CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
49. Meeting of a Nagar Panchayat or of a Council.—(1) There shall be at least one meeting of the
Nagar Panchayat or the Council for transaction of its business in every month to be held on such date as is
fixed by the Nagar Panchayat or the Council at a special meeting convened for the purpose, at the
municipal office, if any, or other convenient place of which notice has been duly given.
(2) If there be no business to be laid before the Nagar Panchayat or the Council at any monthly
meeting, the Chairperson shall, instead of calling the meeting, give notice of the fact to each Councillor
three days before the date which is fixed for the monthly meeting.
(3) The Chairperson, or in his absence the Vice-Chairperson may, on a written requisition of not not
less than one-half of the total number of Councillors, call a special meeting.
(4) If the Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson, as the case may be, fails to call a special meeting
within fifteen days after any such requisition has been made, the meeting may be called by the
Councillors who made the requisition.
50. Chairperson of meeting.—If at a meeting neither the Chairperson nor the Vice-Chairperson is
present, the Councillors present shall elect one of them to preside over the meeting and such Councillor
shall perform all the duties and exercise all the powers of the Chairperson of Nagar Panchayat or a
Council when presiding over a meeting:
Provided that no candidate for election to the office of the Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson shall
preside at such election.
51. Manner of deciding questions.—Save as otherwise expressly provided in or under this Act, all
questions brought before any meeting of the Nagar Panchayat or of the Council or of any of its
committees shall be decided by a majority of votes of the Councillors present and voting and in the case
of equality of votes, on any question the persons presiding shall have a second or casting vote:
Provided that at the election—
(a) of Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson; or
(b) of a Councillor to represent the Nagar Panchayat or the Council, as the case may be, under the
provisions of any other law for the time being in force,
in case of equality of votes, the person presiding shall not exercise his casting vote and the result shall be
decided by lot.
52. Adjournment of meeting in the absence of quorum.—(1) No business shall be transacted at a
meeting unless a quorum of one-third of the total number of Councillors of a Nagar Panchayat, or a
Council be present:
Provided that in cases where the total number of Councillors of a Nagar Panchayat or a Council is not
divisible by three, the total number shall be increase by such minimum number as to make the total
number divisible by three.
(2) If there be no quorum present at a meeting the Chairperson or in his absence the
Vice-Chairperson shall adjourn the meeting to such hour of any future day as he may reasonably fix. A
notice of such adjournment shall be fixed upon a notice board in the municipal office, and the business
which would have been brought before the original meeting, has there been a quorum thereat, shall be
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brought before the adjourned meeting and may be disposed of at such meeting or at any subsequent
adjournments thereof whether there be a quorum present or not.
(3) A notice of adjournment exhibited in the notice board of the municipal office on the day on which
the meeting is adjourned, shall be sufficient notice of the subsequent meeting.
53. Minutes of proceedings.—(1) Minutes of the proceedings of each meeting of a Nagar Panchayat
or of a Council or any of its Committee shall be recorded in a book to be kept for the purpose separately
for the Nagar Panchayat or the Council and for each of its Committees and shall be signed by the persons
who presided over the meeting.
(2) The minutes of the meeting of a Nagar Panchayat or of a Council shall at all reasonable times and
without charge, be open to inspection, by any member of the public.
(3) The minutes of the proceedings of all meetings of the Nagar Panchayat or of the Council shall
forthwith be forwarded by the Executive Officer to the Deputy Commissioner, the Director and to the
State Government.
54. Modification and cancellation of resolution.—No resolution of a Nagar Panchayat or of a
Council shall be modified or cancelled except by a resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the
total number of Councillors and passed at a meeting whereof notice shall be given setting forth fully the
proposed resolution to modify or cancel at such meeting and the motion of proposition for modification or
cancellation of such resolution.
55. Right of Government Officers to attend, address and take part in the meeting of the Nagar
Panchayat or of the Council.—The Deputy Commissioner, the Director and such other officers as the
State Government may, by general or special order specify in this behalf, shall be entitled to attend any
meeting of a Nagar Panchayat or of a Council within their jurisdiction, address it on any matter affecting
the work of their department and take part in the meetings thereof, but shall not have the right to vote.
