Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to reconstitute the state's Zilla Praja Parishads (ZPPs), increasing their number from the present 13 to 28 to align the Panchayat Raj structure with the existing 28-district administrative map, the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department said on Saturday.
Order, timing and legal basis
The department issued GOMs Nos. 115 and 116 formalising the exercise. The reorganisation is scheduled to take effect after the expiry of the tenure of the currently elected 13 ZPPs on September 24, 2026, subject to completion of required statutory, legislative, administrative and financial formalities, the government said.
The move is being implemented under the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, which permits restructuring of Panchayat Raj institutions following administrative reorganisation and on completion of the incumbents' term. The existing ZPPs were constituted when the state had a 13-district setup and their elected bodies took office on September 25, 2021.
What changes on the ground
Under the new arrangement, each of the state's 28 districts will have a dedicated Zilla Praja Parishad whose territorial jurisdiction will correspond to the respective district boundaries. All Mandal Praja Parishads within a district will come under that district's ZPP.
| Item | Existing | After reconstitution |
|---|---|---|
| Number of districts | 13 (at time of previous ZPP formation) | 28 |
| Zilla Praja Parishads (ZPPs) | 13 | 28 |
| Chief Executive Officer posts | 13 | 28 (15 additional) |
| Deputy CEO posts | 13 | 28 (15 additional) |
Administrative staffing and distribution
The government has sanctioned 30 additional senior executive posts—comprising 15 extra chief executive officer (CEO) posts and 15 extra deputy chief executive officer (deputy CEO) posts—to give distinct administrative leadership to each of the 28 ZPPs. At present, the state has 13 CEO and 13 deputy CEO posts; after reorganisation, each ZPP will have its own CEO, while deputy CEOs will exercise the powers and functions prescribed under relevant rules.
The order also says existing ministerial and supporting staff will be rationalised and redistributed among the 28 ZPPs based on territorial jurisdiction and the number of Mandal Praja Parishads. The government did not provide a timeline for completion of staff transfers or specify financial allocations in the two GOMs released on Saturday.
Context and recent district changes
The state underwent a phased reorganisation after the 13-district structure under which the current ZPPs were formed. Andhra Pradesh was first expanded to 26 districts in April 2022 and later to 28 districts with the creation of Markapuram and Polavaram districts in November 2025. The latest change brings the Panchayat Raj map in line with that administrative footprint.
Officials framed the move as an administrative necessity to ensure that district-level local bodies correspond directly to district boundaries and to bring clearer lines of authority and service delivery at the local level.
Implications for governance and service delivery
Officials said separate ZPPs for each district are intended to strengthen decentralised governance by aligning elected bodies and administrative leadership with district-level planning and implementation. Separate CEOs for each ZPP are expected to provide distinct administrative heads focused on district-specific priorities.
- Reconstitution will take effect after current ZPPs' tenure ends on 24 September 2026.
- Legal backing is the AP Panchayat Raj Act, 1994.
- Existing ministerial and support staff will be redistributed among the new ZPPs.
The government statement did not elaborate on transitional arrangements for projects, budgets or pending schemes implemented by the existing ZPPs, nor did it specify the additional budgetary provision required to fund the expanded senior executive cadre and redistributed staff. Those details are expected to be addressed in subsequent administrative and financial orders, the department indicated.
As the changes await formal completion of statutory and administrative steps, district authorities and elected representatives will be closely watching follow-up notifications that will set out staff postings, budget realignments and operational guidelines for the new Zilla Praja Parishads.
