Planning by Intermediate and District Panchayats for Smart Village Development

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India’s three-tier Panchayati Raj system forms the backbone of rural governance, and Intermediate Panchayats (IPs) and District Panchayats (DPs) play a crucial role in translating village-level aspirations into actionable regional development. With the Fifteenth Finance Commission extending grants to all three tiers of Panchayats, planning at the block and district levels has become more significant than ever for smart village development.

Table of Contents

Guidelines for Intermediate and District Panchayat plans

Following the recommendations of the Fifteenth Finance Commission, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) issued comprehensive guidelines for Block Panchayat Development Plans (BPDPs) and District Panchayat Development Plans (DPDPs). These guidelines mandate that development plans at the block and district levels must follow participatory, inclusive, and transparent processes similar to the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) framework.

The MoPR developed a Framework for BPDP and DPDP preparation in October 2020 to support states in creating comprehensive development plans. States have since aligned their guidelines accordingly, ensuring that plans prepared at block and district levels converge with central and state schemes while addressing local developmental needs.

Key principles of the guidelines

The guidelines emphasize that Block and District Panchayats should prepare project-driven development plans that are broad-based, income-generating, sustainable, and capable of addressing needs that individual Gram Panchayats cannot execute on their own. These plans must be uploaded on the eGramSwaraj portal after due approvals so that expenditure from Finance Commission funds can be tracked transparently.

The planning process integrates nine themes based on the localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), creating a thematic framework that enables easy understanding and implementation by Panchayats with active community involvement.

Block Sabha and District Sabha involvement

The participatory planning process at higher tiers of Panchayats involves structured deliberations through Block Sabha and District Sabha meetings. These assemblies bring together diverse stakeholders to discuss, review, and finalize development plans.

Composition of Block Sabha

Block Sabha meetings typically include Intermediate Panchayat members, presidents of all Gram Panchayats within the block, line department officials from various sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and public works, and representatives of Self-Help Groups (SHGs). In states like West Bengal, each Panchayat Samiti has a Block Sansad consisting of all members of gram panchayats pertaining to the block, with half-yearly and annual meetings held each year to guide development activities.

These meetings serve as platforms where the Block Sabha has powers to guide and advise the Intermediate Panchayat in all matters relating to development, including preparation of annual plans, budgets, and implementation of development programmes for economic development and ensuring social justice.

Composition of District Sabha

District Sabha involves District Panchayat members, block presidents, Gram Panchayat presidents, and sector experts who come together to discuss and finalize district-wide plans. The District Planning Committee (DPC), as mandated by Article 243ZD of the Constitution, plays a crucial role in consolidating plans prepared by all Panchayats and municipalities into a Draft District Development Plan.

The People’s Plan Campaign emphasizes that Gram Sabha meetings should be preceded by meetings of Bal Sabha and Mahila Sabha apart from Ward Sabha, which helps enumerate and articulate demands of children and women in addition to the community at large.

Priority areas for IP and DP plans

Block and District Panchayat Development Plans must address specific developmental needs that extend beyond individual village boundaries. The MoPR has identified several priority areas that these plans should focus on.

Developmental needs and multi-GP works

A primary focus of IP and DP plans is identifying and executing works that benefit multiple Gram Panchayats. These include inter-village road connectivity, regional water supply schemes, block-level health facilities, and educational institutions serving multiple villages. Development activities should be projectized at Block and District Panchayat levels through Panchayat Development Plans and implemented with proper convergence of resources and active involvement of all stakeholders.

Social planning and convergence

Plans must integrate social welfare components addressing the needs of vulnerable groups including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, children, and persons with disabilities. The GPDP framework requires full convergence with schemes of all related Central Ministries and Line Departments related to the 29 subjects enlisted in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution. This convergence approach helps minimize duplication, optimize the use of funds, and ensure a coordinated approach to sustainable rural development.

Gender responsiveness

Gender-responsive planning is a cornerstone of smart village development. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has outlined nine themes for localizing the SDGs, including a dedicated focus on Woman and Girl Friendly Villages and the integration of gender equality across all themes. Plans must promote gender-responsive governance through effective involvement of Elected Women Representatives (EWRs), Self-Help Groups, and women members in the community in the planning process.

Localizing Sustainable Development Goals

The localization of SDGs through Panchayati Raj Institutions is achieved by clubbing the 17 global goals into 9 thematic areas relevant to rural India. These themes include poverty-free villages with enhanced livelihoods, healthy villages, child-friendly villages, water-sufficient villages, clean and green villages, self-sufficient infrastructure, socially secured villages, good governance villages, and women-friendly villages.

Block and District plans must demonstrate how they contribute to achieving these localized SDG targets through specific, measurable interventions.

Basic services and infrastructure maintenance

Plans should prioritize provision and maintenance of basic services including drinking water supply, sanitation facilities, primary healthcare, and elementary education. The Fifteenth Finance Commission allocated Rs 2.4 lakh crore for rural local bodies over the 2021-26 period, with tied grants specifically earmarked for sanitation and maintenance of open defecation free (ODF) status, supply of drinking water, rain water harvesting, and water recycling.