56. Appointment of Committees.—(1) The Nagar Panchayat or the Council at a meeting may
appoint, from time to time, committees to be called “Standing Committee” to assist it in the discharge of
any specific duties devolved upon it under this Act, within the whole or any portion of the municipality
and may delegate to any such committee all or any of its powers which may be necessary for the purpose
of rendering such assistance, or withdraw all or any such powers, so delegated.
(2) Each Committee shall consist of Councillors and, when necessary, of such residents with special
qualification when the Nagar Panchayat or the Council at a meeting desires to appoint, in such a case the
number of Councillors shall not be less than two-thirds of the total number of the members of the
Committee:
Provided that no Councillor who has been appointed as a member of one committee, shall be
appointed as such in another committee at a time.
(3) The members of such committees shall be liable to all the obligations imposed by this Act on the
Councillors of the Nagar Panchayat or of the Council in respect of such powers as may be delegated to
them.
(4) All the proceedings of any such committee shall be subject to confirmation by the Nagar
Panchayat or the Council at a meeting.
(5) All questions connected with the removal or resignation of members of committee shall be settled
by the Nagar Panchayat or the Council at a meeting.
57. Chairperson of Committee.—(1) The Chairperson of the Nagar Panchayat or of the Council, as
the case may be, if he is a member of any committee, shall be ex officio, Chairperson, thereof.
(2) The Vice-Chairperson of the Nagar Panchayat or of the Council, as the case may be, if appointed
a member of any committee of which the Chairperson is not a member, shall be ex officio Chairperson
thereof.
(3) When neither the Chairperson nor the Vice-Chairperson of Nagar Panchayat or of a Council, as
the case may be, is a member of a committee, the Chairperson of such committee shall be nominated by
the Chairperson of the Nagar Panchayat or of the Council, as the case may be.
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58. Liability for loss, waste or misapplication of funds and property.—Every Chairperson,
Vice-Chairperson, Councillor, officer or employees of a Nagar Panchayat or of a Council including a
Government servant whose services are lent to the Nagar Panchayat or to the Council, shall be liable for
the loss, waste or misapplication of any money or other property owned by or vested in the Nagar
Panchayat or the Council, if such loss, waste or misapplication is a direct consequence of any illegal act,
omission, neglect or misconduct on his part; and a suit for compensation may be instituted against him in
any Court of competent jurisdiction by the Nagar Panchayat or by the Council, as the case may be.
59. Disqualifications of Councillors having share or interest in contract.—No Councillor of a
Nagar Panchayat or of a Council shall have without the written permission of the State Government,
directly or indirectly, any share or interest in any contract, lease, sale or purchase of land or any
agreement for the same or any kind whatsoever to which the Nagar Panchayat or Council is a party, or
shall hold any office of profit under it, and if any Councillor shall have such share or interest or shall hold
such office he shall thereby become disqualified to continue in office as a Councillor:
Provided that a Councillor shall not be so disqualified or liable by reason—
(a) of having a share or interest in—
(i) a contract entered into between the Nagar Panchayat or the Council, as the case may be,
and any incorporated or registered company or any registered Co-operative Society of which such
Councillor is a member or shareholder; or
(ii) any agreement for the loan of money, or any security for the payment of money only; or
(iii) any newspaper in which any advertisement relating to the affairs of the municipality is
inserted; or
(b) of his being professionally engaged on behalf of the Nagar Panchayat or the Council, as the
case may be, as a legal or medical practitioner and receiving a fee for services rendered in his
professional capacity.
60. Penalty in case Councillors, executive officer, etc, having interest in a contract, etc., with the
Nagar Panchayat or Council.—In a Nagar Panchayat or in a Council—
(a) subject to the proviso to section 59 any Councillor who acquires, directly or indirectly any
share or interest in any contract or employment with, under, by or on behalf of a Nagar Panchayat or a
Council of which he is a Councillor;
(b) any executive officer or employee who acquires directly or indirectly any share or interest in
any contract with, under, by or on behalf of a Nagar Panchayat or a Council except in so far as it
relates to his own employment as executive officer or an employee, shall be punishable with fine
which may extend to five thousand rupees.
61. Disqualification from voting.—No Councillor of a Nagar Panchayat or of a Council or no
member of a committee shall vote or take part in the discussion of any question at a meeting of the Nagar
Panchayat or of a Council or committee if the question is one in which he has direct or indirect pecuniary
interest