Karnataka State Decentralised Planning and Development Committee Deputy Chairman D.R. Patil has directed all districts in the Kalaburagi division to submit the 2026-27 annual draft development plans to the government by the end of November, after securing approval from their respective District Planning Committees.Chairing the Kalaburagi division-level review meeting on the progress of the 2026-27 annual draft development plans, held at the Kalyan Karnataka Human Resource, Agriculture and Cultural Society auditorium in Kalaburagi on Saturday, he said that the decentralised Panchayat Raj system must be strengthened by ensuring that all development proposals approved in the Gram Sabhas are incorporated in the district plans and sent to the State on time.“Our aim is to present a model draft plan from this region. The demands and aspirations expressed by people in the gram sabhas must be sincerely reflected in the district plans. The Chief Minister had already instructed officials to gather reports from the lowest administrative levels ahead of the forthcoming State Budget. If district administrations submit well-prepared draft plans, especially from the Kalyana Karnataka region, I will personally draw the Chief Minister’s attention to them so that essential works can be included in the upcoming Budget,” he said.Mr. Patil pointed out that while many panchayats purchase land for housing projects, they still lack cremation grounds. “This is a fundamental need. Providing a cremation ground must be taken up on priority,” he said. He also urged engineers and officials to plan roads that connect not just villages and towns, but also fields with homes, given agriculture’s centrality to rural life.Calling for effective compliance with the Panchayat Raj Act, he said gram sabhas and ward sabhas must be held regularly. “The Act clearly states that all schemes of the Centre, State, and district levels must be discussed in the gram sabhas before implementation and before selecting beneficiaries. Officers must understand this requirement and work accordingly,” he said. Involving communities would ensure smoother implementation, he added.He emphasised that the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) and the special provisions under Article 371(J) ensure adequate funding for bridging development gaps. “If officials work with genuine intent, this region can truly become a model of progress,” he said.Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil said that only when gram sabhas are conducted sincerely and people’s concerns are addressed through planning, genuine decentralised governance can be achieved.Lok Sabha Member from Kalaburagi Radhakrishna Doddamani, legislators Allamprabhu Patil, M.Y. Patil and B.G. Patil, KKRDB secretary Nalini Atul, Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner B. Fouzia Taranum, Zilla Panchayat CEOs Bhanwar Singh Meena (Kalaburagi), Girish D. Badole (Bidar), M.D. Harish Sumair (Ballari), Eshwar Kandu (Raichur), Lavish Oradiya (Yadgir) and Varnit Negi (Koppal), Kalaburagi City Corporation Commissioner Avinash Shinde and senior officers from all the seven districts of Kalyana Karnataka attended the meeting.Published - November 15, 2025 08:23 pm IST