77. (1) A [Zila Panchayat] may, and if so required by the State Government shall, combine with one or more than one other assenting local authority to appoint, by means of a written instrument subscribed by the local authorities concerned, a joint committee for the purpose of transacting any business in which they are jointly interested.
(2) Such instrument shall prescribe the number of members who shall be chosen by each local authority to represent it upon the joint committee, the person who shall be chairman thereof, the powers, being powers exercisable by one or more of the concurring local authorities which may be exercised by the joint committee and the method of conducting the proceeding and correspondence thereof.
(3) Such instrument may from time to time be varied or rescinded by a further instrument subscribed by all the local authorities concerned, and in the event of the rescission of any instrument under this sub-section, all proceedings thereunder shall be deemed inoperative with effect from a date to be specified in such further instrument.
(4) Any difference of opinion arising in the course of any proceedings under the foregoing provisions of this section between two or more local authorities shall be decided by reference to the State Government under section 256.