SET: 1A (7102025) ELECTIONS FOR GRAMA PANCHAYATS IN TELANGANA
NOTES ON GRAM PANCHAYATS
Topic : GRAM PANCHAYATS (for G S
Papers) {Prepared on 7 .10.2025 }
For Study purpose only
NB: For any doubts clarification, please refer to the recommended text books
TOPIC : GRAM PANCHAYTS (with questions
for
UPSC(CSE)(Prelims) Exams. ,2026
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
As per News as on Dt:29.9.2025:-
The Grampanchayat elections will be held in five phases in 31 districts for 565 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC); 5,749 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC); 12,733 sarpanches and 1.12 lakh wards in the gram panchayats
The election process will start with the issuance of the first notification on October 9,2025 and elections will be held in five phases :- i)ZPTC and MPTC polls in two phases on October 23 and 27,2025; and ii)elections for gram panchayats in three phases October 30, November 4 and November 8,2025
Over 1.67 crore - 81.65 lakh male and 85.36 lakh female – voters would decide the fate of the contesting candidates in the elections.
Elections for the sarpanch posts are non political without involvement of symbols of the political parties while those for the ZPTC and MPTC posts would be fought on party basis
Steps had been initiated to set up polling stations in different villages to avoid inconvenience to voters.
Accordingly, 31,300 polling stations spread over 15,302 locations would be set up for ZPTC and MPTC polls and 1.12 lakh polling stations in 15,522 locations would be earmarked from the gram panchayat elections.
Polling would be conducted through ballot boxes and ballot papers and the TGSEC borrowed ballot boxes from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to meet the requirements.
Elections were however not being held for 14 MPTC posts, 27 gram panchayats and 246 wards in view of the stay granted by the court.
VOTERS: As per information from Telangana State Election Commission on September 29, 2025:- (for Grampanchayat Elections )
Female Voters : 85,36,770
Male Voters : 81,65,894
Others : 504
Total Number of Voters : 1,67,03,168
Rural Local bodies going for polls :(in 2025)
Number of districts : 31
Number of Mandals :565
Number of ZPTCs :565
Number of MPTCs :5749
Total Number of Gram Panchayats : 12,733
Total Number of Wards : 1,12,288
Of the 33 districts in Telangana, rural local body polls will be held in 31 districts.
NB:- ( Gram Panchayat elections in 2025)
1) Gram Panchayat Polls will not be held in Hyderabad and Medchal Malkajgiri districts.
2)The Gram Panchayat polls are withheld in 14 MPTCs, 27 Gram Panchayats and 246 Wards due to stay granted by the Court.
========================================= 42% Reservation for BCs :
In February 2024, Telangana State government had decided to conduct the Socio-Economic, Educational, Employment, Political and Caste (SEEEPC) survey. After it was approved in the Assembly and Legislative Council, GOMs 18 was issued on October 10 last year to conduct the survey.
Additionally, in November 2024, the Congress government had set up a Dedicated Commission under the chairmanship of retired IAS Officer Busani Venkateshwara Rao to conduct empirical enquiry into the nature and implications of the backwardness for specifying the proportion of reservations to be extended.
The Commission submitted its report to the government in March 2025 and observed that the BCs were relatively lagging compared to their population of 56.33 percent in the State. It had recommended at least 42 percent reservations in political representations, particularly in local bodies (i.e., Gram Panchayats and Municipalities ).
========================================= Analysis about MPTCs :
In Telangana, there were 5,425 MPTCs in 2001. The total number of MPTCs increased to 6,179 in 2006 with a growth rate of 13.90% from the preceding elections, and these were further increased to 6,475 in 2014.
=============================================== Part IV: Directive Principles of State Policy :
Article 40 of Constitution of India : -
Organization of Village Panchayats
“The State shall take steps to organise village Panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government.”
