Third Schedule

²²⁷[See Sub-section (1) of section 166]

Functions of Village Panchayats

A. Mandatory Functions.

1. Regulating building construction.
2. Protection of public lands against encroachment
3. Maintenance of traditional drinking water sources.
4. Preservation of ponds and other water tanks
5. Maintenance of waterways and canals under the control of Village Panchayats.
6. Collection and disposal of solid waste and regulation of liquid waste disposal.
7. Storm water drainage.
8. Maintenance of environmental hygiene.
9. Management of public markets.
10. Vector Control
11. Regulation of slaughtering of animals and sale of meat, fish and other easily perishable food stuffs etc.
12. Control of eating places.
13. Prevention of food adulteration.
14. Protection of roads and other public properties.
15. Street lighting and its maintenance.
16. Adopt immunisation programmes.
17. Effective implementation of National and State level strategies and programmes for prevention and control of diseases.
18. Establishment and maintenance of burial and burning grounds.
19. Issue of licenses to dangerous and offensive trades.
20. Registration of births and deaths.
21. Providing bathing and washing ghats.
22. Provision for ferries.
23. Provision for parking spaces for vehicles.
24. Construction of waiting sheds for travellers.
25. Provision for toilet facilities and bathing ghats at public places.
26. Regulate the conduct of fairs and festivals.
27. Issue licence to domestic dogs and to destroy stray dogs.

B. General Functions

1. Collection and updating of essential statistics.
2. Organise voluntary workers and make them participate in collective activities.
3. Organise campaigns for thrift.
4. Awareness building against social evils like drinking, consumption of narcotics, dowry, abuse of women and children
5. Ensuing maximum peoples participation at all stages of development.
6. Organise relief activities during natural calamities.
7. Inculcating environmental awareness and motivating local action for environmental upgradation.
8. Promotion of co-operative sector.
9. Enhancing communal harmony.
10. Mobilisation of local resources in cash or in kind including free surrender of land for developmental purposes.
11. Campaign on legal awareness among weaker sections.
12. Campaign against economic offences.
13. Organising neighbourhood groups and self-help groups focusing on the poor.
14. Awareness building on civic duties.

C. Sector-wise functions.

1. Agriculture
   1. Cultivate wastelands and marginal lands.
   2. Ensure optimum utilisation of land.
   3. Soil protection
   4. Production of organic manure.
   5. Establishment of nurseries.
   6. Encourage the system co-operative ground farming.
   7. Organise self help groups among farmers
   8. Encourage horticulture and vegetable cultivation.
   9. Fodder development.
   10. Plant production.
   11. Seed protection.
   12. Farm mechanisation.
   13. Management of Krishi Bhavans.
2. Animal Husbandry and Diary farming
   1. Cattle Development Programmes
   2. Diary farming
   3. Poultry farming, bee keeping, piggery development, goat rearing, rabbit rearing, etc.
   4. Running of veterinary hospitals
   5. Running of ICDP sub-centres.
   6. Preventive Health Programmes for animals.
   7. Prevention of cruelty to animals.
   8. Implementation of fertility improvement programmes.
   9. Control of diseases of animal origin.
3. Minor Irrigation
   1. Maintenance and implementation of all minor irrigation projects within the area of a village panchayat.
   2. Implementation and maintenance of all micro irrigation projects.
   3. Put into practice water conservation.
4. Fishing
   1. Development of fisheries in ponds, pisci-culture in fresh water and brackish water and mariculture.
   2. Improvement of fish seed production and distribution of offsprings.
   3. Distribution of fishing implements.
   4. Provide assistance for fish marketing.
   5. Provide minimum basic facilities for fishermen families.
   6. Implementation of fishermen Welfare Schemes.
5. Social Forestry
   1. Growing trees for cattle feed, fire wood and growing of fruit trees.
   2. Organise campaigns for planting of trees and to build environmental awareness.
   3. Afforestation of waste land
6. Small scale Industries
   1. Promotion of cottage-village industries.
   2. Promotion of handicreafts.
   3. Promotion of traditional and mini industries.
7. Housing
   1. Identification of the homeless people and the poramboke dwellers and provide them with lands for house construction and with houses.
   2. Implementation of rural housing programmes.
   3. Implementation of shelter upgradation programmes.
8. Water Supply
   1. Management of water supply schemes within a village panchayat.
   2. Setting up of water supply schemes within a village panchayat.
9. Electricity and Energy
   1. Installation and maintenance of streetlights.
   2. Encourage the consumption of bio-gas.
10. Education
    1. Management of Government Pre-primary Schools and Primary Schools.
    2. Implementation of literacy programmes.
    3. Management and promotion of reading rooms and libraries.
11. Public Works
    1. Construction and maintenance of village roads within a village panchayat.
    2. Construction of buildings for institutions including those transferred from the government.
12. Public Health and Sanitation
    1. Running of dispensaries, Primary Health Centres and Sub-centres (with all systems of medicines.)
    2. Management of maternity and Child Welfare Centres.
    3. Carry out immunisation and other preventive measures.
    4. Implementation of family welfare programme.
    5. Implementation of sanitation programmes.
13. Social Welfare
    1. Running of Anganwadis
    2. Sanctioning and distribution of pension to destitutes, widows, handicapped and agricultural labourers.
    3. Sanctioning and distribution of unemployment wages.
    4. Sanctioning of financial assistance for the marriage of the daughters of widows.
    5. Implementation of Group Insurance Scheme for the poor.
14. Poverty Alleviation
    1. Identifying the poor.
    2. Implementation of self employment and Group Employment Schemes for the poor especially for women.
    3. Providing community assets of continuing benefits to the poor.
15. Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribe Development
    1. Implementation of beneficiary oriented schemes under S.C.P., T.S.P.
    2. Running of nursery schools for Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribes.
    3. Arrange basic facilities in Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribe Colonies.
    4. Provide assistance to Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribe Students.
    5. Provide discretionary assistance to scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribe when necessary.
16. Sports and Cultural Affairs
    1. Construction of playgrounds.
    2. Establishment of Cultural Centres.
17. Public Distribution System
    1. Examining the complaints against the Public Distribution System and find out and implement remedial measures.
    2. Organise campaigns against offences relating to weights and measures.
    3. General supervision and guidance of Ration Shops, Maveli Stores, Neethi Stores and other public distribution systems and start new public distribution centres, if necessary.
18. Natural calamities Relief
    1. Protection of Relief Centres.
    2. Conduct works relating to natural calamity. The work to compensate damages caused to the assets should be done by the respective panchayats.
19. Co-operation
    1. Organise Co-operative societies within the boundaries of village panchayat.
    2. Strengthen [the existing co-operative institutions]

²²⁷Ibid