Introduction

Panchayat Raj is an innovative experiment in the making of modern India.

The Balwantrai Mehta Committee has recommended a three-tier Panchayat Raj system to involve rural people in rural development. Accordingly, the Government of Maharashtra passed the Maharashtra Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti Act 1961 on 1StMay 1962 and established a three-tier Panchayat Raj at the district level, Panchayat Samiti at the district level and Gram Panchayat at the village level. According to the committee’s recommendation, Dhule Zilla Parishad has been formed and under Dhule Zilla Parishad there are four panchayat committees namely Dhule, Sakri, Shinkheda, Shirpur and there are 557 Gram Panchayats.

Dhule district is bordered by Jalgaon district to the east, Nashik district to the south, Nemad district of Madhya Pradesh to the north and Nandurbar district to the west. Dhule district is generally triangular in shape. Important rivers in the district are Tapi, Panzra, Burai, Arunavati, Aner, Bori, Kan.The district headquarters Dhule is situated on the Mumbai-Agra and Nagpur-Surat national highways and is 343 km from the state capital.