[ 20. (1) A Zila Panchayat shall, unless sooner dissolved under section 232, continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer.
(2) The term of office of a member of a Zila Panchayat shall unless otherwise determined under the provisions of this Act, expire with the term of the Zila Panchayat.
(3) An election to constitute a Zila Panchayat shall be completed,-
(a) before the expiry of its duration specified in sub-section (1) ;
(b) before the expiration of a period of six months from the date of its dissolution :
Provided that where the remainder of the period for which the dissolved Zila Panchayat would have continued is less than six months, it shall not be necessary to hold any election under this sub-section for constituting the Zila Panchayat.
[(3-A) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provisions of this Act, where, due to unavoidable circumstances or in public interest, it is not practicable to hold an election to constitute a Zila Panchayat before the expiry of its duration. The State Government or an officer authorized by it in this behalf may, by order, appoint an Administrative Committee consisting of such number of persons qualified to be elected as members of the Zila Panchayat, as it may consider proper or an Administrator and the members of the Administrative Committee or the Administrator shall hold office for such period not exceeding six months as may be specified in the said order and all powers, functions and duties of the Zila Panchayat, its Adhyaksha and Committees shall vest in and be exercised, performed and discharged by such Administrative Committee or the Administrator, as the case may be. ]
[(4) A Zila Panchayat constituted upon the dissolution of a Zila Panchayat before the expiration of its duration shall continue only for the remainder of the period for which the dissolved Zila Panchayat would have continue under sub-section (1) had it not been so dissolved.
(5) A person who has become a member of the Zila Panchayat under clauses (a), (c), or (d) of sub-section (1) of section 18 shall cease to be a member upon this ceasing to hold the office by virtue of which he has become such member.]