Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing rules, the State Election Commission may, for special reasons, empower the District Election Officer to fix dates and periods other than those notified earlier under these Rules, for all or any of the stages of any election under the Act.
20[70-A. Oath or Affirmation by the President / Member.- (1) In the first meeting of the Panchayat after an ordinary election or after a causal election,-
(a) the President of Village Panchayat shall make and subscribe an Oath or Affirmation before the Returning Officer or Assistant Returning Officer;
(b) the members of the Village Panchayat shall make and subscribe an Oath or Affirmation in the presence of the President of the Village Panchayat;
(c) the senior member of Panchayat Union Council or the District Panchayat, as the case may be, nominated by the respective Returning Officers, shall make and subscribe an Oath or Affirmation before such Returning Officers;
and
(d) the other members of the Panchayat Union Council or the District Panchayat, as the case may be, shall make and subscribe an Oath or Affirmation in the presence of the senior member, so nominated, of the Panchayat Union Council or the District Panchayat, as the case may be.
(2) The President of Village Panchayat and members of the Panchayats shall make and subscribe an Oath or Affirmation in the following form, namely:- “I, A.B. having been elected a member / having become a member swear in the name of God / solemnly affirm that I will bear true faith and allegiance to, of this Village Panchayat / Panchayat Union Council / District Panchayat the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India and that I will faithfully discharge the duty upon which I am about to enter”.]
PART-VII ELECTION OF CHAIRMEN AND VICE-CHAIRMEN OF DISTRICT PANCHAYAT AND PANCHAYAT UNION COUNCILS
71. Place of election of Chairmen of District Panchayats and Panchayat Union Councils- Elections of Chairmen of the District Panchayats or the Panchayat Union Councils shall be held at a meeting convened by the Returning Officer in the manner prescribed in these Rules in the offices of the respective Panchayats.
47