In India, ward members are key players in local self-governance, acting as a link between people and the panchayat administration. These elected representatives bring up local concerns, keep an eye on essential services, and help plan development projects in villages. In 2025, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have different ways of paying their ward members. Bihar provides a regular monthly honorarium to give grassroots workers a stable income, while Uttar Pradesh sticks with a system where members are paid based on meetings. This shows how each state has its own priorities and financial plans for local governance. If you want to know in detail about the Panchayati Raj System in India, please check that also.
Who is a Ward Member?
A Ward Member, or Panch in some places, is someone who gets elected to represent a specific area called a ward, which is the smallest part of a village or town government. They are chosen during local elections and are there to look out for the needs and interests of the people in their community.
Responsibilities of a Ward Member
The following is the fundamental job profile of a ward member.
- Local Representation: They listen to the needs and concerns of people in their area and bring them up in meetings.
- Development Planning: They help plan and approve smaller projects like roads, water supply, sanitation, and streetlights.
- Monitoring Services: They keep an eye on government programs like MGNREGA, PDS, and sanitation efforts in their area.
- Grievance Redressal: They deal with complaints from locals about civic issues and assist them in getting government services.
- Community Participation: They get people involved in meetings to make sure everything is open and accountable.
- Health and Education: They work with health workers and schools to ensure proper services are provided and raise concerns when things aren't right.
In short, a ward member connects the government with the people to improve basic services and support local growth.
If you are interested to know Panchayat Secretary Salary 2025 in Bihar, UP, Telangana, Kerala, you can also check that.
Ward Member Salary Per Month
The pay for different states vary for ward members as each state has a unique way of Panchayati Raj management. Though fundamental remain same in accordance with constitutional provisions, the actual responsibility lies with the respective state government. Let's discuss each state in detail along with salary structure.
Ward Member Salary Per Month in Bihar
In April 2024, the Bihar cabinet, headed by Nitish Kumar, decided to double the honoraria for rural panchayat members just before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Now, ward members will get ₹800 a month, an increase from the previous ₹500. Mukhiya and Sarpanch will each receive ₹5,000 a month, while Up-Mukhiya and Up-Sarpanch will get ₹2,500. These payments will be made directly into their bank accounts, and all wards will have the same rates. There's also a provision of ₹5 lakh compensation for the families of members in case they pass away.
Check More: Block Development Officer Salary 2025 in Bihar
Also read: SDM Salary in Bihar
Read in detail: BPSC Salary and Bihar Public Service Commission
Important Read: Sarpanch Salary in Bihar
Ward Member Salary Per Month in Uttar Pradesh
Since December 2021, CM Yogi Adityanath raised the monthly pay for Gram Pradhans (Village Heads) from ₹3,500 to ₹5,000. Ward Members earn a sitting fee of ₹100 per meeting, and they can have up to 12 meetings each year, which adds up to about ₹1,200 a year.
For higher positions, Kshetra Panchayat members get ₹1,000 for each of their 6 meetings, while Zila Panchayat members earn ₹1,500 per meeting, also for 6 meetings.
Ward Member Salary Per Month in Assam
Before we dive deep into salary details, let's understand some important provisions:
- Legal Basis: According to the Assam Panchayat Act from 1994 and the 2002 rules, all three levels (GP, AP, ZP) are entitled to monthly pay and allowances.
- Payment System: Since February 2023, the state government has started making regular monthly payments through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). This includes around 23,204 GP members, 2,167 AP members, and 413 ZP members.
- Funding Mechanism: The payments come from the 6th Assam State Finance Commission grant because local bodies don't have enough revenue to pay salaries on their own.
- Recent Cabinet Action: In August 2023, the Assam cabinet approved the payment of overdue arrears and ongoing pay, showing support for PRI members.
Note: There haven’t been any official updates on monthly figures after 2015. Current payments follow the Assam government’s DBT schedule instead of a fixed amount.
