 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
| District Council (Zilla Parishad) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | Zilla Parishad, District Panchayat |
| Level of government | District (Rural local government) |
| Part of | Panchayati Raj System |
| Constituting instrument |
|
| Jurisdiction | Entire district (except urban areas/municipal areas) |
| Constituencies / Wards | Each district divided into territorial constituencies (number varies by population and state law) |
| Head | President |
| Deputy Head | Vice president |
| Administrative officer (Secretary) | Chief Executive Officer (IAS/State Civil Service) |
| Term length | 5 years |
| Voting system | First-past-the-post |
| Parent department | Ministry of Panchayati Raj |
TheZila Panchayat orDistrict Development Council orZilla Parishad orDistrict Panchayat is the third tier of thePanchayati Raj system and functions at thedistrict levels in all states. A Zila Parishad is an elected local body representing the entire rural area of a district. A District Panchayat is headed by a president, (also known asAdhyaksha), who is elected from among its elected members. The vice president (Upadhyaksha) assists the president. The executive functions are carried out by the chief executive officer or secretary, a senior administrative officer appointed by thestate government. The Zila parishad acts as the link between the state government and the block-levelBlock Panchayat.[1]
The District Panchayat oversees development planning, coordination, and implementation of government schemes across rural areas of the district.[1]
Zila Parishad are Panchayats at Apex or District Level in Panchayat Raj Institutions, and Gram Panchayat is the base unit at village level inPanchayati Raj Institutions.
The 73rd Amendment is aboutGovernments' (which are also known as Panchayati Raj Institutions[1]
The Zilla Parishad is headed by a president and vice president. The Zilla Parishad consists of a president and vice president, elected members and ex-officio members and various standing committees.
The Zilla Parishad encompasses the entire area of Gram Panchayats within that respective district. This Zila Parishad area is divided into divisions, and each represented by a member, elected by the people of that division.
The chairmen of all thePanchayat Samitis under the district are the ex officio members of Zila Parishad.
The chief executive officer, who is an IAS officer or state civil service officer, heads the administrative setup of the Zila Parishad. He/ She supervises the divisions of the parishad and is assisted by deputy CEOs and other officials at district- and block-level officers. The deputy chief executive officer from General Administration department at district level is ex-officio secretary of Zila Parishad.
Elections occur every 5 years. The Zilla Parishad is divided into divisions or wards, and people in each division vote for their representative. These elected members, along with the president and vice president, form the Zilla Parishad. The president and vice president in a Zilla Parishad are elected from among the elected meffice for elected members in a Zilla Parishad, including the president and vice-president, is typically five years. All people over the age of 18 who are residents of the territory of that district's Zilla Parishad can vote.[2]
Elections are conducted by the respectivestate election commissions.
The chief executive officer (CEO), who is acivil servant underIAS orState Administrative Service cadre, heads the administrative machinery of the Zila Parishad. He is also nominated by the government. He may also be district magistrate in some states. The CEO supervises the divisions of the parishad and executes its development schemes.In some states, like Kerala, the chief executive officer of the District Panchayat is known as the secretary.This provision is by the 73rd Amendment Act, 1992.