CONSTITUTION OF INDIA:PART IX THE PANCHAYATS
Part IX (containing Articles 243,243A to 243 - O) inserted by Constitution (Seventy Third Amendment) Act,1992, Sec.2 (w.e.f.24.4.1993)
Note: Original Part IX relating to "The territories in Part D of the First Schedule and other territories not specified in that Schedule" was omitted by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, s. 29 and Sch. (w.e.f. 1-11-1956) and subsequently ins. by the Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) Act, 1992, s. 2 (w.e.f. 24-4-1993).
Article 243 :
Definitions :
(a) “District” means a district in a State;
(b) “Gram Sabha” means a body consisting of persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village comprised within the area of Panchayat at the village level;
(c) ‘intermediate level” means a level between the village and district levels specified by the Governor of a State by public notification to be the intermediate level for the purposes of this Part;
(d) “Panchayat” means an institution (by whatever name called) of self-government constituted under article 243B, for the rural areas;
(e) “Panchayat area” means the territorial area of a Panchayat;
f) “Population” means the population as ascertained at the last preceding census of which the relevant figures have been published;
(g) “Village” means a village specified by the Governor by public notification to be a village for the purposes of this Part and includes a group of villages so specified.
Constitution of India :
Article 243 A: Gram Sabha:-A Gram Sabha may exercise such powers and perform such functions at the village level as the Legislature of a State may by law, provide.
Article 243 B: Constitution of Panchayats:-
(1) There shall be constituted in every State, Panchayats at the (1) village,
(2) intermediate and
(3) district levels in accordance with the provision of this Part.
(2) Notwithstanding anything the clause (1), Panchayats at the intermediate level may not be constituted in a State having a population not exceeding twenty lakhs.
Question:
1)Which Article in the Constitution of India , deals with Gram Sabha ? Ans : 243A
2)Which Article in Constitution of India, deals about Constitution of Panchayats at Village level, Intermediate Level and District Level? Ans : Article 243B
3)What is the duration of Panchayats ?
Ans : 5 years (As per Article 243 E of Constitution of India )
4)What is the minimum age to become a member in Gram Panchayat ? Ans : 21 years (As per Article 243F (a) of Constitution of India )
5)Which article of Constitution of India deals with ‘Constitution of Finance Commission to review financial position’ ?
Ans : Article 243 I
6)Who will appoint the Finance Commission [Constitution of Finance Commission to review financial position for Gam Panchayats, as per Article 243 I in that State ]?
Ans : Governor of a State (for such state )
7) In which Schedule of the Constitution of India , Powers, Authority and Responsibilities of Panchayaths) are mentioned ?
Ans : Eleventh Schedule (Article 243 G of Constitution of India ) (In this schedule, there are 25 items)
8) Which Act, deals with Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 ?
Ans : THE PROVISIONS OF THE PANCHAYATS (EXTENSION TO THE SCHEDULED AREAS) ACT, 1996 [Central Act No. 40 of 1996]
============================================= IMPORTANT ARTICLES IN PART IX OF CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
Article 243A : Gram Sabha : A Gram Sabha may exercise such powers and perform such functions at the village level as the Legislature of a State may, by law, provide.
Article 243B: Constitution of Panchayats.:
(1) There shall be constituted in every State, Panchayats at the village, intermediate and district levels in accordance with the provisions of this Part. (2) Notwithstanding anything in clause (1), Panchayats at the intermediate level may not be constituted in a State having a population not exceeding twenty lakhs
Article 243C: Composition of Panchayats.
(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, the Legislature of a State may, by law, make provisions with respect to the composition of Panchayats:
Provided that the ratio between the population of the territorial area of a Panchayat at any level and the number of seats in such Panchayat to be filled by election shall, so far as practicable, be the same throughout the State.
(2) All the seats in a Panchayat shall be filled by persons chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the Panchayat area and, for this purpose, each Panchayat area shall be divided into territorial constituencies in such manner that the ratio between the population of each constituency and the number of seats allotted to it shall, so far as practicable, be the same throughout the Panchayat area.
