Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
(1) Every Panchayat Samiti shall, at its first meeting at which a quorum is present, elect, in the prescribed manner, one of its members. to be the Sabhapati and another member to be the Sahakari Sabhapati of the Panchayat Samiti: Provided that members referred to in sub-clause (iii) of clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 94 shall not be eligible for such election. (2) The meeting to be held under sub-section (1) shall be convened by the prescribed authority in the prescribed manner. (3) The Sabhapati and the Sahakari Sabhapati shall, subject to the provisions of section 101 and to their continuing as members, hold office for a period of four years: Provided that a Sabhapati or a Sahakari Sabhapati shall continue in office after the expiry of the said period until a new Sabhapati or Sahakari Sabhapati is elected and assumes office or until an authority or a person or persons is or are appointed under the proviso to sub-section (2) of section 96. (4) When— (a) the office of the Sabhapati falls vacant by reason of death, resignation, removal or otherwise, or (b) the Sabhapati is by reason of leave, illness or other cause, temporarily unable to act, the Sahakari Sabhapati shall exercise the powers, perform the functions and discharge the duties of the Sabhapati until a new Sabhapati is elected and assumes office or until the Sabhapati resumes his duties, as the case may be. 314 The West Bengal Panchayat Act, 1973. XLI of 1973.1 (Part III.—Panchayat Samiti.—Chapter VIM—Constitution of Panchayat Samiti.—Section 99.) (5) When— (a) the office of the Sahakari Sabhapati falls vacant by reason of death, resignation, removal or otherwise, or (b) the Sahakari Sabhapati is, by reason of leave, illness or other cause, temporarily unable to act, the Sabhapati shall exercise the powers, perform the functions and discharge the duties of the Sahakari Sabhapati until a new Sahakari Sabhapati is elected and assumes office or until the Sahakari Sabhapati resumes his duties, as the case may be. (6) When the offices of the Sabhapati and the Sahakari Sabhapati are both vacant or the Sabhapati and the Sahakari Sabhapati are temporarily unable to act, the prescribed authority may appoint a Sabhapati and a Sahakari Sabhapati from among the members of the Panchayat Samiti to act as such until a Sabhapati or a Sahakari Sabhapati is elected and assumes office. (7) If the Pradhan of a Gram Panchayat is elected Sabhapati or Sahakari Sabhapati of a Panchayat Samiti, he shall cease to be the Pradhan of the Gram Panchayat, but shall, notwithstanding anything in section 94, continue to be a member of the Panchayat Samiti for the full term of his office as such Sabhapati or Sahakari Sabhapati thereof under sub-section (3) of this section or section 104, as the case may be. (8) The Sabhapati and the Sahakari Sabhapati of a Panchayat Samiti shall be paid out of the Panchayat Samiti Fund such honoraria and allowances and shall be entitled to leave of absence for such period or periods and on such terms and conditions, as may be prescribed.