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The institution of District Planning Committee as envisaged in the 73rd Constitution Amendment Act (73rd CAA) is the realisation of consistent and conscious effort towards decentralised planning since the process of planned development began in the country. The desire for decentralised planning was first expressed way back in the First Five Year Plan (1951-56), when it was suggested to break the planning process into national, state, district and local community levels. However, the idea was given a concrete shape with the establishment of the District Development Council to consolidate plans prepared at the village level through a participative process. The newly established Panchayat Institutions at the village, block and district level were to help prepare these plans. However, their role and Resources were not clearly defined and as a consequence the planning process at the grassroots level suffered.
The Administrative Reforms Commission in its report of 1967 stressed on the need for meaningful planning at the district level especially focusing on local variations in development patterns. Consequently, the Planning Commission issued guidelines for district planning in 1969, which led to several states formulating district plans. However, the exercise remained disjointed from the annual planning process in most states.
The widespread suppression and curtailment of powers of Local Self Governance institutions across the states through the late 1960s and 70s led to the choking of district planning process as well. The problem was examined again in 1984 through the Working Group on District Planning headed by C.H. Hanumantha Rao. The Working Group recommended greater decentralisation of functions, powers and resources for meaningful district planning. It also recommended the setting up of district planning bodies of about 50 members with Collector as Chief Coordinator. This planning body should be assisted by planning officers and technical experts at various levels. Other notable recommendations on strengthening planning and administration at the district level came from the G.V.K. Rao Committee on Administrative Reforms for Rural Development (1985) and the Sarkaria Commission for Centre-State Relations (1988).
However, all these efforts at strengthening decentralised planning were met with consistent failure due to several reasons. The weak nature of Local Self Governance Institutions was one of the main causes. A second major cause was the continuous Growth and multiplication of sectoral departments and parastatal bodies along with vertical planning, development of sector-specific schemes and vertical rather than horizontal flow of plan funds. Given this background of efforts at decentralised Planning in India, the 73rd and 74th Amendments were milestones since they provided the much needed constitutional legitimacy to local governance institutions, defined their functional domains and provided for financial devolution to these institutions. The 74th CAA also mandated the establishment of District Planning Committee (DPC) as the formal body for preparation of the District Development Plan by consolidating the plans prepared by the villages and towns in the district.
It is a matter of concern that even after the lapse of 25 years since the amendments were made, decentralised planning is yet to become effective in the country. While most states carried out amendments of their respective state acts in conformation of the 73rd and 74th Amendments, the implementation of the provisions was not uniform in all cases. Setting up elected bodies in local self-governance institutions was carried out, and State Finance Commissions were also formed to provide for financial devolution to these bodies. However, formation of DPCs was one of the neglected aspects.
Planning Commission took action on these proposals and communicated to the States that the approval of Annual plan proposals for 2006-07 will be contingent upon the constitution of DPCs in all the districts. The Annual Plan Proposals must give details of the total fund availability from various sources down to the Panchayat level. They must indicate the detailed deployment of funds received from various sources among the districts and must also explain the criteria followed for allocating the resources. The preparation of annual planning exercise under the Eleventh plan is thus expected to activate the process of district planning across all the states.
Another significant measure to push for the activation of DPCs is the linking of access to the Backward Region Grants Fund (BRGF) scheme. It is a semi-tied fund available to 250 selected backward districts with the purpose of catalysing development by providing Infrastructure-2/”>INFRASTRUCTURE, promoting Good Governance and agrarian reforms, and capacity building for participatory district planning. In order to avail BRGF funds, states are required to establish DPCs as per ARTICLE 243ZD, which will consolidate plans prepared by PRIs and ULBs in the district. These plans will put together resources from various existing schemes and channelise them to Panchayats on the basis of the district plan. BRGF funds will be used by the Panchayats for gap filling and to converge and add value to other programmes, which provide much larger resources to the same districts. The formula for disbursement of BRGF funds within the district will also be derived at the local level. Decentralised planning is thus at the core of this programme.