(3) The Legislature of a State may, by law, provide for the representation— (a) of the Chairpersons of the Panchayats at the village level, in the Panchayats at the intermediate level or, in the case of a State not having Panchayats at the intermediate level, in the Panchayats at the district level;
(b) of the Chairpersons of the Panchayats at the intermediate level, in the Panchayats at the district level;
(c) of the members of the House of the People and the members of the Legislative Assembly of the State representing constituencies which comprise wholly or partly a Panchayat area at a level other than the village level, in such Panchayat;
(d) of the members of the Council of States and the members of the Legislative Council of the State, where they are registered as electors within—
(i) a Panchayat area at the intermediate level, in Panchayat at the intermediate level; (ii) a Panchayat area at the district level, in Panchayat at the district level.
(4) The Chairperson of a Panchayat and other members of a Panchayat whether or not chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the Panchayat area shall have the right to vote in the meetings of the Panchayats.
(5) The Chairperson of—
(a) a Panchayat at the village level shall be elected in such manner as the Legislature of a State may, by law, provide; and
(b) a Panchayat at the intermediate level or district level shall be elected by, and from amongst, the elected members thereof.
Article 243D: Reservation of seats ( Reservation of Seats for SCs,STs,Women and Backward Classes )
(1) Seats shall be reserved for—
(a) the Scheduled Castes; and
(b) the Scheduled Tribes,
in every Panchayat and the number of seats so reserved shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in that Panchayat as the population of the Scheduled Castes in that Panchayat area or of the Scheduled Tribes in that Panchayat area bears to the total population of that area and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Panchayat.
(2) Not less than one-third of the total number of seats reserved under clause (1) shall be
reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes or, as the case may be, the Scheduled Tribes.
(3) Not less than one-third (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every Panchayat shall be reserved for women and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Panchayat.
(4) The offices of the Chairpersons in the Panchayats at the village or any other level shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and women in such manner as the Legislature of a State may, by law, provide: Provided that the number of offices of Chairpersons reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in the Panchayats at each level in any State shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of such offices in the Panchayats at each level as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the State or of the Scheduled Tribes in the State bears to the total population of the State: Provided further that not less than one-third of the total number of offices of Chairpersons in the Panchayats at each level shall be reserved for women: Provided also that the number of offices reserved under this clause shall be allotted by rotation to different Panchayats at each level.
(5) The reservation of seats under clauses (1) and (2) and the reservation of offices of Chairpersons (other than the reservation for women) under clause (4) shall cease to have effect on the expiration of the period specified in article 334.
(6) Nothing in this Part shall prevent the Legislature of a State from making any provision for reservation of seats in any Panchayat or offices of Chairpersons in the Panchayats at any level in favour of backward class of citizens.
Article 243E: Duration of Panchayats, etc. (Period: 5 years )
Article 243F: Disqualifications for membership:
— (1) A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of a Panchayat—
(a) if he is so disqualified by or under any law for the time being in force for the purposes of elections to the Legislature of the State concerned: Provided that no person shall be disqualified on the ground that he is less than twenty-five years of age, if he has attained the age of twentyone years;
(b) if he is so disqualified by or under any law made by the Legislature of the State. (2) If any question arises as to whether a member of a Panchayat has become subject to any of the disqualifications mentioned in clause (1), the question shall be referred for the decision of such authority and in such manner as the Legislature of a State may, by law, provide.
Article 243G: Powers, authority and responsibilities of
Panchayats:
— Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Legislature of a State may, by law, endow the Panchayats with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as institutions of self-government and such law may contain provisions for the devolution of powers and responsibilities upon Panchayats at the appropriate level, subject to such conditions as may be specified therein, with respect to—
(a) the preparation of plans for economic development and social justice;
(b) the implementation of schemes for economic development and social justice as
may be entrusted to them including those in relation to the matters listed in the Eleventh Schedule.
Article 243H: Powers to impose taxes by, and Funds of, the Panchayats.
Article 243-I: Constitution of Finance Commission to review financial position. (Just like Finance Commission under Article 280 of Constitution of India for finance matters between Centre - State Governments)
Article 243J: Audit of accounts of Panchayats.
