AP To Reconstitute Zilla Parishads, One For Each Of 28 Districts
Each zilla parishad will be administered by a chief executive officer (CEO) and a deputy chief executive officer (DCEO) along with support staff: Reports
VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh government has decided to reorganise the existing 13 zilla praja parishads (ZPPs) and reconstitute into 28 ZPPs corresponding to the state's present 28 districts. As per G.O. 114 that panchayat raj and rural development department issued on Friday, the new zilla praja parishads would have territorial jurisdictions corresponding to their respective new districts, comprising the mandal praja parishads within those districts. The restructuring will be effective once the term of the elected bodies of the existing 13 ZPPs expires on September 24, 2026 in accordance with the Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj Act, 1994.
Andhra Pradesh has initially reorganised the erstwhile 13 districts into 26 districts with effect from April 4, 2022. Markapuram and Polavaram districts had subsequently been constituted through Gazette notifications issued on November 27, 2025, taking the total number of districts in Andhra Pradesh to 28. Under the new arrangement, mandal praja parishads (MPPs) within each district will form part of the corresponding ZPP for district-level panchayat raj administration. It will plan, coordinate, monitor, and implement the rural development programmes in the respective district. In all, there are a total 660 MPPs in the ZPPs, as per the district-wise annexures. State government has sanctioned 30 additional posts to provide dedicated executive leadership to the 28 ZPPs. These include 15 chief executive officer (CEO) posts and 15 deputy chief executive officer (DCEO) posts. The number of CEO and DCEO posts has increased from 13 each to 28 each.
The pay scale for ZPP CEOs has been fixed at ₹80,910–₹1,66,680, while that of DCEOs is ₹65,360–₹1,54,980. Existing ministerial and supporting staff will be rationalised and apportioned among the 28 ZPPs based on the number of mandals, territorial jurisdiction, workload, functional requirements, and prescribed staffing norms.
State government has directed the commissioner, panchayat raj and rural development, to ensure proper mapping of all mandal praja parishads to the corresponding ZPPs and reflect the arrangement in official records and administrative systems. District collectors, ZPP CEOs and mandal authorities have been asked to facilitate the transition.
The order will come into force after September 24, subject to statutory notifications and completion of the required legislative, administrative, and financial formalities.