Chittoor Zilla Parishad To Split Into Three, Opening Up More Political Posts
Chittoor Zilla Parishad will be split into three bodies for Chittoor, Tirupati and Annamayya districts, creating more political and administrative posts.
The state government’s decision to restructure the combined Chittoor Zilla Parishad into three separate ZPs has opened up new political positions in Chittoor, Tirupati, and Annamayya districts ahead of the local body elections.
Panchayat Raj and Rural Development special chief secretary Kantilal Dande has issued orders reconstituting the zilla parishads, paving the way for separate elected bodies in the three districts, thereby increasing the number of top political positions.
The existing combined Chittoor ZP has one chairperson and two vice chairpersons, while each of the three new ZPs will have one chairperson and two vice-chairpersons. This will result in three chairperson and six vice-chairperson posts, giving political parties more positions to fill with local leaders.
The breakup will redraw the ZPTC electoral field in the three districts. The existing combined Chittoor ZP has 65 ZPTC seats. Under the new arrangement, Chittoor district will have 27 ZPTC seats, Tirupati 35. and Annamayya 25 seats, totalling to 87.
State government had reorganised the districts in April 2022. But the ZPs continued as combined bodies as their elected governing councils remained in office. Their term ends on September 24, allowing the government to bring the elected rural local-body structure in line with the new districts before the local body elections.
The administrative breakup will involve the division and transfer of the existing Chittoor ZP’s assets, rights, liabilities, records, and staff to the newly formed ZPs of Tirupati and Annamayya. Each ZP will have a separate administrative setup, with one CEO and one Deputy CEO. Thus, the three districts will have three CEOs and three Deputy CEOs.
The new ZP administrations are expected to start functioning from September 25, immediately after the existing governing body’s term ends. In Tirupati district, officials have proposed operating the ZP from the MPDO office at Chandragiri for the time being. In Annamayya district, the ZP office is proposed to be established at the ZP bungalow campus in Madanapalle.