Article 243K: Elections to the Panchayats:
—(1) The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections to the Panchayats shall be vested in a State Election Commission consisting of a State Election Commissioner to be appointed by the Governor.
Article 243L: Application to Union territories.
Article 243M: Part not to apply to certain areas.
Article 243N: Continuance of existing laws and Panchayats.
Article 243-O: Bar to interference by courts in electoral matters ===========================================
Point to remember: Article No.243 is continued. But for each aspect of Panchayat, English Letters A to O are used.
Question: What is Gram Sabha ?
Ans: — “Gram Sabha” means a body consisting of persons registered in the electoral rolls relating to a village comprised within the area of Panchayat at the village level;
Question: At village village , who will exercise such power and perform such functions ?
Ans : Article 243 A: A Gram Sabha may exercise such powers and perform such functions at the village level as the Legislature of a State may, by law, provide.
====================================================== Question: According to which Article of Constitution of India, GramPanchayat elections are conducted in Telangana State ?
Ans : : 1)Article 243 - K of Constitution of India ; and
2)(Subsection(2)Section 14; (Subsection2)Section15 ;Section 197 and Section 198 ) of Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018 ; Telangana Panchayat Raj Act (Amendment), 2025
Question: Who can vote in the Gram Panchayat elections, 2025 ? Ans : Registered Voters of Gram Panchayats notified in the Schedule VIII of Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018
Question: GO Ms No. 42 PR&RD (MZAD) Department dated 26.9.2025 gives details of whom ?
Ans: Reservation and allotment of seats and offices for members belonging to the Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and women in Gram Panchayats.
Question: Who will conduct Gram Panchayat Elections (As per Article 243 K of Constitution of India ) ?
Ans : Telangana State Election Commission
Question: Who is the Telangana State Election Commissioner ? Ans : Smt. I.Rani Kumudini, IAS
Question: How many Gram Panchayats (GPs) (Local Bodies) are there in Telangana State ?
Ans : 12,769
Question: How many Mandal Praja Parishads (MPPs) are there in Telangana State ? (at intermediate level )
Ans: 540 (data upto 2022 )
Question: How many Revenue Mandals and Revenue Divisions are there Telangana State )
Ans : [ ( Revenue Mandals : 612 ) (Revenue division: 74 ) ] (Data upto 2022)
Question : How many Zilla Parishad (ZPs) are there in Telangana State ? Ans : 32
Question : What is MPTC ?
Ans : Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency
Question: What is ZPTC?
Ans : Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Data according to Socio-Economic OUtlook of 2021 :
Recognizing the importance of local governance for effective service delivery, the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments gave Constitutional Status to the third tier of governments, enabling them to better deliver services to citizens. To ensure that this Constitutional intent is met in the state, the Government has developed and implemented a governance framework explicitly focused on accountability for outcomes and improved service delivery to citizens. The foundation of this framework has been 'The Telangana Panchayat Raj Act 2018' which has transformed rural governance in the state for several reasons.
The Government has reorganized GPs and formed 4,383 new GPs. To empower the marginalized sections of the society and to ensure their focused development, many tribal thandas have been declared as independent GPs. All tribal thandas/gudems/ habitations with a population exceeding 500 and located at more than 1.5 km from the existing GP headquarters were made new GPs. With the formation of these new GPs, there are 12,770 GPs in the state
Among them, 1,281 are Schedule-V area GPs and 1,177 are 100% Schedule Tribe (ST) GPs in plain areas.
The Panchayat Raj Act clearly defines the powers available to GPs and their key functionaries. This covers all the roles and responsibilities of the GP, the Panchayat Secretary and the Sarpanch, across areas of village development, such as sanitation, street lighting, water supply, financial management and collection of taxes. Finally, it introduces a monitoring system, where a mandal level officer inspects the functioning of every GP once every three months
Since the Act came into force in April 2018, the Government has made significant progress in implementing its key features In addition to implementing the Panchayat Raj Act, the Government has also built the infrastructure for GPs to function effectively. At the formation of the state, there was a requirement of buildings for 8,351 GPs. Of this, 3,554 buildings were sanctioned under the MGNREGS programme and 1,774 have been completed so far. Currently, 6,765 GPs have been equipped with computers, printers and other equipment, and out of these 1,245 GPs have internet connectivity.
