Policy Update
Ilma Ahmad Samir
Introduction
Spatial planning is traditionally used in urban contexts. In the modern era it is now increasingly getting relevant even in rural governance. It involves the organised use of land, resources and infrastructure based on geospatial guide development. The Panchayati Raj system is established through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act (1992), which empowers the local bodies to prepare and implement developmental plans. However, despite this legal mandate, at the grassroot level the integration of formal spatial planning tools remains limited.
The emergence of digital technologies like GIS ( Geographic Information System), spatial planning, and remote sensing offers immense potential to make rural governance more data-driven, transparent and participatory. National initiatives such as SVAMITVA (for property mapping), National Rural Mission (for rural-urban linkages), and MGNREGS GIS planning reflect a growing shift towards geospatial governance.
In spite of all these measures taken, challenges like limited technical capacity in Gram Panchayat, weak coordination across departments, and poor access to granular data persist largely. To address these gaps, it is crucial to understand the full potential of spatial planning in the panchayati raj framework.
Background
Nearly 65% of the total population is embedded in rural India which is facing persistent challenges in infrastructure, service delivery, and land-use conflict. Traditionally, rural development programs have relied on sectoral, top-down approaches which often overlooked spatial variations, and local contexts. As a result, many schemes underperform due to lack of integration, duplication of efforts and insufficient resource allocation.
The Panchayati Raj system was meant to empower local communities and encourage planning from the ground up. But on the ground, most Gram Panchayats still rely on outdated, paper-based methods that don’t reflect the actual spatial realities of their villages. Without modern geospatial tools, development often happens in a scattered way, important assets remain untracked, and local people have little say in how their land is utilised.
The potential of recent developments in technology, including GIS, remote sensing, drone surveys, and mobile data applications, are an innovative opportunity for changing the mechanics of local governance. This is significant, since various central government programs – SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technologies in Village Areas), GeoMGNREGA, and PlanPlus (the MoPR’s planning software), have emerged as initial and significant steps in using spatial data for rural planning. More importantly, this new realm of planning requires institutional capacity, reliable data, and inter-departmental coordination to make a real difference. Ultimately, embedding spatial planning in the Panchayati Raj system impacts development at the grassroots level, qualitatively increasing responsive and inclusive development.
Functioning of Spatial Planning in Panchayati Raj System
The functioning of spatial planning in panchayati raj institutions revolves around integrating spatial data and mapping tools into local development planning processes, enabling Gram Panchayats to take informed decisions related to land use, infrastructure, and resource allocation.
- Planning workflow at the Gram Panchayat level
- Gram Sabha participation: the planning process begins with participatory consultation with the Gram Sabha which identifies local needs and priorities.
- Data Collection and Mapping: village level assets such as roads, schools, water bodies., are used for mapping using tools like GIS, drones (e.g., in SVAMITVA), and mobile survey apps.
- Plan Formulation: Panchayats use digital platforms like PlanPlus, GeoMGNREGA and Mission Antyodaya to prepare spatially referenced development programs.
- Resource allocation and Zoning: based on the mapped data, Panchayats decide land used zoning, infrastructure siting and convergence of schemes.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Spatial tools help track implementation, asset durability, and impact using satellite imagery, and digital dashboard.
- Key components involved in the functioning of spatial planning
- SVAMITVA scheme: it helps in property mapping for legal ownership and local taxation.
- GeoMGNREGA: GIS-based planning and monitoring local assets.
- PlanPlus: it is a software for preparing block/district spatial development plans
- GIS resource centers: they provide technical support to PRIs at the district/state level
- Village Information Systems: they maintain asset, population, and service delivery data layers
- Some examples to illustrate the functioning
- Watershed management: using these technologies helped in mapping of catchment areas to plan water conservation structures.
- Road connectivity: identifying unconnected hamlets using satellite data and prioritizing link roads.
- Health and Education Access: spatially analyzing distances to optimise new infrastructure placement.
