(1) For the purposes of this Chapter, each constituency of a Gram Panchayat may be designated as a village under clause (g) of section 243.

(2) All persons whose names are included in the electoral roll in respect of a village falling within the area of ​​a Gram Panchayat shall be deemed to constitute the Gram Sabha of such village.

(3) The Gram Sabha shall meet at least once in three months at such place, date and time as may be fixed by the Convenor of the Gram Sabha in consultation with the President of the Gram Panchayat, and the Convenor of the Gram Sabha shall, by means of a public notice, inform the members of the Gram Sabha of the meeting and the Convenor of the Gram Sabha shall compulsorily invite to such meetings the Block Panchayat member, the District Panchayat member and the Member of the Legislative Assembly representing the area covered by the Gram Sabha. Provided that, if not less than ten percent of the members of any Gram Sabha so request in writing, the convenor shall call a special meeting of the Gram Sabha with the agenda attached thereto within fifteen days: Provided that such special meeting shall be called only once in the interval between two ordinary meetings;

(4) The member of the Gram Panchayat representing the constituency falling within the territorial area of ​​a village shall be the convenor of that Gram Sabha; but if for any reason the convenor is physically or otherwise unable to perform his duties, the president may appoint a member representing any constituency adjacent to him as the convenor.

(5) The president of the Gram Panchayat or in his absence the vice-president or in the absence of both of them the convenor of the Gram Sabha shall preside over any meeting of the Gram Sabha.

(6) The Gram Panchayat shall place before the Gram Sabha at its first meeting in a year a report on the development programmes of the previous year and the development programmes proposed to be undertaken in the current year and the expenditure incurred thereon, a statement of the annual accounts of the previous year and a report on the administration. If any decision of the Gram Sabha cannot be implemented in any case, the Chairman shall report the reasons therefor to the Gram Sabha.

(7) The recommendations or suggestions of the Gram Sabha, if any, shall be given due consideration by the Gram Panchayats, Block Panchayats and District Panchayats.

(1) The Gram Sabha shall, in such manner and subject to such procedures as may be prescribed, exercise the following powers and functions,

namely:-

(a) To assist in the collection and compilation of details necessary for the formulation of the development plans of the Panchayat;

(b) To formulate and prioritize the proposals for the projects and development programmes to be implemented in the area of ​​the Gram Panchayat;

(c) To prepare a final list of eligible beneficiaries in the order of priority as per the prescribed criteria in respect of the projects aimed at the beneficiaries and to submit it to the Gram Panchayat;

(d) To render assistance in the effective implementation of the development plans by providing the necessary facilities locally;

(e) To provide and collect the necessary voluntary services and assistance in cash or kind for the development plans;

(f) To suggest the location of street lights, street or public water taps, public wells, public sanitation units, irrigation facilities and other public utility projects;

(g) To formulate schemes for spreading awareness on matters of public interest such as cleanliness, environmental protection, pollution control and to provide protection against social evils such as corruption, fake and fraudulent transactions;

(h) To promote harmony and unity among the people belonging to different sections of the community in the area of ​​the Gram Sabha and to organize cultural and sports festivals to instill a sense of respect among the people of that area;

(i) To monitor and assist the Beneficiary Committees carrying out development works in the area of ​​the Gram Panchayat;

(j) To verify the eligibility of the people receiving various types of welfare assistance such as pensions and subsidies from the Government;

(k) To collect detailed estimates of the works proposed to be carried out in the area of ​​the Gram Sabha;

(L) To provide information regarding the services to be performed and the activities proposed to be performed by the concerned officers in the next three months;

(M) To know the rationale behind every decision taken by the Panchayat in the area of ​​the Gram Sabha;

(N) To know the follow-up action taken on the decisions of the Gram Sabha and the detailed reasons for not implementing any decision;

(O) To cooperate with the employees of the Gram Panchayat in the cleaning process and to render voluntary service in removing garbage;

(P) To identify the shortcomings in the system of clean water supply and street lighting in the area of ​​the Gram Sabha and to suggest ways of redressing them;

(Q) To assist in the activities of the Teachers-Parents Associations in the schools in the area of ​​the Gram Sabha;

(R) To assist in public health activities, especially in immunization and family welfare activities in the area of ​​the Gram Sabha;

(S) To perform such other duties as may be prescribed from time to time.

(2) The Gram Sabha shall, at its ordinary meeting or at a special meeting called for the purpose, discuss the report referred to in sub-section (6) of section 3 and shall have the right to know the amount provided in the budget, the details of the project allocation, the item-wise allocation of funds and the details of the estimate of the works carried out or proposed to be carried out in the area of ​​the Gram Sabha and the cost of its materials.

(3) The Gram Sabha shall discuss the audit report or performance audit report coming before it and shall communicate its views, recommendations and suggestions to the Gram Panchayat concerned.

(4) The quorum of the Gram Sabha shall be ten per cent of the number of voters in the area concerned and the procedure for convening and conducting meetings of the Gram Sabha shall be as prescribed: Provided that when a meeting of the Gram Sabha is adjourned without a quorum being present, the quorum of such meeting shall be fifty per cent.

(5) The officers of the Gram Panchayat shall attend the meetings of the Gram Sabha as requested by the President and the officer nominated by the Gram Panchayat as the Coordinator of the Gram Sabha shall assist the Convener in convening and conducting the meetings of the Gram Sabha, recording the decisions in the minute book and taking further action.

(6) The Gram Sabha may appoint, elect or constitute sub-committees, general or special, for the purpose of holding detailed discussions on any issues and programmes, for the effective implementation of the schemes and its decisions and for the advancement of its rights and responsibilities: Provided that such committees shall consist of not less than ten members and not less than half of them shall be women.

(1) The Gram Sabha shall have the following responsibilities,

namely:-

(i) To disseminate information on development and welfare activities;

(ii) To participate in and campaign for health and literacy and other such development programmes of a timely nature;

(iii) To collect essential socio-economic basic records;

(iv) To collect and provide information on the progress of development activities;

(v) To adopt ethical methods for payment of taxes, repayment of loans, improvement of environmental cleanliness and maintenance of social harmony;

(vi) To mobilize resources locally to augment the sources of income of the Panchayat;

(vii) To supervise development activities as voluntary groups;

(viii) To make arrangements for the prompt provision of information in case of outbreak of contagious diseases, natural calamities, etc.;

(2) The Gram Sabha shall submit periodical reports to the Gram Panchayat on the matters referred to in section 3A.

© 2026 Gram Sabha / Ward Sabha | Local Self Government System Kerala

See attached notice regarding the notification of the Gram Sabha meeting held in February 2026 as previously fixed. Such notification shall be given to the Gram Sabhas every year and the meetings of the Gram Sabha shall be held at such place and time as may be fixed for the convenience of the public in the ward.