The Village Prosperity and Resilience Plan (VPRP) is a community-driven participatory planning process that enables rural communities to identify development priorities, map local resources, and articulate both individual and collective demands to the Gram Panchayat and relevant government departments.

In Gram Vikas’s partner villages across 15 districts in Odisha, communities are adopting this tool to define their development priorities, improve access to government programmes, and hold local governance systems accountable. The process strengthens the link between village-level planning and Gram Panchayat decision-making. 

Aluaguda’s evolving development plan

In Aluaguda village, under Sindhipadar Panchayat in Kalahandi district, the first VPRP was developed in 2022 through a consultative process led by Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and Village Development Committee (VDC) members. On August 21, 2024, the plan was reviewed and updated through a community-wide meeting, reaffirming Aluaguda’s commitment to grassroots planning.

The review allowed the community to assess progress since 2022. Completed works included the construction of an unpaved road connecting Aluaguda to Sindhipadar, the establishment of a community center, a compound wall for the village temple, and land development initiatives like Continuous Contour Trenches (CCTs) and Staggered Contour Trenches (SCTs). Residents also celebrated access to individual entitlements such as job cards for two residents and old-age pensions for five eligible persons, directly improving household-level financial security.

Despite these successes, VDC and SHG members emphasised the need to capture emerging development priorities. By November 2024, Aluaguda and 23 villages in Sindhipadar Panchayat, along with 20 villages in Adri Panchayat, completed their VPRP revisions, ensuring these plans reflected evolving community needs.

Digital documentation and thematic integration

Supporting this process were Gram Yojana Saathis (GYSs) — community-level facilitators trained to support SHGs and VDCs with planning and documentation. In Aluaguda, Mohan Singh Majhi, a 27-year-old GYS, played a critical role in facilitating discussions, documenting updated demands, and uploading them to the mWater app. This digital process ensured that every demand was systematically categorised under thematic areas in the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP), including Child-Friendly Panchayat, Poverty-Free and Enhanced Livelihoods Panchayat, and Healthy Panchayat.

Building ownership and awareness

The VPRP process has become a platform for enhanced community ownership and awareness of entitlements. Santosh Kumar Majhi, a VDC member from Aluaguda and Secretary of the Gram Panchayat Coordination Committee (GPCC) in Sindhipadar, observed, “This process allows us to actively participate in our village’s development by raising community and individual demands. Reviewing past VPRPs allows us to confidently plan for the future instead of constantly running to government offices for approvals. This sense of ownership is a hope for our communities.”

In Adri Panchayat, the updated VPRP process generated similar enthusiasm. Niranjan Dandasena, a 45-year-old GPCC member, noted, “The VPRP meetings in November 2024 drew enthusiastic participation from all 20 villages in our Panchayat. Residents were eager to raise their voices and contribute to the planning process.”

The distribution of printed VPRP booklets to VDC representatives during Panchayat-level workshops was an important step. For the first time, communities saw their village-level demands aligned alongside others from across the Panchayat, fostering a sense of collective identity and shared responsibility.

Convergence melas and multi-stakeholder planning

The revised VPRPs were linked to action through Convergence Workshops held in Sindhipadar (November 2024) and Adri (January 2025). These workshops enabled GPCCs and VDCs to identify priority demands that required convergence across departments and served as preparation for the Convergence Melas — platforms where government officials and service providers directly engage with community members.

The Sindhipadar Convergence Mela, held on December 17, 2024, saw the participation of over 1,000 residents and representatives from key departments including Horticulture, Agriculture, Health, Forest, Veterinary, ICDS, and Mission Shakti. Local NGOs such as Human Development and Swasthya Swarajya also supported the event. Residents were able to address grievances, correct Aadhaar details, apply for pensions, and enrol in welfare schemes, reinforcing the Mela’s role in improving service access and grievance redressal.

A similar Convergence Mela in Adri Panchayat on January 28, 2025, attracted nearly 800 residents, demonstrating growing community confidence in these inclusive planning and service delivery platforms.

Model replication in Kandhamal

Inspired by Kalahandi’s success, the Convergence Mela model was replicated in Kandhamal district on February 5, 2025, in Jangugaon village under Siritiguda Panchayat. Residents from 41 villages participated alongside government officials, including the Tahsildar, Forest and Horticulture Department officers, CSO (Block level), Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO), ICDS Supervisor, and Block Resource Coordinator, supported by local NGOs such as Pradan, Antaran, and Jan Vikas.

A key highlight was the distribution of Forest Rights Act (FRA) land titles, a critical step towards securing land tenure for forest-dependent families. Stressing the importance of the process, Tahsildar Anant Kumar Panda stated, “The FRA patta distribution is vital for securing land rights for forest communities. Every eligible household must claim their rightful land.”

At the event, VDC representatives creatively showcased their village demands using visual displays, while the GPCC Secretary, Arun Gouda, presented a development map of Siritiguda Panchayat, highlighting key infrastructure and social sector gaps.

The Forest Department also led a community-wide oath-taking ceremony, where residents pledged, “I will not set fire to the forest nor allow anyone else to do so. I will actively participate in forest conservation efforts.”

The Mela also facilitated service delivery announcements, including 83 new work orders for toilets and bathrooms, while Manjulata Diggal, a Master Bookkeeper from Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM), encouraged SHG members to access credit support for sustainable livelihoods.

Strengthening participatory governance

The VPRP process and Convergence Melas are transforming grassroots governance in these Gram Panchayats, demonstrating the power of community-led planning, digital tools for transparency, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. These processes strengthen local leadership, improve service delivery, and foster accountability, creating a responsive, inclusive governance ecosystem.

The model’s expansion to Kandhamal, and the growing ownership demonstrated across Kalahandi’s Panchayats, highlights its potential for scale across Odisha and beyond.

Recently, Melas were organised in the Gajapati, Ganjam, Jharsuguda, and Nayagarh districts of Odisha. Across 12 Gram Panchayats in six districts of Odisha, communities collectively placed 7648 demands during these events.

By placing communities at the center of planning and development, the VPRP process is helping build resilient, self-reliant rural communities where governance is not just for the people, but by the people.