepared by the Municipalities and Panchayats in the Metropolitan Area and to prepare a draft development plan for the Metropolitan Area as a whole and to exercise such other powers as may be entrusted to it by the Government, from time to time.
4. Composition of Committees - (1) The Committee constituted under Section 3 shall consist of such number of members, including a chairperson and Vice- Chairperson, as the Government may determine:
Provided that not less than two-thirds of the members of the Committee shall be elected by, and from amongst the elected members of the Municipalities and Chairpersons of the Panchayats in the Metropolitan Area in proportion to the ratio between the population of the Municipalities and of the Panchayats in that area by following the rule of reservation as specified in subsection (2) of Section 5 of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporations Act, 1955(Act II of 1956).
(2) The representation in the Committee of the Government of India and the State Government and of such organizations and institutions as may be deemed necessary for carrying out the functions assigned to the Committee shall be such as may be notified by the Government, from time to time.
5. Special Invitees - (1) (a) Members of the House of the People and Members of the State Legislative Assembly representing constituencies which are comprised wholly or partly in the Metropolitan Area shall be permanent special invitees to the meetings of the Committee.
(b) Members of the Council of State registered as an elector within the Metropolitan Area shall also be the permanent invitees to the meetings of the Committee. Members of the Legislative Council of the State registered as an elector in the Metropolitan Area at the time of nomination or of filing nomination, as the case may be, shall also be the permanent invitees to the meetings of the Committee.
(2) The Chairperson of a Municipality, Nagar Panchayat and the Mayor of the Municipal Corporation in the Metropolitan Area shall also be permanent special invitees in case they are not the elected members of the Committee.
6. Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and other members - The Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and other non-elected members shall be appointed by the Government.
7. Term of Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and nominated members and filling up of vacancies - (1) The term of office and other conditions of service of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and non-elected members of the Committee shall be such as may be prescribed.
(2) Any Vacancy in the Office of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson or non-elected member of the Committee shall be filled by the Government as they may determine.
8. Election of members of the Committee - The manner of election of Members of the Committee and all matters related thereto shall be such as may be prescribed.
9. Term of office and allowance for elected members of Committee - The term of the elected members of the Committee shall be five years from the date of their election, and they shall receive such allowance for attending the meeting of the Committee or any sub-committee thereof as may be prescribed.
Provided that every Such member shall, on his ceasing to be an elected member of a Municipality or Chairperson of a Panchayat, as the case may be, cease to be a member of the Committee notwithstanding that the term of five years has not expired, and the vacancy shall be filled by election in the manner prescribed.