22Appointment of an Administrative Committee or Administrator on failure to elect members of Gram Panchayats and in other cases

(1) (a) If the Deputy Commissioner is satisfied that a Gram Panchayat for a village or group of villages immediately after the establishment of such Gram Panchayat cannot be constituted by reason of--

(i) any difficulty in holding an election of the members of the Gram Panchayat; or

(ii) failure to elect such members at two successive elections held under section 17; or

(iii) any other sufficient reason whatsoever; or

(b) If at any general election to a Gram Panchayat, no member is elected or less than two-third of the total number of members are elected, the Deputy Commissioner shall, by notification either,--

(i) appoint an Administrative Committee consisting of persons qualified to be elected, the number of such persons being equal to the number of members determined under section 17; or

(ii) appoint an Administrator.

(2) The members of the Administrative Committee or the Administrator shall hold office for such period not exceeding six months as the Deputy Commissioner may specify in the notification under sub-section (1).

(3) On the appointment of an Administrative Committee or an Administrator under sub-section (1), the persons, if any, chosen as members of the Gram Panchayat before such appointment shall cease to be members of the Gram Panchayat and all the powers and duties of the Gram Panchayat shall be exercised and performed by such Administrative Committee or Administrator, as the case may be.

(4) The Administrative Committee or Administrator shall be deemed to be a duly constituted Gram Panchayat for the purpose of this Act, notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing provisions:

Provided that if at any time after the appointment of the Administrative Committee or the Administrator under sub-section (1), the Deputy Commissioner is satisfied that there is no difficulty in duly constituting the Gram Panchayat by election of members, the Deputy Commissioner, may, notwithstanding that the term of office for which the members of the Administrative Committee or the Administrator had been appointed has not expired, direct by notification that the members of the Administrative Committee or the Administrator, as the case may be, shall cease to hold office with effect from such date as may be specified in such notification.