Daily PIB Highlights

People’s Plan Campaign (PPC): Strengthening Grassroot Governance, Fostering Inclusive Growth

 Introduction

The Gram Panchayat, as the foundational tier of India’s three-tier Panchayati Raj system, plays a pivotal role in ensuring participatory democracy and inclusive rural development, which is institutionalised through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992. Article 243G empowers them to prepare plans for these objectives, making Panchayats central to the vision of Viksit Bharat (Developed India).

Background and Rationale

• • Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) serves as the main planning tool for villages, promoting bottom-up planning and aligning with the 29 subjects in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution.
  • Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) act as the closest interface between citizens and governance, delivering basic services such as water, sanitation, roads, education, health, and nutrition.
  • The planning process not only strengthens democratic participation but also contributes directly to the localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a thematic convergence approach adopted by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP)

The GPDP is a comprehensive and participatory planning exercise that identifies local priorities, mobilizes available resources, and aligns with the broader goals of economic development and social justice. Panchayats at different levels prepare:

1. GPDP – by Gram Panchayats

2. BPDP – by Block Panchayats

3. DPDP – by District Panchayats

These plans are integrated to ensure horizontal and vertical convergence in planning and implementation. Since 2018, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have been involved in preparing Village Prosperity and Resilience Plans (VPRPs), adding community-based perspectives and ensuring gender-sensitive and inclusive planning.

People’s Plan Campaign (PPC): Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas

The People’s Plan Campaign (PPC) 2025–26 was launched on 2nd October 2025 across all States and Union Territories to prepare Panchayat Development Plans for FY 2026–27. People’s Plan Campaign (PPC) under the theme “Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas” was conceived to institutionalize participatory, convergent, and evidence-based planning at the grassroots. Conducted annually, the campaign mobilizes:

• • Elected Representatives,
  • Frontline workers,
  • Self-Help Groups (SHGs),
  • Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)
  • Local citizens.

The PPC ensures that the voices of all sections, especially marginalized and women groups, are reflected in local development plans. It also enhances transparency and accountability through public information campaigns and display of schemes and finances in Gram Panchayat offices.

Objectives of the Campaign

1. Prepare participatory, comprehensive and convergent development plans (GPDP, BPDP, DPDP) in a time-bound manner.

2. Integrate SDGs into Panchayat Development Plans through nine thematic clusters for Localization of SDGs (LSDGs).

3. Strengthen gender-responsive governance by involving Women Elected Representatives (WERs) and SHGs.

4. Promote transparency, convergence, and accountability in local governance.

5. Empower Gram Sabhas to act as platforms for deliberation, review, and prioritization of local projects.

Key Features

• • Collaboration with 20 Line Ministries/Departments to ensure convergence and coordinated grassroots action.
  • Conduct of Special Gram Sabhas to formally launch planning activities.
  • Use of digital tools such as eGramSwaraj, Meri Panchayat App, and Panchayat NIRNAY for reviewing earlier GPDPs and tracking progress.
  • Introduction of Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) as a guiding tool for performance-based planning.
  • Promotion of SabhaSaar application to enhance deliberative efficiency.
  • Focus on enhancing Panchayats’ Own Source Revenue (OSR) and local accountability.
  • Special focus on tribal empowerment through the Adi Karmayogi Abhiyaa

The campaign emphasizes reviewing past performance, identifying unfinished works, and ensuring effective utilization of unspent Central Finance Commission (CFC) grants.

Achievements

As per eGramSwaraj Portal data (as of 29 July 2025):

• • Over 18.13 lakh Panchayat Development Plans have been uploaded since 2019–20.
    • 17.73 lakh GPDPs
    • 35,755 BPDPs
    • 3,469 DPDPs

These plans have contributed to better convergence, greater local ownership, and alignment of grassroots priorities with national and global development goals.

Conclusion

The People’s Plan Campaign stands as a transformative reform in decentralized planning & has empowered Panchayats as engines of self-reliance, accountability, and participatory development, thereby advancing the vision of “Viksit Panchayats for Viksit Bharat.”