The Lakshadweep Panchayats Regulation and the ten village dweep panchayats

Background

Local self-government in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep rests on the Lakshadweep Panchayats Regulation, 1994, which the President of India promulgated on 23rd April, 1994 and which was brought into force in the Union Territory on 23.5.1995.
Under the first schedule of the Regulation there have to be 10 village (dweep) panchayats, one in each of the inhabited ten islands, and a District Panchayat for the whole of Lakshadweep.
The first village (dweep) panchayats were constituted in December 2002 and the District Panchayat in January 2003.
The ten village (dweep) panchayats have 79 members between them. The District Panchayat is made up of 22 directly elected members, the 10 chairpersons of the village (dweep) panchayats and the Member of Parliament representing Lakshadweep.
Of those seats, 30 members of the village (dweep) panchayats and 12 members of the District Panchayat are women, and four of the ten village panchayat chairpersons are women.
For community development work the territory is separately divided into five Community Development Blocks, with Kavaratti, Amini, Andrott, Minicoy and Kiltan as block head quarters.
A village panchayat prepares its own annual budget and development plan, and these are placed before the District Panchayat meeting and go forward with the recommendation of the District Panchayat.