(1) Subject to rules made under Section 258, the Collector may appoint for each village or group of villages one or more patels.
(2) When there are two or more patels in a village, the Collector may distribute, subject to rules made under Section 158, duties of the office of patel in such manner as he may think fit.
(1. Omitted by C.G. Act No. 6 of 2022, w.e.f. 4-5-2022. Prior to omission sub-section (3) stood as under:—
"(3) Where in the Vindhya Pradesh region, a patwari has been performing the duties .imposed on a patel under this Code immediately before the commencement of this Code, he shall continue to perform such duties and shall be deemed to be Patel for purposes of this Code, until a Patel is appointed under sub-section (1)”.)
The remuneration of patels shall be fixed by the Collector in accordance with rules made by the State Government
It shall be the duty of every patel—
(a) to collect and pay into the,—
(i) "District Panchayat Raj Fund" constituted under sub-section
(1) of Section 76 of the Chhattisgarh Panchayat Raj Adhiniyam, 1993 (No. 1 of 1994) the collection of land revenue and other related taxes and cesses payable through him after deducting the collection charges as may be determined by the State Government from time to time;
(ii) Government Treasury the collection charges under sub¬clause (i) and such other Government dues ordered to be collected by him.
(b) to furnish reports regarding the state of his village at such places and times as the Collector may fix in this behalf;
(c) as far as possible to prevent encroachments on waste land, public paths, and roadways in the villages;
(d) to preserve such stations and boundary marks erected in his village by surveyors in the service of Government as may be made over to his care and to report any damage caused to such marks;
(e) subject to rules made under Section 258, to keep the village in good sanitary condition;
(f) to prevent unauthorised cutting of wood or unauthorised removal of any minerals or other properties belonging to the State Government;
(g) to control and superintend the kotwar, to report his death or absence from his duty and to take such steps as may be necessary to compel him to perform his duties;
(h) to perform such other duties as may be prescribed by rules made under Section 258.
If by any enactment for the time being in force, any public duties are imposed on or public liabilities are declared to attach to landholders, their managers or agents, such duties shall be deemed to be imposed upon and such liabilities shall be held to attach to patels appointed under this Code:
Provided that nothing herein contained shall discharge the land-holders, their managers or agents from any duties or liabilities otherwise imposed upon them by law.
Subject to rules made under Section 258, the Collector may remove from office any patel.
A Patel who is found negligent in the performance of any duty assigned to him under Section 224 or 225, shall be liable under the order of the Tahsildar to a fine which may extend to 1[one thousand] rupees.
Where a patel is temporarily unable to perform his duties the Sub-Divisional Officer may, on his application or -otherwise, appoint a substitute for a period of not exceeding, six months and the substitute so appointed shall, for all the purposes of this Code, be deemed to be a patel.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Code, the State Government may entrust the management of a village or the performance of the duties entrusted to a patel, to 2[other].
(1. Substituted by C.G. Act No. 32 of 2013, w.e.f. 19-8-2013)
(2. Substituted by C.G. Act No. 6 of 2022, w.e.f. 4-5-2022, for the words "a Gram Panchayat or where a Gram Panchayat has not been constituted, to a Gram Sabha constituted in accordance with the provisions of Section 232".)
(1) For each village or group of villages, there shall be appointed, in accordance with rules made under Section 258, one or more kotwars for the performance of such duties as may be prescribed:
Provided that in the Madhya Bharat region the duties of kotwar under this section shall be performed by the Police Chowkidars who shall, on the coming into force of this Code, be deemed to be kotwars under this section, and be subject in all respects to the control of Revenue Officers.
(2) Every person who at the coming into force of this Code holds the posts of a village watchman in the Bhopal and Sironj regions or of a chowkidar in the Vindhya Pradesh region shall be deemed to be a kotwar under this section.
The State Government may, by general order, subject to such restrictions, terms and conditions as may be mentioned therein, fix the remuneration of Kotwars either prospectively or retrospectively but such retrospective effect shall not be from a date earlier to the 1st March, 1982.
(3. Omitted by C.G. Act No. 6 of 2022, w.e.f. 4-5-2022. Prior to omission Section 232 stood as under:-
(1) For the purpose of the management of a village, the State Government may establish a Gram Sabha for a village or a group of villages for which a Gram Panchayat has not been constituted under the law in force relating to panchayats.
(2) The Gram Sabha shall consist of one Chairman, one Secretary and not less than three other members who shall be elected in the prescribed manner by the adult residents of the village or group of villages tor which the Gram Sabha is established.
(3) The term of the office of members shall be five years.
(4) Every Gram Sabha shall be a body corporate and shall have perpetual succession and common seal and shall, by its name, sue and be sued. Subject to any rules made in this behalf, it shall also have power to acquire, hold or transfer property movable and immovable, to enter into contracts and do all things necessary for the purposes of performing the duties entrusted to it.
(5) Every Gram Sabha shall establish and maintain a fund and into such fund shall be paid—
(i) all sums recovered as grazing fees and such other fees and income arising from the management of the village as the State Government may prescribe; and
(ii) all sums contributed by the State Government or any local body or any private person.
Such funds shall be applicable to the payment of charges and expenses incidental to the several matters under the control and administration of the Gram Sabha.
(6) The Collector shall exercise supervision over the working of the Gram Sabha and may for sufficient cause dissolve any Gram Sabha and appoint any person to perform its functions until it is reconstituted.
(7) In any village or group of villages for which a Gram Panchayat under the law in force relating to panchayats has been established, such Gram.Panchayats shall perform the duties imposed upon and exercise the rights of Gram Sabna under this Code, and the Gram Sabha shall cease to exist.
(8) The State Government may, by notification, delegate to the Gram Sabha, such of the duties of the Patel or any other function in connection with agricultural or industrial development of a village as it may think fit."
