Gram panchayat

The Sarpanch, together with other elected panchayat members (referred to as ward panch), constitute gram panchayats and zilla panchayats.

The modern Panchayati Raj and its Gram Panchayats are not to be confused with the extra-constitutional Khap Panchayats found in parts of western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

There are 557 gram panchayats (village councils) and 1,688 Revenue Villages.

Talukas are intermediate level panchayat between the Zilla Parishad (district councils) at the district level and gram panchayat (village councils) at the lower level.

The Shahpur Taluka contains thirty-seven panchayat villages:

16,564 Revenue villages (Village Panchayat) are the primary grassroots level administrative units which in turn might include many villages and administered by a Village Administrative Officer (VAO), many of which form a Revenue Block.

The district has one municipal corporation: Thoothukudi; three municipalities: Kayalpattinam, Kovilpatti and Tiruchendur; eighteen town panchayats: Alwarthirunagiri, Arumuganeri, Athur, Eral, Ettayapuram, Kadambur, Kalugumalai, Kanam, Kayatharu, Nazerath, Perungulam, Sathankulam, Sayapuram, Srivaikuntam, Thenthiruperai, Udangudi, V. Pudur and Vilathikulam and 403 panchayat villages.

He began his involvement in politics at Nandyal gram panchayat and eventually became involved in the national level.

The smallest administrative unit of Gram Panchayats in India is also known as a ward.

On 19 October 2012 Khammam municipality was announced as a Municipal Corporation, with a further 9 gram panchayats added around it which developed in business with the town.