(1) The offices of Panches shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes (and Backward Classes) in such a way that the number of offices reserved for Scheduled Castes shall be~, as nearly as may be, the sam~ proportion to the total number of offices (to be filled by direct election) in that Gram Panchayat, as the population of the Scheduled Castes to the total population in that Gram Sabha area.
2 Added by Punjab Acr No. 9 of2014. w.e.t 9.4.2014 12 1[(2) One-half of the total number of offices reserved under sub-section (1) shall be reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes.
Provided that a fraction of seat shall not be treated a seta for the purpose of reservation.
(3) One-half (including the number of offices reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes) of the total number of offices (to be filled by direct election) in every Gram Panchayat shall be reserved for women.
Provided that a fraction of seat shall not be treated a seta for the purpose of reservation"].
( 4) One office of Panch shall be reserved for Backward Classes in a Gram Panchayat where population of Backward Classes in the Gram Sabha area is more than twenty per cent of the total population of that Gram Sabha area.
2[(5) The Deputy Commissioner shall reserve the offices of Panches under this section for various categories by notification published in the Official Gazette and such offices shall be allotted by rotation in the different wards formulated under sub-section (1-C) of section 10 at the time of every general election and such rotation shall be made as per the roster maintained in the office of the Deputy Commissioner.]
12. Reservation of seats for the office of Sarpanch. (1) Offices of Sarpanch of Gram Panchayats in the district shall be reserved for Scheduled Castes and the number of such offices shall bear, as nearly as may, the same proportion to the total number of offices of Sarpanches in the district as the population of Scheduled Castes in the district bears to the total population of the district:
1 [Provided that one-half of the totoal number of offices of the Sarpanches of Gram Panchayats in the district reserved under sub-section (1) shall be reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes.
Provided further that a fraction of an office (seat) shall not be treated an office (seat) for the purpose of reservation].
2[(2) One-half of the total number of offices of Sarpanches in the district shall be reserved for women including such offices, reserved for women belonging to Scheduled Castes under sub-section (1) .•
Provided that a fraction of an office (seat) shall not be treated an office (seat) for the purpose of reservation]".
(3) There shall be no reservation in the offices of Sarpanches for Backward Classes.
( 4) The offices reserved under this section shall be allotted by rotation to the different 3[Gram Panchayats at the time of every general election] in such manner as may be prescribed.
4[Explanation - For the removal of doubts it is hereby declared that for the purpose of giving effect to the enhanced reservation for women from not less than one-third to one-half, pursuant to Punjab Act No. 12 of 2017, the principle of rotation for the purpose of reservation of offices under sections 11 and 12 shall commence from the first election to be held after the commencement of said Act, i.e. the 25th day of July, 2017.]
1 Substituted" vide Punjab Act No. 12 of 2017, w.e.f. 25.7.2017.
2 Substituted" vide Punjab Act No. 12 of 2017, w.e.f. 25.7.2017.
\ 3 Substituted for the words "Gram Panchayats" vide Punjab Act No. 15 of 1998.
4 Substituted by Punjab Ordinance No. 3 of 2018, dated 30.10.2018.
13 1[13. Notification of election and oath of allegiance by Panches.- (1) 2[The election of a Sarpanch and Panches] shall be notified by the State Government in the Official Gazette and no member shall enter upon his duties until his election bas been so notified and he has taken an oath or affirmation as specified in Schedule 1.
(2) If a person refuses to take an oath or affirmation, referred to in sub-section
(1), his election shall be deemed to be invalid and a fresh election shall be got conducted.
(3) No person, whose election is deemed to be invalid under subsection (2), shall be eligible for election to any Qram Panchayat for a period of two years from the date of such invalidation.
3[(4) The election of all excluding those persons· whose election is deemed invalid under sub-section (2) shall again be notified by the State Government in the Official Gazette.]
13-A. 4(----]