Section No :  
Legislative Enactments
TOWN COUNCILS
Marginal Notes
1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Town Councils Ordinance.*[* See section 18 (2) of the Development Councils Act]
2. Power to declare towns and to define their administrative limits.
3. Town Council to be constituted for each town.
4. Functions of Town Councils.
5. Composition of Town Councils.[137, Law 24, of 1977]
7. First general election of members.
8. Arrangements preliminary to constitution of Town Council.
9. Commencement of term of office of Town Councils and date of constitution of such Councils.
10. Term of office of members elected at the first and each subsequent general election.
11. Subsequent general elections.
12. Refusal, resignation, or Vacation of office.
14. Power of Minister to vary limits of town and number of members, and to dissolve and replace Council-[ 143, 24 of 1977]
16. New Town Council to be successor of existing council.
19. Chairman and Vice-Chairman. [ 146, Law 24 of 1977]
22A. The Chairman and Vice Chairman to be justice of the Peace. [3,28 of 1957] [33,48 of 1971]
23. Presidency at meetings.
24. Meetings of the Council how and when convened.
25. Powers of Council to be vested in the majority. Quorum.
26. Appointment. powers, and duties of secretary.
27. Minutes of proceedings of council to be entered in a book.
28. Committees.
29. Acts of Council not to be invalidated by vacancies or absence of member.
30. Town Councils to be corporatons.
31. Lands vested in Town Council.
32. Method of vesting, administration & c ,of such lands.
33. Other property veiled In the Council.
33A. Control and erection of monuments. [ 7 Law 4 of 1975]
33B. Naming of public parks, &c.[ 8, Law 4 of 1975]
34. General duties.
35. General powers.
36. Power to authorize surveys.
37. Contracts.
38. Consent of Council.[ 150, Law 24 of 1977]
39. Consent of Commissioner.
40. Application of section 39. [ 2, Law 5 of 1952]
41. Advertisement for tenders.
42. Acquisition of lands buildings for general public purposes.
43. Compulsory acquisition of lands and buildings.
44. Power of Town Council to act as trustee for any public purpose.
45. Town Council to be the authority for thoroughfares and communications.
46. General powers of Council with regard to thoroughfares and open spaces.
47. Thoroughfares vested in Town Council.
48. Prescription.
49. Language of notices.
50. Notices how served.
51. Control of roads and paths in charge of minor local authority.
52. Power of Town Council to construct new, and improve existing, thoroughfares.
53. Acquisition of lands required for diversions or enlargements.
54. Gifts of land required for diversion or enlargement of thoroughfares.
55. Power to dispose of discontinued street.
56. Power to take land adjoining new street for building purposes.
57. Other powers of Town Council.
57A. Naming of streets. [ 5, Law 4 of 1975]
58. Roads for benefit of individual property owners.
59. Houses in a ruinous and dangerous slate.
60. Failure to comply with notice.
61. Sale of materials of ruinous houses.
62. Proper officers empowered to enter upon lands for and repair,& c. of thoroughfares.
63. Power to take materials.
64. Power to erect buildings and keep cattle, &c
65. Power to throw rubbish upon adjacent lands.
66. Power to make temporary road.
67. Power to cut trees.
68. Power to put up fences.
69. Power to make and keep open ditches, ;c, and to lay trunks. &c.
70. Power to lay stones, &c.
71. Notice of intended building along a thoroughfare.
72. Erection of temporary if fences and inclosures.
73. Building limits along roads.
74. Minister to modify building limit.
75. Condition to be attached to all licences under section 73.
76. Power of Town Council to deal with building, boundary wall or gateway erected or re-erected in contravention of Ordinance.
