Development Standing Committee
Development Standing Committee
(Sections 162 and 162A)
As per the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, Standing Committees are constituted in every Panchayat as prescribed under the Act. These Standing Committees serve as a support mechanism for the Panchayat to discharge its responsibilities in the areas of development, welfare, and infrastructure in an effective, efficient, and timely manner.
Before taking a decision on any matter, the Panchayat shall examine the matter carefully and in detail. The concerned Standing Committee shall conduct the preliminary examination of such matters. A matter shall be included in the agenda of a Panchayat meeting only after it has been discussed and considered by the concerned Standing Committee. Once the Panchayat takes a decision on a matter placed before it, the concerned Standing Committee is also responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of that decision.
Resolutions passed by the Standing Committees shall be placed before the next meeting of the Panchayat. The Panchayat has the authority to modify such resolutions, if necessary. The Secretary shall attend all Standing Committee meetings and make necessary arrangements for recording the minutes and decisions.
Structure of Standing Committees
Only elected representatives shall be members of the Standing Committees. Except for the President and Vice President, all elected members shall be elected as members of one of the Standing Committees.
No member shall be a member of more than one Standing Committee.
Each Standing Committee shall have at least one woman member.
The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Standing Committees without voting rights. The Vice President shall be an ex-officio member of the Finance Standing Committee with voting rights and shall also serve as its Chairperson, as provided under Section 162(6).
Duties and Responsibilities of Standing Committees
The inclusion of all elected members in one of the Standing Committees is intended to ensure that the responsibilities and functions of the Panchayat are shared among all members. The responsibilities are vested in the Panchayat as a whole and not in any individual or committee.
Various mechanisms are incorporated within the administrative system to enable the Panchayat to discharge its responsibilities. Standing Committees are one of the most important such mechanisms. The various functions vested in the Panchayat are distributed among the different Standing Committees. Accordingly, the Panchayat discharges its responsibilities through these Standing Committees.
Standing Committees are not independent bodies and do not possess independent powers. When each Standing Committee performs the responsibilities assigned to it by law on behalf of the Panchayat, it contributes to efficient administration and promotes participation and decentralisation.
All decisions taken by the Standing Committees shall be placed before the next meeting of the Panchayat. The Panchayat has the authority to modify such decisions, if necessary, in accordance with Section 162A(3)(1) of the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994.
Meetings of Standing Committees
(Kerala Panchayat Raj (Standing Committee) Rules, 2000)
- Standing Committees shall meet at least once a month.
- Meetings shall be held at the Panchayat office on the date and time fixed by the Chairperson.
- Each Standing Committee shall consider matters relating to the functions and responsibilities assigned to it.
- If different Standing Committees take conflicting decisions on the same matter, the matter shall be placed before the Panchayat for consideration.
- The quorum for a meeting shall be three. However, where the number of members having voting rights is four or less, the quorum shall be two.
- Decisions on agenda items shall be taken by a majority vote of the members present.
- The Chairperson shall have a casting vote.
- The date of the meeting and the agenda items shall be communicated to the President, who is an ex-officio member, and shall also be displayed on the notice board.
- A decision of a Standing Committee may be modified or cancelled only through a resolution supported by more than half of the members prescribed for that Standing Committee and adopted at a specially convened meeting. Any such modification or cancellation shall be made within three months.
Standing Committees play a crucial role in the effective discharge of the functions of local governments. Effective functioning of the Standing Committees is essential for ensuring that local governance is efficient, rational, and systematic.
Matters to be Considered by the Development Standing Committee
The Development Standing Committee shall consider matters relating to:
- Development planning
- Social and economic planning
- Spatial planning
- Agriculture
- Soil conservation
- Social forestry
- Animal husbandry
- Dairy development
- Minor irrigation
- Fisheries
- Small-scale industries
- Public works
- Housing facilities
- Regulation of building construction
- Electricity
Members of the Development Standing Committee
Chairperson:
Smt. Mini Chandran
Member, Ward No. 15 – Parakkandam
Members:
- Smt. Vineetha M. – Member, Ward No. 5 – Palappuzha
- Shri. Devadasan – Member, Ward No. 9 – Gramam
- Smt. Sarala K. – Member, Ward No. 13 – Kadukkappalam