In this scenario of renewed effort towards achieving effective planning at the grassroots level through the DPCs, it is pertinent to look into the status of the DPCs which have been so far formed across the states in the country. In this report, PRIA presents a detailed analysis of the status of DPCs across different states in India. Twelve states – Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are the states covered for detailed primary investigation into the status of DPC, since PRIA has a direct or indirect presence in these states. The report highlights the gap between what appears on paper and what the actual situation is on the ground for these states. The information is supplemented by secondary studies, where available.
In Uttar Pradesh DPCs have recently been constituted in 70 districts as per the District Planning Committee (amendment) Act 2007, with the in charge minister as the chairperson. Earlier the Minister-in-Charge of the district was the Chair of the DPC, and there were two Deputy Chairpersons – the ZP president and the CEO of the Municipality within the district.
In Uttarakhand as well, the DPMC is the existing structure for district level planning. However, the State Government has agreed to the constitution of DPCs and a set of guidelines for DPC formation has been issued. These were submitted to the Governor for approval and as a consequence Uttarakhand District Planning Committee Act has been passed . The DPCs are to be chaired by a Minister nominated by the State Government and the District Magistrate is the ex-officio member. The Chief Development Officer of the district is the secretary of the committee. However, no DPCs have been constituted so far. The SEC has the superintendence, direction and control of preparations of electoral roll and conduction of election.
Jharkhand is a unique case in the sense that the 73rd and 74th CAAs have not been implemented at all, and Elections to local bodies are yet to be held in the state. This however does not mean that district planning is not being carried out. There is in place a District Planning Unit headed by a District Planning Officer, again whose job is to allocate plan funds arriving to the district under various Central and State schemes, such as MPLAD and MLALAD. Little effort is made to carry out any concrete planning at any village or town level in the district. The District Planning Unit is not unique to Jharkhand and exists in most states as the administrative structure for routing of plan schemes at the district level.
DPCs had been formed for all districts in the states for which additional information was collected by PRIA (through both primary and secondary sources), i.e., Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. However, this does not guarantee that the DPCs are functional to the same extent in all districts. Further details on the composition of DPCs and whether they are actually functional, will be analysed in the forthcoming chapters.
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District Planning Committee
A district planning committee is a body that is responsible for planning and development in a district. The committee is usually made up of representatives from the government, the private sector, and civil Society. The committee’s role is to develop a plan for the district that will meet the needs of the people who live there.
District Planning Officer
The district planning officer is the person who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the district planning committee. The officer is usually a civil servant who has been trained in planning. The officer’s role is to ensure that the committee meets regularly and that it has the resources it needs to do its work.
District Planning Unit
The district planning unit is the team of people who work for the district planning officer. The unit is usually made up of planners, economists, and other professionals. The unit’s role is to provide support to the committee and to help it to implement its plans.
District Planning Process
The district planning process is the series of steps that are taken to develop a plan for a district. The process usually starts with a review of the current situation in the district. This is followed by the development of a vision for the future of the district. The vision is then translated into a set of goals and objectives. The goals and objectives are then used to develop a plan of action. The plan of action is then implemented and evaluated.
District Planning Guidelines
District planning guidelines are documents that provide guidance on how to develop a district plan. The guidelines usually cover topics such as the planning process, the preparation of plans, and the implementation of plans. The guidelines are usually developed by the government or by a professional body such as the Institute of Town Planners.
District Planning Documents
District planning documents are the documents that are produced as part of the district planning process. The documents usually include the district plan, the district development strategy, and the district budget. The documents are usually made available to the public so that they can comment on them.
