Section 2 of The West Bengal Panchayat Act, 1957 — Definitions

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

1. (a)"Adhyaksha" and "Upadhyaksha", respectively, mean Adhyaksha and Upadhyaksha of a Gram Panchayat;
2. (b)"Anchal Panchayat" means an Anchal Panchayat constituted under this Act;
3. (c)"building" includes a house, out-house, stable, privy, urinal, shed, hut, wall (other than a boundary wall not exceeding '[three metres] in height) and any other structure, whether of masonry, bricks, wood, mud, metal or any combination of these materials, or any other material whatsoever but does not include a tent or other portable shelter and does not also include any temporary shed erected on ceremonial or festive
4. (d)"case" means a criminal proceeding in respect of an offence triable by a Nyaya Panchayat;
5. (e)"District Board" means a District Board established under the Bengal Local Self-Government Act of 1885;
6. (f)"District Judge" include an Additional District Judge and a Subordinate Judge;
7. (g)"District Magistrate" includes an Additional District Magistrate, a Deputy Commissioner, an Additional Deputy Commissioner and any other Magistrate appointed by the State Government to discharge all or any of the functions of a District Magistrate under this Act;
8. (h)"Gram Panchayat" means a Gram Panchayat constituted under this Act;
   1. (i)"Gram Sabha" means a Gram Sabha constituted under this Act;
9. (j)"notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette;
10. (k)"Nyaya Panchayat" means a Nyaya Panchayat constituted under this Act;
11. (l)"Pradhan" and "Upa-Pradhan", respectively, mean Pradhan and Upa-Pradhan of an Anchal Panchayat;
12. (m)"prescribed" means prescribed by this Act or by any rule made there-under;
13. (n)"prescribed authority" means an authority appointed, by notification, for all or any of the purposes of this Act, by the State Government either generally or for a particular purpose;
14. (o)"public street" means any street, road, lane, gully, alley, passage, pathway, bridge, square or court, whether a thoroughfare or not, over which the public have a right of way, and includes side drains or gutters and the land up to the boundary of any abutting property, notwithstanding the projection over such land of any verandah or other super-structure;
15. (p)"Sub-divisional Magistrate" includes any Magistrate appointed or empowered by the State Government to discharge all or any of the functions of a Sub-divisional Magistrate under this Act;
16. (q)"suit" means a civil suit triable by a Nyaya Panchayat;
17. (r)"village" means an area defined, surveyed and recorded as a distinct and separate village in the revenue records of the district in which it is situate; "year" means the year beginning on the first day of April.