77. Principles of assessing compensation in respect of land developed by building.
78. Power of Town Council to acquire adjacent land for owner of land within building limit.
79. Power to demand, production of title deeds.
80. Demand of production of deed to include power of examination.
81. Power to make survey of premises.
82. Proof of right to apparent encroachment to rest upon the owner.
83. Removal of obstruction or encroachments.
84. Destroying milestone, bridge, &c.
85. Using new road for certain time after making.
86. Owner or occupier bound to have bridge,& c over drain leading to his house.
87. Allowing trees to grow in such a way as to injure thoroughfares.
88. Damage to thoroughfare through clearing, draining or opening up neighbouring land.
89. Offences.
90. Seizure of stray cattle.
91. Interference with cattle seizers or pig seizers.
92. Power of Town Council to authority the user of public thoroughfares for special purposes.
93. By-laws.
94. Expenses caused by extraordinary traffic.
95. Powers conferred on officers in charge of public works by whom to be exercised.
96. Survey by proper officer to be conclusive evidence.
97. Compensation for injury to property by authorized officers.
98. Arbitration.
99. Officers and contractors leaving stones,& c,. on thoroughfares by night.
100. Road officer or road contractor not liable to fine except in certain cases.
101. Police officers and grama seva niladhans to enforce provisions of this Part.
102. Town Council to be general public health authority.
103. Town Council to make public drains.
104. Duly of Council to repair, alter, and discontinue drains.
105. Penalty for making, unauthorized drains Into public drains.
106. Building over drains,&c. not to be erected without consent of Town Council.
107. General control of drains.
108. Obstruction of discharge of rain water and drainage.
109. Duty of Council as to latrine accommodation.
110. Council may order or cause additional latrines to be constructed.
111. Council may cause persons employing men to provide and maintain latrine or latrines. &c.
112. Neglecting to enclose private latrine.
113. General control of latrines.
114. Penalty for persons making or altering latrines, &c, contrary to the directions or by-laws of Town Council.
115. Inspection of latrines, &c.
116. Power of town Council to direct removal of latrine or closure cesspit.
117. Duty of Council as to conservancy and scavenging.
118. All refuse collected to be the property of council.
119. Places for disposal of refuse, and keeping equipment.
120. Duty of Council as to in sanitary buildings.
121. Power of Council as to existing buildings.
122. Overcrowding of houses
123. Power of Council to inspected lemming home
124. Houses or him not to be built or roofed with cadjan without permission.
125. Inspection of nuisances.
126. Power to fill up unwholesome tanks on private premises.
127. Licensing of slaughter- houses.
128. Power of Town Council to establish and maintain public utility services.
129. Manner of defraying expenses of public utility services.
130. Supply to Premises in, adjacent are.
131. General power of Council.
132. Ratepayer entitled to free water supply from public stand-pipes for domestic purposes.
133. Meaning of " domestic purposes ".
134. Contract for private service.
135. Duty of Council as to market.
136. Licensing of new private, markets.
137. Licensing of existing private markets.
138. Licence to be annual and subject to stamp duly.
139. New private markets to conform to prescribed standards.
140. Cleansing and scavenging of markets.
141. New private markets to acquire no vested interests.
142. Power of Chairman to refuse new licence.
143. Refusal of licenses to existing private markets.
144. Special provinces will regard to markets established over thirty years.
145. Power to license market provisionally.
146. Compensation for discontinuance of private market.
147. Vesting of village markets in Town Councils.
148. Transfer of markets.
149. Power to suspend licence of private markets.
150. Penalty for keeping unauthorized market.
151. Market areas.
152. Power of Council to make by-laws.
153. Approval and publication of by-laws.
154. Supply of copies of by-laws.
155. By-laws to be subject to disallowance or amendment.
156. Subjects of by-laws.
157. Local fund and its constituents.
158. Application of local fund.
158A. Ex gratia payment of pension, annuity, gratuity or retiring allowance. [ 3, 7 of 1959]
158B. Power to establish gratuity scheme. [ 3, 7 of 1959]
159. Power to impose and levy rates.
160. Exemption from rates.
161. Power of Council to impose taxes and licence duties.
162. Vehicles and animals tax.
163. Licence duty.
164. By-laws relating to taxes.
165. Assessment of rates and taxes.
166. Power of Chairman to require return.
167. Power of Chairman to summon persons before him.
168. Chairman's Powers of inspection.
169. Recovery of rates and taxes.
169A. Recovery of payments due to the Town Council. [ 28, 48 of 197!]
