Panchayat:Repo18/Law Manual Page0081
1. Short title, extent and commencement.- (1) This Act may be called the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994.
(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Kerala except the areas which are within the limits of the Cantonments, Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Councils, Municipal Corporations and the '[areas specified as industrial township under the proviso to clause (1) of Article 243Q of the Constitution and areas declared as industrial areas under the Kerala Industrial Single Window Clearance Boards and Industrial Township Area Development Act, 1999 (5 of 2000)] of the State.
[Provided that the provisions in chapters XXV B, XXV C of this Act shall extent to the areas within the limits of Town Panchayats, Municipal Councils and Municipal Corporations in the State of Kerala.] [Provided further that the provisions of Chapter XIX of this Act shall extend to the areas declared as industrial areas under the Kerala Industrial Single Window Clearance Boards and Industrial Township Area Development Act, 1999].
(3) It shall come into force at once.
[Provided that Sections 235A to 235Z shall come into force on the #[1st day of January, 2006.]
2. Definitions. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,
(i) 'article' means an article of the Constitution of India;
(ii) 'Block Panchayat' means a Block Panchayat constituted at intermediate level under clause (b) of sub-section (1) of Section 4;
(iii) 'building includes a house, out-house, stable, latrine, shed, hut and any other structure, whether of masonry, bricks, wood, mud, metal or any other material whatsoever;
(iv) 'by-election' means an election other than general election;
(v) 'candidate' means a person who has been or claims to have been duly nominated as a candidate at any election;
(vi) 'causal vacancy' means a vacancy occurring otherwise than by efflux of time;
1A[(via.) 'Committee' means a Standing Committee constituted under this Act or any other committee constituted by the Panchayat for any specific purpose.]
(vii) 'constituency' means the territorial area (by whatever name called) for the purpose of election of a member to a Panchayat at any level;