District Planning Implementation
District planning implementation is the process of putting a district plan into action. The process usually involves the following steps:
- Mobilizing resources
- Developing projects
- Implementing projects
- Monitoring and evaluating projects
District Planning Evaluation
District planning evaluation is the process of assessing the effectiveness of a district plan. The evaluation usually involves the following steps:
- Setting objectives
- Collecting data
- Analyzing data
- Making recommendations
District Planning Challenges
There are a number of challenges that can be faced in district planning. These challenges include:
- Lack of resources
- Lack of coordination
- Lack of public participation
- Lack of political will
District Planning Opportunities
There are a number of opportunities that can be exploited in district planning. These opportunities include:
- The potential to improve the lives of people in the district
- The potential to attract Investment
- The potential to promote Sustainable Development
District Planning Future Directions
The future directions of district planning are likely to be influenced by a number of factors, including:
- The changing needs of people in the district
- The changing economic Environment
- The changing political environment
- The changing technological environment
Here are some frequently asked questions and short answers about district planning committees and planning:
What is a district planning committee?
A district planning committee is a body that is responsible for planning and development in a district. It is made up of representatives from various government departments, as well as from the private sector and civil society.What are the functions of a district planning committee?
The functions of a district planning committee include:- Preparing a district development plan
- Monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the district development plan
- Mobilizing resources for development
Promoting coordination and cooperation among different stakeholders in development
How is a district planning committee constituted?
A district planning committee is constituted by the government of the state in which it is located. The composition of the committee varies from state to state, but it typically includes representatives from the following:- The state government
- The District Administration
- Local bodies
- The private sector
Civil society
What is the role of the district planning committee in the planning process?
The district planning committee plays a key role in the planning process. It is responsible for preparing the district development plan, which is the blueprint for development in the district. The committee also monitors and evaluates the implementation of the plan, and mobilizes resources for development.What are the challenges faced by district planning committees?
District planning committees face a number of challenges, including:- Lack of resources
- Lack of coordination among different stakeholders
- Lack of capacity
Political interference
What are the ways to address the challenges faced by district planning committees?
The challenges faced by district planning committees can be addressed by:- Providing adequate resources
- Improving coordination among different stakeholders
- Building capacity
Reducing political interference
What is the future of district planning committees?
The future of district planning committees is uncertain. Some experts believe that they will become increasingly important in the planning process, while others believe that they will become less important. The future of district planning committees will depend on a number of factors, including the political will to support them, the availability of resources, and the ability of the committees to overcome the challenges they face.
Which of the following is not a function of the District Planning Committee?
(A) To prepare a draft development plan for the district.
(B) To review the development plan prepared by the State Planning Board.
(C) To coordinate the implementation of the development plan.
(D) To monitor the progress of the development plan.The District Planning Committee is headed by the:
(A) District Collector.
(B) District Magistrate.
(C) District Development Officer.
(D) District Panchayat President.The District Planning Committee consists of representatives from the following:
(A) State Government.
(B) Local Bodies.
(C) Public Representatives.
(D) All of the above.The District Planning Committee is responsible for preparing a draft development plan for the district. The draft development plan is then submitted to the State Planning Board for review and approval.
The State Planning Board is responsible for reviewing the draft development plan prepared by the District Planning Committee. The State Planning Board may approve the draft development plan as it is, or it may make changes to the draft development plan.
Once the State Planning Board has approved the draft development plan, it is then submitted to the State Government for final approval. The State Government may approve the draft development plan as it is, or it may make changes to the draft development plan.
Once the State Government has approved the draft development plan, it is then implemented by the District Planning Committee. The District Planning Committee is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the development plan and monitoring the progress of the development plan.
The District Planning Committee is also responsible for reviewing the development plan periodically and making changes to the development plan as needed.
The District Planning Committee is an important body in the planning process. It is responsible for preparing a draft development plan for the district, reviewing the draft development plan, and implementing the development plan.
The District Planning Committee is a multi-stakeholder body that includes representatives from the State Government, local bodies, and public representatives. This ensures that the development plan is responsive to the needs of the people in the district.