West Bengal Panchayat (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026

West Bengal Panchayat (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026

GS-II: Polity & Governance | Local Self-Government

Context

The West Bengal Government has curtailed the administrative and financial powers of elected panchayat representatives through executive notifications and the West Bengal Panchayat (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026.

The move transfers key powers from elected representatives to government officials, triggering debate over decentralisation and local self-governance.

What are the key changes?

• Birth and death registration: Gram Panchayat Pradhans and Municipal Chairpersons will no longer function as registrars for birth and death registrations.
• Appointment of officials: Dedicated government officers will be appointed as registrars for every Gram Panchayat and municipality.
• Financial powers: The West Bengal Panchayat (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026 transfers cheque-signing and financial disbursement powers from elected Gram Pradhans to Panchayat Secretaries, Executive Assistants and Block Development Officers (BDOs).
• Role of elected representatives: Pradhans will continue to approve proposals, while financial bills and cheques will be sanctioned by bureaucrats.

Why did the State Government take this step?

• Transparency: To improve transparency in public service delivery.
• Curb corruption: To address alleged corruption in the issuance of birth and death certificates and in panchayat administration.
• Irregularities during SIR: The State government cited irregularities in birth certificates detected during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
• Illegal immigration concerns: Greater administrative oversight over birth and death registrations in the context of identifying illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
• Prevent ‘cut-money’: The government alleged that some Pradhans delayed signing official documents due to demands for kickbacks.

Historical significance

• Early Panchayati Raj reforms: West Bengal was among the first States to introduce a three-tier Panchayati Raj system.
• West Bengal Panchayat Act, 1973: Enacted before the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, 1992.
• First elections: Panchayat elections were first held in June 1978.
• Role of panchayats: Panchayats became the primary institutions for implementing welfare schemes and managing local resources.

Issues highlighted

• Political violence: Panchayat elections in West Bengal have witnessed repeated incidents of violence, including the 2023 elections, which saw over 50 deaths.
• Corruption allegations: Gram Pradhans and elected representatives have faced allegations of demanding kickbacks for delivering public services.
• Control over resources: Control of panchayats has often translated into control over local political and financial resources.

Political context

• Weakening Opposition: Following the Assembly elections, a large number of Opposition MPs and MLAs shifted political allegiance.
• Panchayats remain Opposition-dominated: Around 90% of elected representatives in the three-tier Panchayat system continue to belong to the Trinamool Congress.
• Next elections: Panchayat elections are scheduled for 2028.
• Administrative shift: The transfer of powers to officials increases bureaucratic involvement in local self-governance.

Conclusion

• Governance implication: The amendments mark a significant shift in the functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions by transferring important administrative and financial powers from elected representatives to government officials.
• Key debate: The move raises questions regarding the balance between ensuring administrative accountability and preserving the autonomy of local self-government.

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q. “The transfer of administrative and financial powers from elected Panchayat representatives to government officials raises important questions about democratic decentralisation and local self-governance.” Discuss with reference to the West Bengal Panchayat (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026.