Position | Monthly Remuneration (₹) | Payment Mode | Funding Source | Legal Provision / Notes |
Gaon Panchayat Member | Not fixed | As per attendance/ | Paid by State via devolution grant (DBT) | Assam Panchayat Act, 1994 – recent cabinet approval ensures regular payment |
Anchalik (Block) Panchayat Member | Not fixed | As per attendance/ | Paid by State via devolution grant (DBT) | Same provision applies across tiers |
Zilla Parishad Member | Not fixed | As per attendance/ | Paid by State via devolution grant (DBT) | Monthly rems and allowances reinstated by cabinet (25 Aug 2023) |
(Historic Reference — 2015) | ZP president ₹10,000; VP ₹7,500; member ₹3,500; AP president ₹7,500; VP ₹5,000; member ₹2,500; GP president ₹5,000; VP ₹3,000; member ₹1,500 |
Ward members in Assam get paid every month, but the exact amount isn't clearly stated. They started receiving regular payments again in February 2023 through a direct benefit transfer under the 6th Finance Commission grant.
Back in 2015, GP members earned ₹1,500 a month, but this is probably higher now since there have been changes since 2023, even though the current figures aren’t available yet.
The government has also approved a plan to clear past dues and keep making payments on time.
Ward Member Salary Per Month in Odisha
Starting March 12, 2024, the Odisha government raised the sitting allowances: ward-level members will now get ₹480 a day, while zilla parishad members will receive ₹600 a day.
Ward members don’t have a regular monthly salary; they only get paid ₹480 for each meeting they attend.
Other PRI officials like Naib Sarpanch and Sarpanch have set monthly payments listed in a table.
The allowances and honoraria come from state funds through direct bank transfers, managed by the Panchayat department.
If a ward-level PRI member passes away while on duty, their family can get ₹2 lakh, and those who suffer full or partial disability are entitled to ₹1–2 lakh.
Category | Honorarium Fixed Monthly | Daily Allowance & Sitting Fee | Payment Mode | Legal Basis & Notes |
Ward Member (GP level) | No fixed monthly salary | ₹480/day | Paid per meeting/DBT | Daily allowance and sitting fee increased from ₹240 to ₹480 in Mar 2024 hike. No statutory fixed salary; only pay per meeting. | |
Naib Sarpanch | ₹4,000/month | ₹480/day | DBT via Panchayat Dept | Monthly honorarium fixed at ₹4,000; full-day allowance hiked from ₹240 to ₹480 . |
Sarpanch | ₹10,000/month | ₹480/day | DBT | Monthly honorarium fixed; daily sitting allowance increased . |
Panchayat Samiti Member | ₹7,500/month | ₹480/day | DBT | Remuneration and sitting fees similarly revised . |
PS Chairman | ₹15,000/month | ₹480/day | DBT | Revised from ₹3,530 to ₹15,000; allowance hiked . |
Zilla Parishad Member | ₹10,000/month | ₹600/day | DBT | Monthly pay up from ₹3,530; sitting allowance raised to ₹600 . |
ZP Vice‐President | ₹20,000/month | ₹600/day | DBT | Hiked from ₹7,040; daily fee also increased . |
ZP President | ₹30,000/month | ₹600/day | DBT | Increased from ₹9,380; daily sitting allowance similarly doubled . |
Ward Member Salary Per Month in Kerala
Ward-level members in Kerala are getting ₹7,000 a month right now. The vice-presidents and presidents earn more, based on a 2016 Government Order.
As of 2025, nothing's changed officially, so unless a new Government Order comes out, those 2016 numbers still apply.
If you hear talk about pay going up, that's just chatter unless there's an official update.
To find out about any changes, it's best to check the official website or the Finance Department's G.O. section.
Position / Tier | Monthly Honorarium (₹) |
Gram Panchayat Member | ₹7,000 |
GP Vice‑President | ₹10,600 |
GP President | ₹13,200 |
GP Standing Committee Chair | ₹8,200 |
Block Panchayat Member | ₹7,600 |
Block Panchayat Vice‑President | ₹12,000 |
Block Panchayat President | ₹14,600 |
District Panchayat Member | ₹8,800 |
District Panchayat Vice‑President | ₹13,200 |
District Panchayat President | ₹15,800 |
Municipality Councillor | ₹7,600 |
Municipality Chairman | ₹14,600 |
Corporation Councillor | ₹8,200 |
Corporation Mayor | ₹15,800 |
