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Centre Hosts Two-Day National Workshop on Panchayat Development Plans

The Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organizing a two-day national workshop on May 5-6 to focus on panchayat development plans. The event will launch a People's Plan Campaign booklet, a Quality GPDP booklet, and a revamped eGramSwaraj planning portal. Discussions will cover thematic development plans and the 16th Finance Commission grants framework. The workshop aims to strengthen data-driven, participatory grassroots planning for measurable rural outcomes.

Key Points: Centre Hosts Panchayat Development Plans Workshop

  • Two-day workshop on May 5-6 in New Delhi
  • Launch of People's Plan Campaign booklet and revamped eGramSwaraj portal
  • Focus on 10 thematic areas including livelihoods, health, and women's empowerment
  • Aligns Panchayat Development Plans with 16th Finance Commission conditions
2 min read

Centre to host two-day meet on panchayat development plans

Union Panchayati Raj Ministry holds a two-day workshop to strengthen grassroots planning, launch People's Plan Campaign, and align Panchayat Development Plans with 16th Finance Commission.

"This two-day workshop is aimed at strengthening data-driven, participatory planning at the grassroots level - Official Statement"

New Delhi, May 3

The Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj will organise a two-day national workshop on the preparation of panchayat development plans on Monday and Tuesday at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre here, according to an official statement issued on Sunday.

The inaugural session will also mark the launch of the People's Plan Campaign (PPC) booklet for the Preparation of Panchayat Development Plan (2026-27), the Quality Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) booklet and the revamped eGramSwaraj planning portal. While discussions will be held around themes, such as the evolving role of thematic Panchayat Development Plans and the framework of the 16th Finance Commission grants, the statement said.

Bringing together senior officials of Government of India, representatives of states and union territories and key Panchayati Raj stakeholders, the workshop will feature technical sessions and hands-on group exercises wherein state and UT teams will prepare model plans on the revamped portal across ten thematic areas -- spanning livelihoods, health, child-friendly governance, water sufficiency, sanitation, infrastructure, social justice, good governance, women's empowerment, PESA and Forest Rights Act compliance, the statement explained.

This two-day workshop is aimed at strengthening data-driven, participatory planning at the grassroots level, ensuring that Panchayat Development Plans for the year 2026-27 are aligned with the Sixteenth Finance Commission conditionalities and deliver measurable outcomes for rural communities, contributing to the vision of Viksit Panchayat as the foundational unit of Viksit Bharat.

The workshop will be inaugurated in the presence of Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ashok Meena, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, who will deliver keynote addresses.

Under the Digital India Programme, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj is implementing the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP) across all states and UTs of the country. This initiative aims to revamp the functioning of Panchayats, making them more transparent, accountable, and effective.

As part of this initiative, the Ministry has launched eGramSwaraj, an online planning and accounting application designed to simplify Panchayat activities, such as planning, accounting, and budgeting.

As many as 2.18 lakh gram panchayats of the total 2.68 lakh in the country have already been made service-ready for providing high-speed internet services under the BharatNet project.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Ramesh W
Good to see Ministry of Panchayati Raj finally waking up. I've been a sarpanch in my village for 12 years and the ground reality is very different. Most panchayat secretaries can't even operate basic computers. The eGramSwaraj portal is good but unless we have dedicated technical staff at each panchayat, it'll remain a showpiece. We need people, not just portals.
P
Priya S
The 'People's Plan Campaign' sounds promising but I'm skeptical. In my village, women's voices are rarely heard in gram sabhas. I hope the women's empowerment thematic area actually translates to real participation, not just token representation. Also, 2.18 lakh gram panchayats with high-speed internet is great, but what about the remaining 50,000? That's a huge digital divide. 😕
M
Michael C
Impressive scope - covering everything from livelihoods to forest rights. The inclusion of PESA and FRA compliance is particularly noteworthy, as tribal communities have often been overlooked in mainstream development planning. If implemented sincerely, this could transform rural governance. But India has a long history of well-intentioned schemes failing at the last mile. Let's hope this time is different.
A
Aman W
Bhai, ye sab theek hai but jab tak panchayat elections time pe nahi hote aur proper transparency nahi aati, tab tak kuch nahi badlega. 16th Finance Commission grants are welcome but who will ensure the money actually reaches the village? I want to see audit reports made public in every panchayat. That's real accountability. 💪
J
Jennifer L

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