TSIRD :
TSIRD is an apex institute for Training and Capacity building of PR&RD functionaries in the state. The main objective of the institute is to enhance the knowledge base and upgrade the skills of the PR&RD Department through training, action research, monitoring and evaluation. To do this, the institute organizes foundation and capacity building training programmes for PR&RD functionaries, including the elected representatives of PRIs in the state.
The measures introduced and implemented by the TSIRD have been recognized nationally. Some accolades include the ‘Certificate of Appreciation’ awarded by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India in 2019 for its training programmes, and a National Award for Best Performing SIRD in Rural Development Programmes in 2018. ‘
Service Delivery :
Service delivery in rural areas depends on the performance of the various functionaries within local governance such as :-
i) Panchayat Secretaries,
ii) elected representatives,
iii) Mandal Panchayat Officers (MPOs),
iv) Divisional Level Panchayat Officers (DLPOs),
iv) District Panchayat Officers (DPOs), etc.
Recognizing the importance of effective personnel management for service delivery, the Government has implemented several reforms to strengthen personnel management practices within PRIs and the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (PR&RD) Department.
Firstly, the Government wanted to ensure that there are no vacancies in Gram Panchayat Secretaries positions across the state. Therefore, it embarked on recruiting 9,355 Junior Panchayat Secretaries in an innovative recruitment model, with one-of-its-kind regularization of these employees, contingent on their performance. The contractual duration (three years) also represents a period which is meaningful to create impact and provide last mile service stability, while being attractive enough for serious candidates to perform well.
Secondly, the Government has implemented innovative management systems to increase accountability and thereby improve performance of frontline functionaries and
other officials. The Panchayat Raj Act 2018 establishes mechanisms for supervision, evaluation and corrective action for various personnel in local governance. To ensure that these mechanisms are put into practice effectively, the Government has implemented several notable initiatives:
1)Based on the Key Result Areas (KRAs) from the Panchayat Raj Act 2018, the Government has identified a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for periodic
measurement. These KPIs are largely outcome focused and aligned to citizen priorities.
2)The Government has transitioned all reporting and monitoring to app-based interfaces. The launch of the Panchayat Secretary and Mandal Panchayat Officer apps have ensured that the reporting of Panchayat Secretaries is directly comparable with the inspections of their supervisory officers (MPOs). Additionally, given that some aspects of performance (e.g. sanitation) change frequently, a daily reporting section has also been included to ensure that such indicators are reported and verified more frequently. These apps have stabilized and are improving usability and creating time savings for both Panchayat Secretaries and MPOs.
3)To improve effectiveness of supervision, the Government has created a centralized automatic scheduling system for MPO inspections. This has the benefit of prioritizing GPs based on data (e.g. outliers based on self-reported performance) for closer scrutiny, while also retaining a level of autonomy for the MPOs. This is in line with national and international good practices, and is being rolled out currently through a nested model, where each layer of inspection also verifies the ‘accuracy of reporting and the management by the layer below. This goes up to DLPOs and DPOs, creating multiple checks and balances.
4)The Government is using ‘arm’s length’ agents for surprise visits and verifications. These include senior bureaucrats, personnel from adjacent functions (e.g. Rural Development) and social audit teams. Inputs from these visits are integrated into the system to assess accuracy of data from within the system
Finally, the Government has mobilized its callcentre to reach out directly to citizens to assess perceptions of service delivery at the last mile, so that appropriate action can be taken
Preliminary analysis of administrative data indicates that the above initiatives are achieving better outcomes within the available resource envelope.
===================================================================== Administrative & Geographical Profile (2022)
There are 33 districts in Telangana.
