Three Tier Structure

The 73rd Amendment gave every State a uniform three-tier structure of Panchayati Raj institutions. At the base is the Gram Panchayat, covering a single village or a group of villages. Above it sits an intermediate level, generally called the Mandal, Block, or Taluka Panchayat, covering a cluster of Gram Panchayats — though this intermediate tier need not be set up in smaller States. At the apex is the Zilla Panchayat, covering the entire rural area of a district. Alongside this three-tier elected structure, the amendment also made the creation of a Gram Sabha mandatory in every Panchayat area. The Gram Sabha is not itself an elected body — it comprises all the adult members of that Panchayat area who are registered as voters, meaning every eligible adult resident is automatically a member. Exactly what powers and functions the Gram Sabha actually has is not fixed by the Constituti …