Himachal Pradesh Government, in a strategic move leading up to the 2025 Panchayati Raj Institution elections, has begun the process of creating new Gram Panchayats across the State. With elections set for December next year, the Government has sought proposals for both new Panchayats and re-demarcation of existing ones from all Deputy Commissioners, marking the official start of pre-election preparations.

The hill state currently has 3,615 Gram Panchayats, but this number is likely to rise as new divisions are established. Alongside this expansion, boundaries of numerous existing Panchayats will be altered to accommodate the new entities. The re-demarcation process, expected to conclude by April 2025, will also necessitate a revision of the reservation roster for each Panchayat — a critical step to ensure compliance with quotas and fair representation across communities.

The formation of new Panchayats has historically been a key pre-election measure in the state, except in 2010 and 2015. The most recent elections in 2020 saw a significant increase with 412 new Panchayats proposed, out of which 389 were officially registered after merging several smaller Panchayats into municipal bodies, raising the count from 3,226 to 3,615.

A formal letter from the Panchayati Raj Directorate recently prompted the government to confirm its plans for new Panchayat formations. As proposals are collected and assessed by Deputy Commissioners, the government will deliberate based on the feasibility and alignment with Panchayati Raj rules and regulations.

Confirming the move, Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh said: “We have requested proposals from Deputy Commissioners for the creation of new Gram Panchayats. If necessary, in line with regulations, these new Panchayats will be established to facilitate better governance and representation. The final decision will be made after a thorough review of the proposals and applicable guidelines.”