228[See Sub-section (1) of section 172]
Functions of Block Panchayats
(A) General Functions
- Utilise Governmental-non-Governmental technical expertise at block level.
- Provide technical assistance to Village Panchayats.
- Prepare schemes taking into consideration the schemes of village panchayats in order to avoid duplication and to provide backward, forward linkage.
(B) Sectorwise functions
- Agriculture
- Farmers training programmes for the implementation at the village level.
- Arrange agricultural inputs required for schemes at the village level.
- Conduct of agricultural exhibitions.
- Management of watersheds falling within the Block Panchayat area.
- Mobilise agricultural loans.
- Encouragement of sericulture.
- Animal Husbandry and Dairy Farming
- Running of veterinary poly clinics and zonal artificial insemination centres.
- Provide speciality services in animal husbandry.
- Conducting of cattle and poultry shows.
- Minor Irrigation
Implementation and maintenance of all Lift Irrigation Schemes and Minor Irrigation
Schemes covering more than one village panchayats.
- Fisheries
Development of traditional landing centres.
- Small Scale Industries.
- Establishment of mini industrial estates.
- Promotion of industries with investment limit of one third of S.S.I.
- Formulation of self employment schemes in Industrial sector.
- Housing
- Popularisation of low cost housing.
- Promotion of housing co-operative societies.
- Electricity and Energy
Development of conventional energy sources.
- Education
Management of Government Industrial Training Institutions.
- Public Works
- Maintenance of Village roads connecting more than one village panchayat within the Block Panchayat and other roads vested in block panchayat.
- Construction of buildings for institutions transferred from Government.
- Public Health and Sanitation
Running of community health centres and Taluk Hospitals with all systems of medicine within the Block Panchayat.
- Social Welfare
Management of I.C.D.S.
- Poverty Alleviation
- Planning and implementation of employment assurance schemes in co-ordination with the Village Panchayat.
- Skill upgradation of poor for self employment and giving wage employment for people below poverty line.
- Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe Development
- Management of pre-metric hostels.
- Promotion of Co-operative Societies means for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes.
- Co-operation
- Organising co-operatives within the jurisdiction of block panchayat.
- Strengthening of co-operative institutions.]
228Substituted by Act 13 of 1999.