2 min readMay 26, 2026 11:40 AM IST
The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to extend the tenure of existing gram pradhans (village head) by six months and appoint them as administrators in village panchayats, amid delays in panchayat elections in the state. The five-year tenure of the present gram panchayats ends Tuesday, May 26.
The delay follows the state government’s recent decision to constitute an Other Backward Classes (OBC) commission to examine reservation in the Panchayati Raj institutions. The panel has been given six months to submit its report on the OBC reservation.
According to an official order issued by the Panchayati Raj department, the gram panchayats constituted after the 2021 local body elections will complete their term on May 26, 2026. Referring to provisions of the UP Panchayat Raj Act, 1947, the government said that in situations where elections cannot be conducted before the completion of tenure due to unavoidable circumstances or public interest, an administrative arrangement can be made for up to six months.
Under this arrangement, the current gram pradhans will continue as ‘prashasak’ (administrator) from May 27 onwards to carry out routine administrative work in village panchayats until new panchayats are constituted after fresh polls or for a maximum period of six months, whichever is earlier.
District magistrates have been authorised to formally appoint outgoing gram pradhans as administrators in their respective panchayats.
The government has, however, made it clear that these administrators will not be allowed to take policy-related decisions. Any proposal involving policy matters in exceptional or urgent circumstances will require approval from the DM through the District Panchayat Raj Officer.
