The Ministry of Panchayati Raj announced on 3 May 2026 that it would organise a two-day National Workshop on the Preparation of Panchayat Development Plans for 2026-27 on 4 and 5 May 2026 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi. The workshop was to be inaugurated in the presence of Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, and Shri Ashok K.K. Meena, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The inaugural session was to launch the People's Plan Campaign booklet for Panchayat Development Plans for 2026-27, the Quality Gram Panchayat Development Plan booklet and the revamped eGramSwaraj planning portal. Discussions were to cover the evolving role of thematic Panchayat Development Plans and the framework of 16th Finance Commission grants, with Government of India officials, State and Union Territory representatives and Panchayati Raj stakeholders participating.
The hands-on planning exercise would have State and Union Territory teams prepare model plans on the revamped portal across ten thematic areas: livelihoods, health, child-friendly governance, water sufficiency, sanitation, infrastructure, social justice, good governance, women's empowerment, PESA and Forest Rights Act compliance. The stated aim was to strengthen data-driven, participatory grassroots planning, align Panchayat Development Plans with 16th Finance Commission conditionalities and deliver measurable outcomes for rural communities. The release linked the exercise to the vision of Viksit Panchayat as the foundational unit of Viksit Bharat.