Chapter Overview

In February 2025 Chhattisgarh voted in two rounds of local elections. Urban bodies polled on 11 February and the three-tier panchayats on 17, 20 and 23 February. The panchayat round alone covered about 1.75 lakh posts, from 433 Zila Panchayat members down to over 1.6 lakh Panchs. That is the “third tier” of government that the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments created in 1992. In a state where about 30% of the population is Scheduled Tribe (Census 2011), it also includes the special regime of PESA (पेसा) for Fifth Schedule areas.

This chapter covers how local government works in Chhattisgarh: the state laws, the bodies, who is elected and how, the reservation rules, and the two constitutional commissions that keep the system running. The national framework (Parts IX and IXA of the Constitution) is in Local Government in India. Here the focus is on Chhattisgarh.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this chapter, you’ll be able to:

Describe the three-tier structure under the Chhattisgarh Panchayat Raj Adhiniyam, 1993 (छत्तीसगढ़ पंचायत राज अधिनियम, 1993): Gram Panchayat, Janpad Panchayat and Zila Panchayat
State the reservation rules, including 50% for women in panchayats (since 2008) and the 2024 change to OBC reservation
Explain PESA, 1996 and Chhattisgarh’s PESA Rules, notified on 8 August 2022, and what powers they give the Gram Sabha
Name the three kinds of urban local bodies and the 14 municipal corporations of the state, and track the direct/indirect mayor election switches of 2019 and 2024
Explain the roles of the State Election Commission (Art. 243K / 243ZA) and the State Finance Commission (Art. 243I / 243Y)
Write a balanced Mains answer on decentralisation in Chhattisgarh’s tribal and urban areas

Prerequisites

Local Government in India: the 73rd and 74th Amendments, Parts IX and IXA, Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules
Formation of the State and Administrative Structure: divisions, districts and blocks, the units that Zila and Janpad Panchayats map onto
Tribes of Chhattisgarh: the communities whose self-rule PESA protects

Learning Path

Follow these topics in order:

graph TD
    A["1. 73rd Amendment in one look"] --> B["2. CG Panchayat Raj Adhiniyam, 1993"]
    B --> C["3. Gram Sabha, Gram Panchayat, Janpad, Zila Panchayat"]
    C --> D["4. Reservation and the 2025 panchayat polls"]
    D --> E["5. Fifth Schedule areas and PESA, 1996"]
    E --> F["6. CG PESA Rules, 2022"]
    F --> G["7. Urban local bodies: Nigam, Palika, Nagar Panchayat"]
    G --> H["8. State Election Commission and State Finance Commission"]
    H --> I["Quick Revision"]

Topics in This Chapter

#	Topic	What it covers	Read time
1	Three-Tier Panchayati Raj in Chhattisgarh	73rd Amendment, CG Panchayat Raj Adhiniyam 1993, Gram Sabha and the three tiers, elections, reservation, 2025 polls	15 min
2	PESA in the Scheduled Areas of Chhattisgarh	Fifth Schedule, Bhuria Committee, PESA 1996, CG PESA Rules 2022, Gram Sabha powers, issues	14 min
3	Urban Local Bodies in Chhattisgarh	74th Amendment, three types of ULBs, 14 municipal corporations, mayor election changes, 2025 civic polls	12 min
4	State Election Commission and State Finance Commission	Articles 243K/243ZA and 243I/243Y, powers, independence, CG practice	10 min
—	Quick Revision	Every article, date and number of this chapter on one page	4 min

Where It Is Asked

Exam Focus

Prelims P-I (Chhattisgarh part): names of the tiers (Janpad, not “Panchayat Samiti”), women’s reservation (50%), PESA Rules date, number of municipal corporations, the direct/indirect mayor switch, and article numbers for the SEC and SFC. Statement-based questions mix national rules with Chhattisgarh’s own choices.
Prelims P-I (India part): the 73rd/74th Amendment articles and schedules, PESA’s Gram Sabha powers.
Mains P-III GS-I (Constitution and Public Administration): decentralisation, PESA implementation in Bastar and Surguja, finances of local bodies, role of the SEC and SFC.
Interview: “Has PESA really empowered the Gram Sabha in Bastar?” is a natural board question for a candidate from the state.

Quick Reference

Fact	Detail
State panchayat law	Chhattisgarh Panchayat Raj Adhiniyam, 1993 (adopted from the MP law on state formation)
Three tiers	Gram Panchayat (village) → Janpad Panchayat (block) → Zila Panchayat (district)
Janpad Panchayats	146, one per development block (CAG data)
Women’s reservation in panchayats	50% since the Chhattisgarh Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Act, 2008
2025 panchayat polls	17, 20 and 23 February 2025; ballot paper; non-party basis
Posts in the 2025 panchayat polls	433 Zila members, 2,973 Janpad members, 11,672 Sarpanchs, 1,60,180 Panchs
PESA	Central Act of 24 December 1996; CG PESA Rules notified 8 August 2022
Scheduled Areas coverage (MoPR data, Dec 2025)	13 districts fully and 6 partly scheduled; 85 blocks, 5,050 panchayats, 9,977 villages
Urban law	CG Municipal Corporation Act, 1956 and CG Municipalities Act, 1961 (adopted August 2001)
Municipal corporations	14 (as of 2025)
Mayor election	Indirect for 2019–20 polls; direct again from the February 2025 polls
State Election Commission	Art. 243K (panchayats), 243ZA (municipalities)
State Finance Commission	Art. 243I (panchayats), 243Y (municipalities); every 5 years

Start Learning

Ready to begin? Start with the first topic:

→ Three-Tier Panchayati Raj in Chhattisgarh