Shimla: Ahead of the upcoming Panchayati Raj Institution elections in Himachal Pradesh, the state government has initiated the process of forming new Gram Panchayats, with the elections scheduled for December 2025. Proposals for the creation of new Panchayats and their re-demarcation have been sought from all Deputy Commissioners, signalling the start of preparations for the polls. At present, Himachal Pradesh has 3,615 Gram Panchayats, but this number is expected to increase as new Panchayats are formed, which will also result in changes to existing Panchayat boundaries.
The re-demarcation process will follow the formation of new Panchayats. If the new divisions are approved, the boundaries of several existing Panchayats will be altered and redefined. This step is crucial as it will also impact the reservation roster, which will need to be revised after the formation of new Panchayats. Officials from the Panchayati Raj Department have indicated that the entire process, including finalizing the roster, must be completed by April 2025 to stay on track for the elections.
Historically, new Panchayats have been created before each Panchayat election, except in 2010 and 2015. During the 2020 elections, 412 new Panchayats were proposed; however, after the re-demarcation process and some Panchayats being merged into municipal bodies, 389 new Panchayats were officially registered, increasing the total number from 3,226 to 3,615.
The state’s Panchayati Raj Directorate recently sent a letter to the government seeking clarification on whether the formation of new Panchayats will proceed. With the process now underway, Deputy Commissioners have been tasked with submitting their proposals. The government’s decision will be based on these submissions and a review of the applicable rules.
Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh confirmed the development, stating, “Proposals have been sought from the Deputy Commissioners to form new Gram Panchayats. If it becomes necessary to form new Panchayats as per the rules, then they will be formed. The decision will be taken after examining the regulations.”
