Kolkata, 20 September (H.S.): West Bengal may appoint administrators at the gram panchayat level in cases where elected panchayat heads remain unavailable for an extended period, Panchayats and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh indicated during a recent administrative review in north Bengal.

The West Bengal Assembly has already passed the West Bengal Panchayats (Second Amendment) Bill, 2026, which provides for the appointment of an administrator when both the pradhan and upa-pradhan remain unavailable for more than 15 days and no elected member is willing to take charge. The administrator can be an Extension Officer or an officer of a higher rank and can be appointed for a maximum period of 30 days at a time.

Ghosh made the remarks while reviewing the functioning of panchayats in Cooch Behar and Alipurduar on Sunday. According to reports, several gram panchayats have been facing administrative difficulties following no-confidence motions, resignations of pradhans and delays in the formation of new boards.

The minister said steps were being taken to resolve such issues and restore normal functioning of the panchayats.

The amended law is intended to prevent a prolonged administrative stalemate and ensure that public services and development work do not come to a halt because elected office-bearers are unavailable.

The legislation also provides mechanisms for dealing with situations in which the pradhan and upa-pradhan remain absent and financial or administrative work is affected. During the administrator's tenure, the administrator is empowered to perform the functions and duties of the gram panchayat as provided under the amended law.

The West Bengal government's Panchayats and Rural Development Department is headed by Dilip Ghosh.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey