Special gram sabhas held throughout India on Gandhi Jayanti: Panchayati Raj Ministry

New Delhi [India], October 2 (ANI): On the event of Gandhi Jayanti, Special Gram Sabhas had been held throughout the nation, with greater than 2.42 lakh Special Gram Sabhas scheduled on the GPDP Portal and Panchayat NIRNAY Portal.

These Gram Sabhas witnessed enthusiastic and lively participation of native residents, elected representatives, Panchayat functionaries, and officers.

The Special Gram Sabhas additionally marked the graduation of the People’s Plan Campaign 2026-27, “Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas”, below which Panchayats will put together their Panchayat Development Plans for the Financial Year 2027-28.

According to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in these 2.42 lakh particular Gram Sabhas, schemes and pioneering initiatives of the Central Government, below the ministry; the Department of Rural Development; the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation; the Department of Consumer Affairs; the Department of Food and Public Distribution; the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation; and the Department of Land Resources, had been positioned on the centre of the discussions.

The Special Gram Sabhas supplied rural residents with a direct platform to take part in discussions on key authorities initiatives and problems with native relevance. The wide-ranging deliberations lined enhanced devolution of Central Finance Commission grants to Panchayats, monetary self-reliance via Own Source Revenue, safe property and land rights, assured employment and livelihoods, protected consuming water and sanitation, water safety, meals safety, client safety and ladies’s financial empowerment, amongst different areas, the ministry stated.

Agenda and consciousness materials highlighting key authorities initiatives, together with transformative governance reforms and citizen-centric measures undertaken during the last twelve years, had been learn out and deliberated upon. Local residents, elected representatives, Panchayat functionaries and officers actively participated, sharing their experiences, views and strategies, which can contribute to enriching the Gram Panchayat Development Plans. 

The nationwide conduct of those Special Gram Sabhas was supported by the coordinated efforts of associate Ministries and Departments, together with their area and grassroots-level functionaries and MY Bharat volunteers. Their engagement throughout State, District, Block and Gram Panchayat ranges helped facilitate significant dialogue on citizen-centric schemes and initiatives, whereas strengthening Jan Bhagidari and Samvaad on the grassroots.

Adopting a Whole-of-Government method, Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, together with senior officers of the Ministry and taking part Ministries and Departments of the Government of India, remained in steady contact with officers of States and Union Territories all through the day, reviewing the progress of Special Gram Sabhas throughout the nation and facilitating shut coordination within the spirit of cooperative federalism. The coordinated efforts of States and Union Territories, supported by their Panchayati Raj Departments, district administrations and area functionaries, ensured the seamless conduct of this nationwide train on an unprecedented scale.

The People’s Plan Campaign, led by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with 21 Ministries and Departments of the Centre, displays the Whole-of-Government method below the management of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

The Ministry has been rolling out the People’s Plan Campaign in all States and Union Territories since 2018 to allow Panchayats to arrange evidence-based, holistic and participatory plans. Under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, the Ministry helps coaching and capability constructing throughout 9 themes of native growth. 

More than 2.55 lakh Gram Panchayats put together participatory Gram Panchayat Development Plans and add them on the eGramSwaraj portal, whereas the Panchayat Advancement Index helps every Gram Panchayat establish its achievements and gaps. On this foundation, the Gram Sabha can take a Sankalp on precedence areas, advancing the Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals and the imaginative and prescient of Viksit Bharat.

The Sixteenth Finance Commission has really useful Rs 4,35,236 crore for Rural Local Bodies for 2026-31, a rise of practically 84 per cent over the Fifteenth Finance Commission, with the annual per capita grant rising from about Rs 400 to almost Rs 950. The SAMARTH Panchayat Portal has registered over 57 lakh taxpayers and 15 lakh properties, and the Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award carries incentives of as much as Rs 1 crore. 

Panchayat accounts now observe the six-tier construction utilized by the Union and State Governments, and greater than 2.5 lakh Panchayati Raj Institutions have joined the AuditOnline system. Under the Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) Scheme, 3.33 crore property playing cards have been generated for two.06 lakh villages, with loans of about Rs 1,713 crore sanctioned and recognition of ladies as property homeowners inspired.

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), in drive since July 1, ensures 125 days of wage employment each monetary yr to eligible rural households, with attendance via Face Authentication and digital funds. More than 31.69 crore person-days have been generated, over 2.81 crore employees from about 2.23 crore households have acquired employment, and works are below method in practically 2.31 lakh Gram Panchayats. An interim allocation of Rs 93,841 crore has been made to States and Union Territories for 2026-27, and the Viksit Gram Panchayat Plan allows the Gram Sabha to determine works in response to native wants.

Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, rural faucet water connections have grown from about 3.23 crore households (17 per cent) to greater than 16 crore (over 80 per cent), and Jal Arpan, the handing over of accomplished water provide schemes to Gram Panchayats and communities, was additionally highlighted. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen), 12.22 crore family bathrooms have been constructed and over 5.25 lakh villages (89.6 per cent) have declared themselves Open Defecation Free Plus (Model). The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026 had been mentioned in the course of the gram sabhas, as Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 culminates.

More than 1.55 crore synthetic recharge and storage buildings have been constructed with neighborhood participation, and an impression research of the primary part estimated groundwater recharge of two.43 billion cubic metres. Revised watershed growth norms have raised funding to Rs 22,000 per hectare in plain areas and Rs 28,000 in hilly and tough areas, and lowered the undertaking interval from seven to 5 years. The Gram Sabha actions below Catch the Rain centered on elevating consciousness about rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and community-led water conservation. 

Local communities, Panchayati Raj representatives and district officers participated actively within the programme, which featured technical steerage, screening of consciousness movies, tree plantation and Shramdaan actions, together with the administration of the Jal Shapath. The Catch the Rain (CTR) Anthem was additionally performed and displayed to bolster the message of conserving each drop of rainwater and mobilising collective motion in the direction of sustainable water administration.

Under One Nation One Ration Card, about 3.27 crore portability transactions happen each month, and the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana supplies free foodgrains to as much as 81.35 crore beneficiaries, prolonged as much as 2028. The National Consumer Helpline, obtainable in 17 languages, acquired 3,42,371 calls in August 2026 towards 78,477 in August 2019, and has facilitated refunds of over Rs 105 crore since April 2025. The e-Jagriti platform has disposed of greater than 2.55 lakh of the two.81 lakh instances instituted and acquired the Silver Award on the National Awards for e-Governance 2026.

Under the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme, 99.90 per cent of Records of Rights and 97.4 per cent of cadastral maps have been digitised. Citizens in 31 States and Union Territories can entry land data on-line, and in 24 states/UTs can obtain digitally signed data, safeguarding homeowners towards fraudulent mutations and facilitating entry to credit score.

Several Ministries/Departments prolonged invaluable assist in making certain consciousness on the village degree. The Ministry of Home Affairs facilitated consciousness on the brand new felony legal guidelines, particularly the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam; the Ministry of Cooperation on the Digital Transformation and Strengthening of Cooperatives; the Ministry of Women and Child Development on Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat; and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, in pursuit of protected, wholesome, youngster marriage-free and drug-free villages. These Special Gram Sabhas reaffirmed the Gram Sabha as the inspiration of participatory democracy and native governance.

‘The Ministry of Panchayati Raj appears ahead to the preparation of people-centred Panchayat Development Plans for 2027-28 below the People’s Plan Campaign, in the direction of constructing Sashakt, Atmanirbhar and Viksit Panchayats within the bigger endeavour of Viksit Bharat,’ the ministry acknowledged. (ANI)