Why are administrative and financial powers of elected panchayat pradhans being curtailed in WB? | Explained
In the last week of July 2026, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in West Bengal stripped the elected heads of panchayats of administrative and financial
In the last week of July 2026, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in West Bengal stripped the elected heads of panchayats of administrative and financial powers. On July 23, 2026, a notification by the State government stated that gram panchayat pradhans and municipal chairpersons will transition out of their previous roles as registrars regarding birth and death registrations. The Suvendu Adhikari government said that dedicated government officers will now be appointed as registrars for every gram panchayat and municipality to streamline record-keeping of birth and death certificates and administrative workflows. The very day the notification was issued, the State’s Chief Secretary, Manoj Agarwal, held a press conference stating that there were irregularities in the issuance of birth certificates during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The police held raids at several municipalities and civic bodies, where it seized birth and death records. The West Bengal government's argument for the move was to ensure transparency in public service and to stop corruption in the issuance of birth and death certificates. Birth and death certificates have been a contentious issue in the State, particularly after an SIR, which removed about 12% of voters in West Bengal. Since the newly elected government has decided to make it a priority to identify and deport Bangladeshi infiltrators, having officials have a say over birth and death certificates appeals to the State government more than elected public representatives. Depriving elected panchayat heads of financial powers On July 26, the State Assembly passed The West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Saturday passed The West Bengal Panchayat (Second Amendment), 2026 Bill depriving elected representatives of panchayats of financial powers.
The legislation seeks to amend several provisions of the West Bengal Panchayat Act, 1973, with Section 6 transferring cheque-signing and financial disbursement rights from elected gram pradhans to panchayat secretaries, executive assistants, and block development officers. The statement of objects and reasons of the Bill stated that the legislation was brought to ensure stability of panchayat bodies for the time bound delivery of services to the public at large. Participating in the discussion on the bill, Panchayat Affairs and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh said the legislation does not intend to curtail the constitutional powers of elected panchayat heads. “Rather, it is aiming at curtailing the authority for corruption and commission against rural civic services. Henceforth, the elected panchayat heads will only approve any proposal. But the bill (financial bills/cheques) will be cleared and sanctioned by the bureaucrats,” he said. The State Panchayat Minister alleged that in many instances, pradhans have refused to sign work-related documents due to issues regarding alleged ‘cut-money’ (kickbacks). He stated that the objective of the amendment is to curb such irregularities. Mr. Ghosh claimed that among all States in the country, it is only in West Bengal that panchayat pradhans possess such financial powers, and that economic interests have been a major factor behind the violence witnessed during panchayat elections. WB among the first to have a three-tier panchayat system West Bengal was among the first States in the country to implement a three-tier panchayat system.
The BriefWire