Infrastructure maintenance is particularly critical as many rural assets suffer from neglect post-construction. Plans must include provisions for regular upkeep and repair of existing infrastructure.

Economic development

Economic development components focus on creating livelihood opportunities, promoting local enterprises, and strengthening agricultural productivity. Block plans should include establishing Van Dhan Kendras in PESA areas to facilitate training for collection and processing of minor forest produce for sustainable livelihood. District plans coordinate larger economic initiatives including skill development centres, market linkages, and industrial clusters.

E-enablement

Digital governance is transforming rural administration. The eGramSwaraj platform serves as a unified tool for effective monitoring and evaluation of works taken up in Panchayats. This application has a user base of more than 2.7 lakh Panchayati Raj Institutions spread across 28 States and 6 Union Territories. It strengthens decentralized planning, progress reporting, and work-based accounting, tracking expenditure incurred for each activity proposed under the Panchayat Development Plan.

The Ministry has also developed a Spatial Planning Application called Gram Manchitra, which facilitates the creation of various planning scenarios for facility planning and management using geographic data for sustainable development.

Renewable energy

Clean energy integration is essential for smart village development. Plans should incorporate solar-powered street lighting, solar pumps for irrigation, biogas plants for waste management, and other renewable energy solutions. In Kerala’s Kasargod district, Panchayats installed solar microgrids to reduce diesel use in remote areas, demonstrating how renewable energy can be effectively integrated into local planning.

The path forward

The effective preparation and implementation of Block and District Panchayat Development Plans requires sustained capacity building of elected representatives and officials. Training programmes must cover planning methodologies, financial management, convergence mechanisms, and digital tools. The People’s Plan Campaign has already resulted in over 18 lakh Panchayat Development Plans being submitted across the country, including over 35,000 Block Panchayat Development Plans and over 3,400 District Panchayat Development Plans.

Success depends on genuine participatory processes where Block and District Sabhas become vibrant platforms for democratic deliberation rather than mere formalities. When communities actively engage in identifying priorities, allocating resources, and monitoring implementation, smart village development becomes truly inclusive and sustainable.

What do you think? How can Block and District Panchayats better coordinate with Gram Panchayats to ensure that regional development plans genuinely reflect grassroots priorities? What role can technology play in making participatory planning more accessible to marginalized communities?

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References
  1. https://prsindia.org/policy/report-summaries/report-15th-finance-commission-2021-26
  2. https://panchayat.gov.in/en/peoples-plan-campaign-ppc/
  3. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1776468
  4. https://panchayat.gov.in/en/e-gramswaraj/
  5. https://www.forumfed.org/document/panchayati-raj-in-india-are-they-really-successful-in-participatory-decision-making/
  6. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1889008
  7. https://www.impriindia.com/insights/gram-panchayat-development-plan-2015/
  8. https://india.unfpa.org/en/publications/guidebook-women-and-girl-friendly-panchayats-resource-locally-elected-representatives
  9. https://www.sdg16.plus/policies/participatory-development-plan-kerala-india/
  10. https://organiser.org/2025/10/09/320000/bharat/viksit-bharat-2047-panchayats-leading-bharats-development-revolution-through-sabki-yojna-sabka-vikas/
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Introduction to Smart Regions (Smart Cities and Smart Villages)

1 City Planning – History and Theory

  1. Concept of Region and Regional Planning
  2. Urban and Rural (Village) Settlements
  3. Theories and Models
  4. Historical Background of Cities

2 Socio-Economic Basis for Cities

  1. Concept and Introduction of Socio-economic Basis of Cities
  2. Community and Settlements
  3. Concept of Micro and Macro Economics
  4. Social Problems of Slums and Squatter Communities
  5. Marginalization and the Concept of Inclusive Planning
  6. Gender Concerns in Planning
  7. Social Planning and Policy
  8. National Commission on Urbanisation
  9. Nature and Function of the Urban Real Property Market
  10. Some Macroeconomic Identities

3 Concepts for Cities

  1. Concepts of Sustainability
  2. Energy Efficient City
  3. Climate Change
  4. Resilient Cities
  5. Livability
  6. Inclusivity
  7. Safety and Security in City
  8. Organizational Setup- Governance and Administration
  9. Basic Infrastructure Provision in City
  10. CSR
  11. Carbon Credits

4 Smart City

  1. Introduction
  2. What is a Smart City?
  3. Definition of Smart City
  4. Key Features of Smart City
  5. Components of Infrastructures needed for Smart City
  6. Smart Solutions for a Smart City
  7. E-governance and Citizen Services
  8. Land Use
  9. Objectives of a Smart City
  10. Steps towards a Smart City
  11. Governance, Management and Operations
  12. Framework of Data and Information
  13. Connectivity, Accessibility and Security Framework
  14. Smart City and Technology Infrastructure Layer
  15. Leveraging the Smart City Framework
  16. Applicability of a Smart City
  17. Essential Features of a Smart City Proposal
  18. Additional Preferable items to be added in the Application
  19. Smart Challenges and Opportunities
  20. Evaluating the Effectiveness on Investments
  21. Smart City Management and Governance
  22. Barcelona: World’s Smart City

