(1) Every block Panchayat shall consist of: -
(a) elected members equal to the number of seats notified under sub-section (1) of section 6:
(b) the Presidents of the Village Panchayats in the territorial area of the Block Panchayat; and 8[(c)......................]
(2) All the seats in a Block Panchayat notified under sub-section (1) of section 6 shall be filled by persons chosen by direct election in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
(3) In every Block Panchayat, stipulated seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.
(4) The number of seats reserved under sub-section (3) shall be determined by the Government and the number of seats so determined shall bear as nearly as may be, the same proposition to the total number of seats in that Block Panchayat i.e., the population of the Scheduled Castes in that Block Panchayat area or, as the case may be, of the Scheduled Tribes in that Block Panchayat area bears to the total population of that Block Panchayat area and such seats shall be allotted by 8 9[the State Election Commission] or the Officer authorised by it **under subsection (1B) of section 10 by rotation to different constituencies in that block panchayat area.
Provided that where the population of the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in block panchayat area is not sufficient enough for reservation of any seat, one seat shall be reserved in that block panchayat, for the Scheduled Castes of the Scheduled Tribes having higher population.
8 Omitted by Act 7 of
1995.9 S
(5) One-third of the total number of seats reserved under such section (4) shall be reserved by the Government for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes as the case may be:
Provided that the number of seats reserved for Scheduled Castes or as the case may be, the Scheduled Tribes under sub-section (4) is one, that seat need not be reserved for women belonging to Scheduled Castes or as the case may be, Scheduled Tribes.
(6) One-third [including the seats reserved under sub-section (5) of the total number of seats in a block panchayat shall be reserved by the Government for women and such seats shall be allotted by 10 11[the State Election Commission] or the Officer authorised by it ** under sub-section (1B) of section 10 by rotation to the different constituencies in the block panchayat area.
(7) Nothing contained in sub-section (3) to (6) shall be deemed to prevent members of the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes or the women from standing for election to the nonreserved seats in a block panchayat.
(8) A Block Panchayat shall have a President and a Vice President elected by the elected members of the Block Panchayat from among themselves.