Village Assembly (Gram Sabha)

Village Assembly (Gram Sabha)

The Gram Sabha (Village Council) is the sabha of the electorate. This means that members of the Gram Sabha include all the people who are above the age of 18 years, live in the village and have their names included in the electoral rolls for the Gram Panchayat at the village level.

The Gram Sabha forums are used to discuss matters of local governance and development, and to design need-based plans for the village. It is under the supervision and monitoring of the Gram Sabha that the Gram Panchayat implements various developmental initiatives. All decisions of the Gram Panchayat are routed through the Gram Sabha. None of the decisions can be official and valid if the Gram Sabha does not consent to it.

The decisions taken by the Gram Sabha cannot be annulled by any other body. Only the Gram Sabha has the power to anul its own decisions. Small villages that have a low population can be combined to form one Gram Sabha.