170. Waiver of sums due to the Council.
171. Assessment, &c ..not to the impeached for want of form.
172. Power of Town Council to , borrow on the security of rates and taxes.
173. Limitation of borrowing powers.
173A. When Chairman may exercise powers of Council relating to raising of Loans.[ 152, Law 24 1977]
174. Form of security, &c.
175. Books of accounts to be kept by Council.
176. Preparation and publication of annual accounts.
177. Budget.
177A. Chairman's powers with regard to budget. [ 153, Law 24 1977]
178. Variation of expenditure proposed in budget. [ 154, Law 24 of 1977]
179. Annual administration report.
180. Audit.
181. Recovery of surcharges.
182. appeal and enforcement of surcharges, &c.
183. Removal of Chairman, and dissolution of Town Council. [155,24 of 1977]
184. Inquiries.
185. Costs of inquiries and Proceedings.
186. Power to make inquiry and to default in duty by Town Councils.
187. Power to give and enforce order requiring Council to do necessary work.
188. Power to direct loan to be raised.
189. Power to certify expenses.
190. Power of Local Loan Commissioners to advance loan.
191. Recovery of Principal and interest from the Council.
192. Power to make general rules of procedure.
193. Approval and ratification of rules .
194. Power to make recommendations as to policy.
195. Power to inspect books, &c, of Town Councils
196. Powers of Commissioner and authorized officers.
197. Annual report of Commissioner on affairs of each Town Council.
198. Budgets to be submitted to the commissioner.
199. Power of Commissioner to exercise control over budget of Town Council.
200. Determination of disputes.
201. Power to extend time, Ac.
202. Delegation of powers to Commissioner.
203. Power of Town Council on default made by owner or occupier to execute works and recover expenses.
204. Power to levy charges on occupier, who may deduct the same from his rent.
205. Occupiers not to be liable to more than the amount of rent due.
206. Occupier in default of owner may execute works and deduct expenses from rent.
207. Obstruction by occupiers.
208. Remedy if neither the owner or occupier pays the expenses.
209. Determination, and recovery of damages, costs, &c.
210. Recovery of damages.
211. Recovery of expenses on account of improvement to private property.
212. Council may make compensation out of local fund.
213. Determination and payment of compensation.
214. Service of notices.
215. Notices may be given or recieved by secretary or any other officer authorized thereunto.
216. Offences to be tried by Magistrate.
217. Limitation of prosecutions,
218. No action to be instituted against Council until after one month's notice nor after six months after cause of action.
219. Protection of Council and its officers.
220. Relief against informalities.
221. Delegation of powers of Chairman to officers of Council.
222. Power of Council to grant general authorities to its officers.
223. Punishment for obstructing officers of Council.
224. Penalty for misuse of power by officers of Council.
225. Officers and servants of Council not to be interested in contracts.
226. Officers and servants of Town Council to be public servants.
227. Disciplinary action against officers of Town Council.
228. Repeal.
229. No further roads to be constructed under Branch Roads ordinance or Estate Roads Ordinance.
230. Adaptation of Branch Roads, Ordinance and Estate Roads Ordinance.
231. On imposition of new taxation contributions under Estate and Branch Roads Ordinances to ceases.
232. Consequences of imposition of new tax in areas under operation of Village Councils Ordinance.
233. Town Councils to be successors of local authorities.
234. Saving for existing securities and discharge of debts.
235. Proclamations, orders, rules, and notification continued in force .
236. Saving for pending action, contracts &c.
237. Officers and servants.
238. Adjustment of salaries, &c.
239. Abolition of offices.
240. Rates and assessments.
241. Equitable adjustment of property, debts, &c., on transfer.
242. Adjustment of questions not provided for.
243. Power to exclude application of specified provision of Ordinance within specified limits.
244. Interpretation.