Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB), Government of India — Ministry of Panchayati Raj PIB Delhi Read the original release on pib.gov.in
- 'Everyone's plan, everyone's development' started; Special Gram Sabhas set the stage for Panchayat Development Plans 2027-28
On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, special gram sabhas were organized across the country. More than 24 lakh special gram sabhas were organized on GPDP portal (https://gpdp.nic.in) and Panchayat Decision portal (https://meetingonline.gov.in). Local residents, elected representatives, Panchayat officials and officials actively participated in these Gram Sabhas. Along with these special Gram Sabhas, the Jan Yojana Campaign 2026-27, “Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas” was also launched, under which Panchayats will prepare their Panchayat Development Plans for the financial year 2027-28. In these 2.42 lakh special Gram Sabhas, schemes and major initiatives of various ministries and departments of the Government of India - mainly the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Department of Rural Development, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Department of Consumer Interest, Department of Food and Public Distribution, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and Department of Land Resources were specifically discussed.
Special Gram Sabhas provided a direct platform for rural citizens to participate in discussions on major government initiatives and issues of local importance. The wide-ranging deliberations covered several areas such as better transfer of Central Finance Commission grants to Panchayats, financial self-reliance through own revenues, secure property and land rights, assured employment and livelihood, safe drinking water and sanitation, water security, food security, consumer protection and economic empowerment of women. In these meetings, agenda and awareness materials highlighting key government initiatives including transformative governance reforms and citizen-centric measures undertaken in the last twelve years were read out and discussed. Local residents, elected representatives, Panchayat officials and officials actively participated and shared their experiences, viewpoints and suggestions, which would contribute to enriching the Gram Panchayat development plans. The nationwide organization of these special Gram Sabhas was made possible by the coordinated efforts of partner ministries and departments, their grassroots level functionaries and My India volunteers. Their engagement at the state, district, block and gram panchayat levels helped facilitate meaningful dialogue on citizen-centric plans and initiatives, as well as at the grassroots level. public participation And to communicate shored up . Adopting a whole of government approach, Dr. Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj along with senior officials of the Ministry and other Ministries and Departments of the Government of India maintained constant touch with the officials of the States and Union Territories throughout the day, reviewed the progress of the Special Gram Sabhas held across the country and facilitated close coordination in the spirit of cooperative federalism. The coordinated efforts of the States and Union Territories, with the support of their Panchayati Raj Departments, District Administrations and grassroots level functionaries, ensured the smooth conduct of this unprecedented nationwide exercise.
public planning campaign 2026-27 ‘everyone's plan, development of all‘
The Jan Yojana campaign, being run by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with 21 Ministries and Departments of the Government of India, reflects the ‘Whole of Government’ vision under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The Ministry has been running the Jan Yojana Campaign in all States and Union Territories since 2018 to enable Panchayats to prepare evidence-based, holistic and participatory plans. Under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, the Ministry provides training and capacity building support on nine themes of local development. More than 25 lakh Gram Panchayats prepare participatory Gram Panchayat Development Plans and upload them on the e-Gramswaraj portal, while the Panchayat Unnati Index helps each Gram Panchayat identify its achievements and shortcomings. On this basis, the Gram Sabha can take resolutions on priority areas, thereby furthering the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals and the vision of a developed India.
Major reforms and achievements presented in special gram sabhas
Strong and self-reliant Panchayats (Ministry of Panchayati Raj). The Sixteenth Finance Commission has recommended ₹4,35,236 crore for rural local bodies for the year 2026-31, which is about 84 percent more than the Fifteenth Finance Commission. With this, the per capita annual grant has increased from approximately ₹ 400 to approximately ₹ 950. More than 57 lakh taxpayers and 15 lakh properties have been registered on the Samarth Panchayat portal, and incentives up to ₹1 crore are given under the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Special Award. Panchayat accounting now follows the six-tier structure followed by the central and state governments, and more than 2.5 lakh Panchayati Raj institutions have been linked to the AuditOnline system. Under the Village Population and Mapping Survey with Advanced Technology in Rural Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme, 3.33 crore property cards have been generated for 2.06 lakh villages, loans worth about ₹1,713 crore have been sanctioned and recognition of women as property owners has been encouraged.
