The Tamil Nadu Government has issued a new Government Order approving the division of 17 large village panchayats into 37 smaller panchayats across eight districts. The restructuring aims to improve governance, ensure efficient service delivery, and manage rapidly expanding rural populations.
A state-level high-level committee reviewed proposals submitted by District Collectors, focusing on large habitations, population density, and administrative challenges. Based on this assessment, oversized panchayats have now been bifurcated or split into multiple units.
Districts Affected
The reorganisation covers panchayats in Chengalpattu, Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Kallakurichi, Karur, Sivagangai, and Tiruchirappalli districts. Some panchayats with 20–35 habitations have been divided into two or more units to ensure better management.
Examples of Major Splits:
Soonampedu Panchayat (Chengalpattu) split into Soonampedu and Illiddu
Thivanshapudur, Masakkavundan Chettipalayam, Pilichi, Pannimadai and others split in Coimbatore
Maniyadahalli Panchayat (Dharmapuri) divided into two units
Sitharevu and R. Kombai Panchayats (Dindigul) restructured
Senthamangalam Panchayat (Kallakurichi) divided into five new panchayats
Kadavur Panchayat (Karur) split into east and west divisions
Kallal Panchayat (Sivagangai) divided into north and south units
Multiple panchayats in Tiruchirappalli including Puthanatham and Kannudayanpatti split into two each
Objective of the Reorganisation
According to the government, the restructuring will:
- Strengthen rural administration
- Improve access to civic services
- Enable better utilization of development funds
- Reduce governance challenges in large habitation clusters
The move marks a significant step in upgrading rural local body governance across Tamil Nadu, ensuring that rapidly growing village populations receive efficient and timely administrative support.