Revenue Divisions: There are 74 revenue divisions, 612 revenue mandals, and 10,909 revenue villages in the
state.
Local Bodies: The state has 12,769 Gram Panchayats; 129 municipalities and 13 municipal corporations.
Legislative Divisions: There are 119 assembly
constituencies and 17 parliamentary constituencies in the state.
===============================================
The total population of Telangana as of 2011 was 3,50,03,674. This was nearly 2.89% of the population of India in 2011.
According to the projections of the National Commission on Population, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, the population of Telangana in the years 2021 and 2031 would be 3,77,25,000 and 3,92,07,000 respectively. This is 2.77% and 2.66% of the total population of the country in 2021 and 2031 respectively.
The state’s share in the national population is estimated to decrease by 0.23 percentage points between 2011 and 2031.
Of the total population in Telangana in 2011, 1,73,92,041 are females and 1,76,11,633 are males.
The share of females and males in the total population of the state is 49.7% and 50.3% respectively
‘
The sex ratio (the number of females per thousand males) of the state is 988.
The sex ratio among the districts varies from 950 to 1046 with a median value of 996. Three districts; Suryapet, Mahabubabad and Hanumakonda; have a sex ratio of 996
Rangareddy, with a sex ratio of 950, has the lowest sex ratio in the state. Nirmal, with a sex ratio of 1046, ranks highest among the districts in terms of the sex ratio. =====================
The urban and rural population of Telangana are 1,36,08,665 and 2,13,95,009 respectively.
The share of the urban and rural population out of the total population in the state is 38.9% and 61.1% respectively
Hyderabad and Medchal Malkajgiri are the most urbanized districts in the state, with 100% and 91.5% of their populations, respectively, residing in urban areas
Mulugu has the highest share of rural population at 96.1% followed by Narayanpet at 92.6%
===============================================
SOCIAL GROUPS (2022 )
The total SC and ST populations of Telangana are 54,08,800 and 31,77,940 respectively. The two social groups account for 15.5% and 9.1% of the state’s total population respectively
* Mancherial has the highest share of SC population out of the total district population at 24.7% followed by Jayashankar Bhupalpally at 22.1%.
*The districts with the least share of SCs out of the total district population are Hyderabad and Medchal- Malkajgiri at 6.3% and 9.4% respectively. In the entire state, the maximum number of persons from the SC community reside in Rangareddy district, and the least number in Mulugu district
==========================================================
Rural Population : in Lakhs 213.95
Male : 107.05
Females 106.9
Sex Ratio 988
According to Socio-economic Outlook of 2022 :
For spatial and administrative decentralisation, and to bring in
transparency, accountability and people-centredness to governance,
the Government of Telangana,since its formation, has reorganised the 10 districts, 459 mandals and 8,368 gram panchayats into 33 districts, 594 mandals, and 12,769 gram panchayats.
The Palle Pragathi programme was launched in 2019 with the twin objectives of enhancing the quality of life in the rural areas and improving the governance of Gram Panchayats (GPs). The programme has completed four campaign rounds until July 2021 with a total expenditure of Rs. 8,617.45 crore. Key achievements include the construction of 12,714 crematoria, 12,751 dumping yards, and plantation of 9.30 crore seedlings across all GPs.
The state has witnessed a transformation in rural governance, with improvements in Gram Panchayat (GP) infrastructure as well as better service delivery relating to sanitation, street lighting, water supply, green cover, and financial management.
The Government promulgated ‘The Telangana Panchayat Raj Act 2018’ clearly defining powers available to GPs, outlining roles and responsibilities of their
functionaries, and introducing a monitoring system for Mandal Panchayat Officers to inspect the functioning of GPs once every 3 months. In line with the Panchayat Raj Act, the declaration of many tribal thandas as independent GPs has helped empower marginalised
sections of society The state has ensured capacity building of newly recruited 9,355 Junior Panchayat Secretaries.
