Special Gram Sabhas were held across India on Gandhi Jayanti, October 2, with more than 2.42 lakh meetings scheduled on the GPDP and Panchayat NIRNAY portals, the Panchayati Raj Ministry said.

The meetings saw active participation from residents, elected representatives, panchayat functionaries and officials. They marked the launch of the People’s Plan Campaign 2026-27, themed “Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas.”

Under the campaign, Gram Panchayats will prepare their development plans for 2027-28 based on local needs and community participation. The campaign has run since 2018, and over 2.55 lakh panchayats have uploaded plans on eGramSwaraj.

The Gram Sabhas discussed citizen-centric schemes and their implementation. Key schemes included Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen), One Nation One Ration Card, SVAMITVA and e-GramSwaraj.

Issues such as rural employment, digital services, women’s and children’s safety, and water conservation were also discussed. The campaign will run through the year as panchayats finalise their plans.