5 Planning Techniques and Analysis

  1. Survey Techniques and Mapping
  2. Geographic Information System
  3. Analytical Methods
  4. Planning Standards

6 Physical Infrastructure-I- Water Supply, Stormwater, and Solid Waste Management

  1. Smart Infrastructure
  2. Smart Water Management
  3. Smart Stormwater Management
  4. Smart Waste Management

7 Physical Infrastructure-II- Roads and Transportation, Energy and ICTs

  1. Smart Transportation Systems
  2. Smart Energy Systems
  3. Information and Communication Technologies for Smart Cities

8 Social Infrastructure

  1. Health: Meaning and Philosophy of Health
  2. Urban Lifestyle and Health Issues
  3. Health Status in Urban India
  4. Medical and Health Facilities in Urban Areas
  5. National Health Policy
  6. National Health Programmes in Urban India
  7. Challenges of Healthy Urbanites-Geriatric Care
  8. Education: Meaning and Philosophy of Education
  9. Professional, Vocational and Technical Education in Urban India
  10. Education for Slum Areas
  11. Education Institutions in Urban Areas
  12. National Education Policy
  13. Education for Increasing Civic Sense
  14. Challenges Before Educational Administration in Urban India
  15. Health and Education Infrastructure Standards as oer URDPFI Guidelines
  16. What are Healthy Cities, Liveable and Lovable Communities?
  17. Security Alarm Systems
  18. CCTV Surveillance
  19. Video Door Phone
  20. Perimeter Fencing
  21. Non-Emergency Alerts
  22. Fire Protection Systems
  23. Mobile App Based Solutions: Hybrid Intrusion Alarm Systems & Sim Based Solutions: Wireless Intrusion Alarm Systems
  24. AI And IoT Applications for Safety and Security in Smart Cities

9 Village Planning- History & Theory, Socio-economic Basis for Villages

  1. Strategies for Rural Development
  2. Structure of Rural Economy
  3. Society in Rural India
  4. Land Reforms in Independent India
  5. Green Revolution and its Socio-Economic Consequences
  6. Transformations in Rural Society after Independence
  7. Circulation of Labour And Rural-Urban Migration
  8. Globalisation, Liberalisation and Rural Society

10 Concepts of Villages and Smart Villages

  1. Definition and Characteristics of a Village
  2. Classification of Rural Settlements
  3. Settlement System: Models and Theories
  4. Spatial and Economic Problems of Rural Settlements
  5. Smart Village
  6. Initiatives Taken by The Indian Government
  7. Smart Villages and The Role of Innovation

11 Physical Infrastructure in Smart Villages

  1. Infrastructure Provision and Rural Development
  2. Water and Sanitation
  3. Rural Roads
  4. Electricity
  5. Health and Education Infrastructure in Rural Areas
  6. Some Initiatives by the Government and Community to Develop Rural Infrastructure
  7. Benchmarking

12 Community Participation in Development of Smart Villages

  1. Panchayati Raj System
  2. Constitutional Provision for Planning at Block and District Level
  3. Decentralized Planning in India
  4. Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP)
  5. Planning by Intermediate Panchayat (IP) and District Panchayat (DP)
  6. Importance of Planning at Block and District Levels
  7. Convergence of Panchayat and SHG Collectives for Participatory Planning at Block and District Levels: Important Step for Smart Village Development
  8. Support Systems
  9. Process for District Development Plan
  10. Methods for Participatory Planning
  11. Schemes in Rural Areas and their Expected Outcomes

13 Public Policies and Acts

  1. Smart City Framework: Where to Start?
  2. Smart City Framework
  3. Regulatory Framework
  4. Governance
  5. Public Policy
  6. Policy Principles for Smart Cities
  7. Policies and Acts
  8. Transportation Policy

14 Public Schemes- GOI

  1. Smart Cities Mission
  2. Digital India
  3. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)
  4. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)
  5. Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY)

15 Energy Policy

  1. Energy Policy: An Introduction
  2. Considerations underlying Energy Policy Formulation
  3. Energy Policy vis-a-vis Environment and Development
  4. International Environmental and Energy Policies
  5. Energy Policies in the SAARC Region

16 Clean Water and Wastewater Policies

  1. Water and Health
  2. Economic and Social Effects of Water
  3. Challenges in Water Management
  4. Opportunities in Wastewater Management
  5. Need for Wastewater Treatment
  6. Effects of Wastewater Pollutants
  7. Role of Wastewater in Cities
  8. Role of Wastewater in Industries
  9. Role of Wastewater in Agriculture
  10. United Nations Water Policies
  11. World Health Organisations Role on Water Quality
  12. Water Enforcement by USEPA
  13. European Legislation