- Role of Gram Manchitra Portal:
The Gram Manchitra portal developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, is a GIS-based decision support system designed to aid spatial planning at the Gram Panchayat level. It helps PRIs to visualize village assets, overlay development schemes, and prepare integrated spatial plans. Panchayat functionaries can access layered maps, depicting roads, water bodies, land use patterns, etc., through a user-friendly interface.
As of 2024, it has been widely adopted across numerous Gram Panchayats and plays a crucial role in preparing development plans under the People’s Plan Campaign (Sabki Yojana, Sabka Vikas).
Performance of the Spatial Planning
The performance of the spatial planning within the panchayati raj system has gradually improved, specifically within the integration of digital tools and GIS-based platforms over the past decade. The initial adoption of it was slow due to limited capacity at the grassroot level but, recent initiatives have significantly leveled both reach and functionality.
Under the SVAMITVA scheme, over 1.5 lakh villages (as of 2024) have been mapped using drone technology, leading to the generation of property cards, and formalization of the rural land ownership, key enablers for spatial planning and local taxation. Similarly, the Gram Manchitra portal has enabled thousands of Gram Panchayats to visualize their assets aligned with PlanPlus.
The use of GeoMGNREGA has shown promising results, allowing better identification of sites for durable assets like water harvesting structures, roads and plantations. States like Kerala, Maharashtra, and Telangana have emerged as leaders in adopting geospatial tools at the PRI level, leveraging state remote sensing agencies.
Moreover, the People’s Plan Campaign has institutionalized the practice of preparing Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) using spatial inputs. In FY 2023-24, over 2.6 lakh GPDPs were submitted digitally, many of which used layered geospatial data to prioritize interventions based on local needs.
However, despite these advances, performance remains uneven across states due to the digital divide, varying institutional capacities, and limited access to high-resolution data in some regions. While the direction is promising, sustained investment in training, infrastructure, and data standardization is essential to ensure equitable and efficient spatial planning nationwide.
Impact
The integration of spatial planning within panchayati raj institutions has brought a noticeable shift in how development is visualized, implemented and assessed at the grassroot level. It has improved both the efficiency of resource allocation and the responsiveness of governance to the local needs, by enabling data-backed decision making.
With the help of SVAMITVA scheme, lakhs of rural households have received digital property cards, helping formalize land ownership, reduce boundary disputes, and boost access to institutional credits. The enhancement of financial autonomy has also opened pathways for Gram Panchayats to reduce local tax mechanisms based on mapped property records.
Use of Geospatial tools like Gram Manchitra and GeoMGNREGA has led to better planning of physical infrastructure such as roads, water conservation structures, and sanitation units. They are based on actual terrain and habitation data which enable PRIs to avoid duplication and ensure climate-resilient asset creation.
To strengthen the point we refer to the case of Kerala, where spatial data is being used to overlay health, education, flood zones and housing patterns, while preparing Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs). In districts like Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta, this approach has helped design more resilient housing clusters and prioritize sanitation facilities in waterlogged areas. The integration of geospatial tools has thus contributed to evidence-based, participatory micro-planning.
The PRIs are making local governance more transparent and inclusive by presenting spatial data during Gram Sabha meetings. Citizens now actively participate in prioritizing interventions based on visual evidence, which was previously confined to paper maps.
Though states like Kerala, Maharashtra, and Telangana showcase impactful adoption, yet, disparities persist due to uneven digital literacy, infrastructural constraints, and limited access to real-time spatial data. These challenges highlight the need for the ongoing training, localized data generation, and greater convergence across rural development departments to unlock full potential of spatial planning in PRIs.
Emerging Challenges in Operationalising Spatial Planning
While the commitment of spatial planning in Panchayati Raj is substantial, its implementation in rural India still faces several emerging challenges both structural and systematic. These barriers not only limit the effectiveness of the tools but also threaten to widen the development gap between digitally advanced and resource-constrained regions.
- Capacity and Skill Gaps
There is lack of access in most of the gram panchayats to trained personnel who can operate GIS tools or interpret spatial data. In many states, technical responsibilities fall to overburdened Panchayat Secretaries or Data entry operators, who often lack the necessary digital literacy.
