Context: Self Help Groups across the country being geared up to prepare the Village Poverty Reduction Plan for integration with the Gram Panchayat Development Plans.
Background

• Article 243G of the Constitution intended to empower the Gram Panchayats (GPs) by enabling the State Governments to devolve powers and authority in respect of all 29 Subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule for local planning and implementation of schemes for economic development and social justice.
• The local bodies (GPs) play a significant role in the effective implementation of flagship schemes on subjects of national importance, for the transformation of rural India.
• In 2015, the Fourteenth Finance Commission grants were devolved to GPs that provided them with an enormous opportunity to plan for their development themselves.
• Since then, local bodies across the country are expected to prepare context-specific, need-based Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP).

Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP)

• Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) brings together both the citizens and their elected representatives in the decentralized planning processes.
• GPDP is expected to reflect the development issues, perceived needs and priorities of the community, including that of the marginalized sections.
• Apart from the demand related to basic infrastructure and services, resource development and convergence of departmental schemes, GPDP has the potential to address the social issues as well.
• GPDP is conducted from October to December every year across the country, under the People’s Plan Campaign (PPC).
• Since the last two years, self-help groups and their federations under the DAY-NRLM are expected to participate in the annual GPDP planning process and prepare the Village Poverty Reduction Plan (VPRP). This is as per the PPC guidelines and also as per a joint advisory issued by the ministries of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development.

What are Village Poverty Reduction Plans (VPRP)?

• VPRP is a comprehensive demand plan prepared by the Self Help Group (SHG) network and their federations for projecting their demands and local area development which needs to be integrated with the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).
• The VPRP is presented in the Gram Sabha meetings.

Objectives of VPRP

• Prepare a comprehensive and inclusive demand plan of the community for local development.
• Facilitate an interface between the SHG federation and Panchayati Raj institutions for the development of demand plans.
• Strengthen the community-based organisations and their leadership for active participation in poverty reduction activities.

Demands under VPRP are categorized into five major components:

• Social inclusion
• Entitlement – to schemes like the MGNREGA, Ujjwala, ration cards, etc.
• Livelihoods
• Public goods and services
• Resource development – demand for protection and development of natural resources like land, water, forest and other locally available resources
• Social development