People’s Planning at grass root level

Rajya Sabha

Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Dr. C. P. Joshi today informed the Rajya Sabha that Article 243 ZD of the Constitution provides for constitution of District Planning Committees (DPCs) to consolidate plans prepared by the Panchayats and Municipalities for the district and to prepare a draft development plan for the district as a whole.

As the concept of grass-roots planning through the DPCs was almost non-existent in most of the States, the Ministry has pursued, in the first instance, the establishment of DPCs in all the Districts where Part IX of the Constitution applies. As of now, 22 States out of the 24, covered by Part IX of the Constitution, have constituted the DPCs. The Planning Commission has issued guidelines regarding the district plans on 25th August 2006 in which all the States were advised that the district planning process should be an integral part of the process of preparation of the States’ Eleventh Five Year Plan (2007-2012). The Planning Commission has also released a Manual for Integrated District Planning which the States can use as handbook for participatory grassroots level planning.

“Sound finances” of the Panchayats is a Constitutional obligation enjoined on the States by Article 243-I. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is pursuing the States for the devolution of finances based on activity mapping, inclusion of Panchayat Sector in the State budget, timely action on the recommendations of the State Finance Commissions (SFCs) and assignment of adequate and appropriate revenue sources to Panchayats to strengthen the own resources of Panchayats.

The Twelfth Finance Commission has recommended grants amounting to Rs. 20,000 crore for allocation to States in ten equal half yearly installments during the period 2005-06 to 2009-10 to supplement the resources of Panchayats.

The Minister was replying to a written question whether Government has taken initiatives for people’s planning at the grass root level by the Panchayats and local bodies.

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