Overview

• The Gujarat Administrative Reforms Commission delivered its fourth report to the chief minister, laying out a phased plan to decentralise planning and finance to districts and villages.
• The proposal calls for a seven- to eight-fold rise in district planning outlays over five years, adding roughly Rs 10,000 crore in annual funding.
• Long-standing District Planning Boards would be replaced by constitutionally mandated District Planning Committees with a majority of elected members.
• A reform package outlines unified taluka planning committees, a fixed annual planning calendar, geo-tagged public monitoring, rationalised grants and staffing, village development plans, and tighter accountability.
• The report cites underuse and skewed spending as drivers for change, noting just 42% of Rs 1,298 crore was spent in 2024–25 versus 85% in 2022–23, heavy allocations to roads, minimal funding for healthcare, and manpower gaps.