Employment and Livelihood (Department of Rural Development). Under the Vikas Bharat Guaranteed Employment and Livelihood Mission (Rural), implemented from July 1, 2026, eligible rural households are assured 125 days of wage employment in each financial year, with attendance recorded through face authentication and digital payments. So far, more than 31.69 crore person-days have been generated, more than 2.81 crore workers from about 2.23 crore families have been employed, and work is in progress in about 2.31 lakh gram panchayats. States and Union Territories have been given an interim allocation of ₹93,841 crore for 2026-27, and the developed Gram Panchayat Scheme enables the Gram Sabha to decide actions as per local needs.
Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation (Drinking Water and Sanitation Department). Under Jal Jeevan Mission, tap water connections in rural areas have increased from about 3.23 crore households (17 per cent) to over 16 crore (over 80 per cent), and ‘Jal Arpan’ for transfer of complete water supply schemes to gram panchayats and communities was also highlighted. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), 12.22 crore household toilets have been constructed and more than 5.25 lakh villages (89.6 per cent) have declared themselves open defecation free (MOD). On the occasion of the conclusion of Swachhta Hi Seva 2026, Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 were discussed in the Gram Sabhas.
water security (water resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Department). Water Harvesting Public Participation: Under the Catch the Rain programme, more than 1.55 crore artificial recharge and storage structures have been constructed with community participation, and the first phase impact study has estimated groundwater recharge at 2.43 billion cubic metres. Funds have been increased to ₹22,000 per hectare in plain areas and ₹28,000 per hectare in hilly and inaccessible areas under the revised watershed development norms, and the project period has been reduced from seven years to five years. The Gram Sabha activities under Catch the Rain were aimed at raising awareness about rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and community-led water conservation. Local communities, Panchayati Raj representatives and district officials actively participated in the program which included technical guidance, demonstration of awareness videos, tree plantation and labor donation along with activities water oath Was also given. To reinforce the message of conserving every drop of rain water and promoting collective action towards sustainable water management. Catch The Rain (CTR) Anthem Also played and performed.
Food Safety and Consumer Protection (Department of Food and Public Distribution and Department of Consumer Affairs). Under One Nation One Ration Card, about 3.27 crore portability transactions take place every month, and free food grains are provided to 81.35 crore beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which has been extended till 2028. The National Consumer Helpline, available in 17 languages, received 3,42,371 calls in August 2026, compared to 78,477 in August 2019, and over Rs 105 crore has been refunded since April 2025. The e-Jagruti platform has disposed of more than 2.55 lakh cases out of 2.81 lakh cases and has received the Silver Award in the National e-Governance Awards 2026.
Digital Land Records (Department of Land Resources). Under the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme, 99.90 per cent of records of rights and 97.4 per cent of cadastral maps have been digitised. Citizens can access land records online in 31 states and UTs, and download digitally signed records in 24 states/UTs, protecting owners from fraudulent mutations and facilitating easy access to credit.
Awareness of other major national initiatives
Many Ministries/Departments provided valuable support in ensuring awareness at the village level. The Ministry of Home Affairs helped spread awareness about new criminal laws, such as the Indian Judicial Code, the Indian Civil Defense Code and the Indian Empowerment Act; Ministry of Cooperation in Digital Transformation and Cooperation Strengthening; Ministry of Women and Child Development in Child Marriage Free India; And the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment supported the Drug Free India campaign to create safe, healthy, child marriage free and drug free villages.
These special Gram Sabhas re-emphasized the Gram Sabha as the foundation of participatory democracy and local governance. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is ready to prepare people-centric Panchayat Development Plans for 2027-28 under the Jan Yojana Abhiyan, so that strong, self-reliant and developed Panchayats can be created as part of the broader effort of a developed India.
For detailed information on reforms of participating Ministries/Departments: click here
This is the official press release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), and is published without changes.
