Film on village development plans debuts in cinemas

New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS) Starting Friday, the Panchayati Raj Ministry is screening a two-minute Public Service Awareness (PSA) film on “People’s Plan Campaign – Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas” in cinema halls across the country to promote public participation in village-level projects, an official said.

The documentary, which includes visuals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches and interaction with women, will be screened in theatres till November 6 as part of a campaign that aims to involve people in the preparation of Panchayat Development Plans for the Financial Year 2026-27, said the official in a statement.

In line with the Prime Minister’s vision of janbhagidari and saturation of government schemes, this film reinforces the message that every citizen has a vital role in shaping the agenda of development at the grassroots level.

The film also captures the spirit of various development schemes of the central government, including those focused on women, health, solar power panels and school children.

This short film will be screened nationwide in cinema halls, as per the Guidelines for Exhibition of Public Service Awareness Films, except in states where the Model Code of Conduct is currently in force due to elections, said the official statement.

The short film will be played before the start of the movie and during the last five minutes of the interval period.

The People’s Plan Campaign (PPC) 2025–26 was rolled out on October 2 to enable panchayats to prepare evidence-based and inclusive Panchayat Development Plans that reflect local priorities while aligning with national goals, through special Gram Sabha meetings.

Since its inception in 2018, the People’s Plan Campaign – Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas has evolved into a flagship initiative that has played a pivotal role in deepening grassroots democracy, institutionalising participatory planning and strengthening the foundations of self-governance across rural India.

According to the eGramSwaraj Portal, over 18.13 lakh Panchayat Development Plans comprising Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs), Block Panchayat Development Plans (BPDPs) and District Panchayat Development Plans (DPDPs) have been uploaded since 2019–20, including 2.52 lakh Plans for the ongoing exercise of 2025–26.

Through this nationwide cinema screening of the public service awareness film on the People’s Plan Campaign, the Ministry seeks to deepen citizen engagement with PRIs and inspire them to actively participate in local governance and rural development, said the statement.

--IANS

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