The capacity building initiatives have been expanded to train functionaries across the state. With the objective of promoting progress of Panchayat Raj
Institutions, a data-driven GPlevel performance measurement
and management framework has been launched with clear supportive supervisory systems across all levels of Panchayat Raj institutions.
================================================
Taking the concept of decentralisation forward in letter and spirit, the Telangana Government, since the inception of the state, has been involved in changing the paradigm of the planning process so as to reflect the felt needs of the people in the policies and programmes. Through the introduction of the new Panchayat Raj Act, 2018 and its implementation through Palle Pragathi (Telangana Rural Inclusive Growth Project), the
Telangana Government continues to focus on solving grassroot
issues. Further, under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, special provisions are made for the Scheduled Areas. Currently, the Scheduled Areas in the state consist of 1,180 scheduled villages spread over 85 mandals in nine districts—Adilabad, Kumuram Bheem, Mancherial, Mulugu, Warangal
(Rural), Mahabubabad, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Khammam, and Nagarkurnool districts. By the 73rd constitutional amendment, the Indian government empowered the Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) to create their own development plans, generate taxes, administer schools, health facilities, development infrastructure etc.
The 3-tiered structure of PRIs recognises the layered nature of welfare, development and public policy delivery. The roles and responsibilities of the elected representatives and government officials are well defined under the structure and they are expected to function in harmony and close cooperation for executing public work.
Panchayat Secretaries :
Over the last two years(i.e., as on 2022), a foundation has beenestablished for technology based, verifiable data based reporting by field level Panchayat Raj officials. A mobile application has been developed for Panchayat Secretaries (PSs) to report on daily, as well as, monthly indicators that have a strong outcome focus. Indicators reported are aligned with the responsibilities of the PSs as per the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act 2018.
Telangana Panchayat Raj Act 2018 :
According to the Panchayat Raj Act, 2018 only the State legislature is competent to notify or de-notify a village. The Gram Panchayat is primarily responsible for maintenance of sanitation, plantations, streetlights and collection of taxes and non-taxes. For this, each GP must prepare a Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) and also take up activities connected with planning. In order to ensure the implementation of the plans and accountability of the village level functionaries, Gram Sabha must meet once in two months (6 times in a year).
Several reports including annual development report, audit report and administration report need to be placed before the Gram Sabha which has four Standing Committees in the Gram Panchayat viz. Sanitation, Street Lights, Plantation and Works. Sarpanch and Panchayat Secretary stand to be removed from their positions for non-conduct of Audit in their Panchayat. Further, powers are delegated to the District Collectors to initiate disciplinary action against Panchayat officials. Additionally, a Gram Panchayat
Tribunal is constituted to appeal on the removal of Sarpanchs.
Reservations to each category are extended for 2 terms with 100% ST population villages reserved for ST category in plain areas.
Accordingly elections to all the rural local bodies were conducted in 2019.
*The Act provides a clear institutional and governance structure for GPs while also specifying the powers, roles and responsibilities, and accountability standards for key functionaries. This has strengthened the functioning of GPs and helped improve service delivery.
*To further strengthen rural governance, the Government has hired 9,355 Junior Panchayat Secretaries on innovative performance-based contracts.
*The Act has been given form and implementation momentum through three rounds of the Palle Pragathi programme, the Government’s flagship scheme for rural local governance. This has resulted in tremendous improvements in planning, service delivery, financial performance and responsiveness of GPs across the state
============================================
SUPERVISION :
The Mandal Panchayat Officer (MPO) plays an important role in the supervision of Gram Panchayat performance. With the smallest average mandal population of any state, Telangana is at an advantage as MPOs can cater to a manageable population and get the pulse of citizens to improve service delivery
AVERAGE MANDAL POPULATION : 64,050
According to the Panchayat Raj Act, powers are delegated to the District Collectors to guide and monitor the performance of Panchayat Raj officials. To strengthen supervisory capacity at the district level, the state Government has created a new post of ‘Additional Collector, Local Bodies’ to look after the administration of Gram Panchayats, Mandal Praja Parishads and Zilla Praja Parishads and Urban Local Bodies in the district.
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