Planning and Development
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cha_naoremPlanning and Development
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cha_naoremPLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
What is planning?
Planning in organizations and public policy is both the organizational process of creating and maintaining
a plan; and the psychological process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired goal on
some scale. As such, it is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior. The term is also used for
describing the formal procedures used in such an endeavor, such as the creation of documents,
diagrams, or meetings to discuss the important issues to be addressed, the objectives to be met, and the
strategy to be followed.
PLANNING PROCESS
The role and nature of planning would depend on the nature of planning per se. Planning in India is
essentially a backward and forward process.
The main stages in India’s planning at central level are:-
1.Perspective targeting
-General goals for long term Development usually 15-20 years.
2.Formulation of guidelines
-5 yrs targets are given guidelines by central working groups for each important sector comprising
economist ,specialists ,administrators in central ministries and planning commissions.Planning
commissions also seeks suggestions from states and union territories on the structure for their
respective plans.
3.Preparation of the approach paper
Planning commission prepares an approach paper for 5 year plan which is discussed &
approved/modified by National Development Council.
4.Publication of the draft
On the basis of the approach paper ,Planning Commission prepares a draft 5 year plan which is done
much before. It outlines the set of objectives of the plan ,makes resource assessment and provides
broad indication of priorities and targets in various sector. The draft is discussed in government as well
as non –Government circles at central as well as state level.
5.Finalisation of the Plan
After discussion with central ministries & state governments ,the final version of the plan is
formulated .The 5 year plan is formally endorsed by union cabinet & then presented to parliament
where it is approved .
6.The phase of implementation
Implementation of starts with the release of the sanctions by the Ministry of finance and department
of finance at state level.
7.The exercise of evaluation
Evaluation and appraisal of plan undertaken periodically at the level of National Development council,
Planning Commission, Central Ministries, State Government and District Planning authorities. These
institutions plays an important role in the planning process.
PLANNING COMMISSION
Planning Commission was constituted on 15 th March ,1950 by a resolution of Government of India.
Jawaharlal Nehru was the Ex-Officio chairman of the planning commission. He was assigned top
responsibility for economic reconstruction of the country.
Role Of Planning Commission
1.Assessing and augmenting resources
2.Plan Formulation
3.Defining implementation Strategies
4.Indicating requisites of plan execution
5.Determining Execution strategy
6.Appraisal
7.Advice
Structure
By convention ,the Prime Minister is the chairman of the PC. He presides of over the meetings of the
whole commission ,keeps a watch on implementation of the commissions decisions , maintains Liaisons
with the members of National Development Council, Union Council of ministers, monitors the plan
,undertakes their constant evaluation & broadly co –ordinates the working of the commission .
Since PM is only part time chairman and is unable to devote adequate time to its functioning and
performance , the deputy chairman is its de-facto Executive Head.
Deputy Chairman deals with the following subjects:
1. Administration of planning process
2.Multi Level Planning
3.Plan Co-ordination
4.State Plans
5.Perspective Planning
6.Hill area and desert development
7.Financial Resources
8.National Informatics centre
9.Industry and minerals
10.Tribal Sub-plan
11.Civil Supplies & PDS
12.Statistics and Survey
13.Information & Broadcasting Communication
14.Monitoring of 20 point programme
15.Data Bank
16.Minimun Needs Programme
17.All other subjects ,not allocated to other members.
ARC VIEW
It recommends that the PM to cease to be the chairman of Planning Commission.
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
-One of the key organizations of the planning systems in India.
-Functions of the National Development Council are as follows:
-To prescribe guidelines for formulations of the national plan .
-To consider national plans as formulated by the planning commission.
-To assess resources required for implementing the plan and to suggest ways and means for raising
them.
-To consider important questions of social and economic policy affecting development.
-To review the working of the plan from time to time and to recommend such measures as are
necessary for achieving the aims and targets articulated in the national plan.
STATE PLANNING BOARD
To sum up.most state planning boards have the following characteristics:-
1.State planning board were set up in the early 1970’s following the recommendation of the ARC’s on
the insistence and with assistance of the planning committee.
2.A board is generally headed by the CM with few senior ministers,including planning minister and
finance minister as its members.
3.The chief Secretary & a few senior secretaries are members of the board.
4.Boards have several expert members
5.Boards are mainly concerned with broad economic policies.Perspective planning,Plan Formulation and
Plan Evaluation.
6.The planning Department the secretarial assistance to their respective state planning board.
7.These boards have conducted a few studies & have tried to support planning process through inputs
of information and analysis.
8.The meetings has been better and far between.
9.Their overall impact on planning system ,except in a few states has been only marginal.
10.It is increasingly being felt that their role should increase substantially and they should be true
counterparts of the planning commission at the state level.
Issue areas of State planning System
-The Process of Plan Formulation Lacks vigour.Hence ,detailed exercise of needs-assessment and
resources –apraisal need to be undertaken before a plan is formulated.
-Database should be made more significant.
-There is a need to involve educational institutions ,research organizations,NGO’s etc in the formulation
and evaluation of plans.
DISTRICT LEVEL PLANNING
While Planning for a region or area –say a district-Integration of the sectoral priorities and sectoral
demands within the specific spatial background along with the social background of the area and
various diversities (customwise,skillwise,incomewise and the like) of the various groups which forms the
population of the area is necessary.
Therefore the whole raision d’etre of district planning rest not only on technical grounds but also on the
involvement and participation of the people of the district.
The working group on District planning of the planning commission has remarked that decent(through
district planning) enables a better perception of the needs of the local areas, makes better informed
decision making possible,gives people a better voice in decision concerning their development and
welfare ,serves to achieve better co-ordination & integration among programmes, enables felt needs of
the people to be taken into account.
Deputy Commissioner
The DC must have necessary status ,power & respect in both regulatory and developmental spheres .He
should be the chief executive of the district planning authority .He should also be empowered to
exercise powers of issuing sanctions for undertaking financial expenditure within broad limits.
Chief Planning Officer
He should be expert in spatial planning ,project Planning programme evaluation etc.At the block
level,there should be a planning officer of the BDO’s rank.
OPERATIONAL PHASE
1st phase(Stage of initiation)
-Defining scope of district planning & district sector schemes.
-Disaggregating plan funds to district.
-Formulating criteria for inter district allocation of plan funds.
-Strengthening plan capability at district level.
-Establishing horizontal monitoring machinery at the district level & link it vertically with monitoring
mechanisms at higher levels.
-Setting up a district planning boards/council /committee with representation from public.
-Establishing procedures for 5 year and annual plans.
2nd Phase(Stage of limited Decentralisation)
-Bringing limited sector of activity
-Concept of free funds & encouraging limited localism in district planning .
-Improving multi-level resource allocation for development budgeting.
-Delegating extensive powers including powers of reappropriation.
3rd stage(Full Decentralisation)
-Enlarging localism to cover decision in all district sector activities.
-Introducing administration reforms to delegate all decisions making power at district level.