PALGHAR

On 1 August 2014, Thane district underwent a major administrative division, leading to the formation of Maharashtra’s 36th district: Palghar. The newly created district comprises the region located between the Arabian Sea on the west and the Sahyadri mountain range, which was earlier part of Thane. With this separation, Palghar became an independent administrative unit in the state.

The Palghar district consists of the Palghar Lok Sabha constituency, which includes the Vidhan Sabha segments: Boisar, Dahanu, Nalasopara, Palghar, Vasai, and Vikramgad.

Within the Vidhan Parishad, the Palghar District is represented by Thane-Palghar Local Bodies Authorities Constituency, the Konkan Teachers’ Constituency, and the Konkan Graduates Constituency. The Graduates and Teachers’ Constituencies are based on the administrative divisions of Maharashtra.

The given maps provide an overview of the boundaries of the Palghar district and the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha Constituencies that fall within and around it.

The Lok Sabha constituency of Palghar was only established by the fourth delimitation round (implemented by the 2009 elections). This was the first round that occurred after the formation of the district.

The following is the current Member of Parliament (MP) representing Palghar district in the Lok Sabha, as of 2024:

The following are the current Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) representing constituencies in Palghar district, as of 2024:

There is no member from the Palghar district currently in the Rajya Sabha.

The Guardian Minister for Palghar District is Ganesh Naik (BJP).

The following table lists the current Members of the Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad representing Palghar district through various constituencies, as of 2024:

The following are the key administrative heads of Ratnagiri district, as of 2024:

There are 8 Urban Local Bodies in the District: 1 Mahanagar Palika, 7 Nagar Parishad, 1 Nagar Panchayat. There are 473 Gram Panchayats and 8 Panchayat Samiti.

Palghar district was officially carved out of Thane district on 1 August 2014, becoming the 36th district of Maharashtra. The district includes a total of 57 seats and is known for its unique geography, including India's largest urban sea hill. It comprises eight talukas: Jawhar, Mokhada, Talasari, Vasai, Vikramgad, Palghar, Dahanu, and Wada. Since its formation, Palghar has developed its own administrative framework, enabling focused governance and planning to address local needs.

The Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation was established on 3 July 2010, and has grown significantly since then. As of 2023, it comprises a total of 115 wards. Notably, Vasai-Virar City holds the distinction of being the only Metropolitan City in Palghar district with a population exceeding 10 lakhs that also has a Municipal Corporation. Situated in North Mumbai, this city has experienced notable development and urbanization in recent years, making it an important center in the region.

Palghar district is home to three municipal councils that govern urban areas with relatively larger populations and infrastructure. These include the Dahanu Nagar Parishad, Jawahar Nagar Parishad, and Palghar Nagar Parishad. Each council is responsible for providing basic civic services such as water supply, sanitation, waste management, and local road maintenance within its jurisdiction.

Palghar district has four town councils or Nagar Panchayats that cater to smaller towns and transitional areas moving from rural to urban status. These include Mokhada Nagar Panchayat, Talasari Nagar Panchayat, Vikramgad Nagar Panchayat, and Wada Nagar Panchayat. These bodies focus on delivering essential services and supporting planned urban development at a smaller scale.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, there were a total of 10 contestants from Palghar. Out of the 10 contestants, three candidates had criminal cases against them, while none had serious cases registered. The elected MP, Dr. Hemant Vishu Savara, has no criminal cases and is from the BJP.

On 30 August 2024, at the ceremony of the ₹76,200-crore Vadhavan port, protestors led by environmentalists, farmers, and fishermen dmonstrated against the port. The port has been opposed by locals ever since it was first proposed by an Australian company in 1997. Since then, local communities have consistently raised concerns over its environmental and livelihood impact.

The protestors, organized under the banner of the Vadhavan Bandar Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti (VBVSS), argue that the project threatens the coastal ecosystem and endangers traditional fishing-based livelihoods. They highlight that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had previously declared Dahanu as an ecologically fragile zone, imposing restrictions on the establishment of polluting industries. Critics of the port believe its construction will significantly alter local water currents, causing long-term damage to marine biodiversity and the region's environmental balance.

Members of the local communities in the Bhiwandi–Palghar–Dahanu belt are facing the threat of losing their farmlands due to the proposed ₹1.08-lakh crore Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project. Resistance to the project intensified following a notification in November 2017, which stated that gram sabha approval would no longer be necessary for the state government to acquire tribal-owned land through mutual agreements, if the land was required for “vital” public projects.

This move drew strong protests from indigenous and farming communities, who argued that it undermined their land rights. Similar protests had earlier emerged in other regions such as Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Allegations were made against the National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRC) for conducting surveys and taking measurements without informing or seeking the consent of local landowners, thereby deepening distrust and opposition to the project.