- Fragmented Data Ecosystem
Although national platforms like Gram Manchitra, PlanPlus, and SVAMITVA exist, real-time, village-level spatial data is often outdated, incomplete and difficult to access across departments. There is little inoperability between different platforms and schemes, leading to duplication or gaps in planning.
- Infrastructural Limitation
Many rural Panchayats still operate with unreliable internet connectivity, outdated computer systems, and lack of access to GPS devices or mapping software. This restricts the regular use of spatial tools and platforms for day-to-day planning.
- Institutional and Administrative Silos
Departments dealing with rural development, land records, irrigation, and disaster management often work in silos, making convergence of spatial data across sectors a major hurdle. Weak horizontal coordination between line departments hampers integrated planning.
- Uneven State-level Implementation
States like Kerala and Maharashtra have demonstrated strong adoption, but others lag behind due to lack of political will, budgetary support, or prioritization of digital governance. This leads to a fragmented national picture in spatial planning adoption.
- Low Community Awareness
Despite provisions for participatory planning, Gram Sabha members are often unfamiliar with spatial tools, maps, or their relevance. This weakens the democratic potential of these technologies and limits community ownership of development plans.
If these challenges remain unaddressed, there is a risk of turning spatial planning into a technocratic exercise rather than a tool for inclusive rural development. In order to overcome this it requires capacity building, data standardization and deeper integration with local governance systems.
Way Forward
India needs to adopt a more institutionalized, integrated and citizen centric approach to fully realize the potential of spatial planning within PRIs. First and foremost, local functionaries’ technical capacities need to be strengthened. This calls for organised, continuous GIS and spatial data usage training programs, ideally provided through collaboration with NIC, State Remote Sensing Agencies, and rural technology institutions. Panchayat can receive on-the-ground assistance and mentoring by assigning specialized GIS resource staff or rural tech fellows at the block or cluster level.
The requirement of interoperability and standardization of spatial data is equally crucial. The establishment of a national framework for spatial data governance is necessary to ensure the smooth sharing, updating, and visualization of data on platforms such as Gram Manchitra, SVAMITVA, PlanPlus,. Transparency would be improved and local bodies could use spatial tools more successfully if village-level datasets were made publicly available in usable formats.
Panchayat level digital infrastructure also urgently needs to be upgraded. In order to incorporate spatial planning into day-to-day governance, many gram panchayats still lack power back-up, modern computer systems, and dependable internet. Technical barriers can be further decreased by introducing intuitive mobile applications for participatory planning and asset mapping.
Subsequently, there is an urgent need for departments and schemes to become more unified. Planning protocols that align spatial goals across sectors should be developed collaboratively by ministries like Agriculture, Jal Shakti, Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj. In order to coordinate interdepartmental efforts and guarantee that spatial planning is viewed as a fundamental component of inclusive rural development rather than stand-alone digital add-on, District Planning Committees (DPCs) need to be given a fresh start and authority.
References
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj. (2022). Operational guidelines for Gram Manchitra portal. Government of India. https://grammanchitra.gov.in/
- Ministry of Panchayati Raj. (2020). SVAMITVA Scheme: Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas. Government of India. https://svamitva.nic.in/
- Ministry of Rural Development. (2023). GeoMGNREGA: Geographic Information System for MGNREGA assets. https://nrega.nic.in/netnrega/georeports.aspx
- National Informatics Centre. (2021). PlanPlus: A decentralized planning tool. Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India. https://planplus.nic.in/
- Indian Institute of Remote Sensing. (2020). Geospatial applications in decentralized planning. ISRO. https://www.iirs.gov.in/
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2021). Digital governance for rural transformation in India: A policy note. https://www.undp.org/india/publications
- Mehta, B. S., & Kapoor, A. (2021). Technology in Panchayati Raj: Transforming governance through digital tools. Economic & Political Weekly.
About the Author
Ilma Ahmad Samir is a postgraduate in Political Science, UGC-NET qualified, and currently working as a Policy Research Intern at IMPRI, New Delhi. Her research interests include public policy, digital governance, and technology-led administrative reforms.
Acknowledgment
The author extends her sincere gratitude to the IMRPI team and Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja for their invaluable guidance throughout the process.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
