Abstract:
India has been emphasizing the importance of developmental efforts at the micro level since the last three decades for the speedy development of the area and people. By and large all five year plans since Third Five Year Plan identified Districts as planning units/regions. A successful plan while taking into account the limitations posed by national priorities, resources and investment of funds, must be sensitive to the regional variations so that a balance is struck. Thus, Government of India issued guidelines to State Governments for preparation of district plans and encouraged them to establish planning and management machinery at the district level.
The idea of Decentralized Planning in India is over a century old, going back to Pre-Independence years of British Rulers and the resolution of local self-government underlined the importance and relevance of local self-government by Lord Ripon (L1:52), which was followed up by the Royal Commission on Decentralization in 1909, which stressed the need for making village the basic unit of local self-government, which should become an integral part of the administrative structure of Government of India. Gandhiji formulated the concept of complete decentralization with Village Panchayat as a social organization which would aim at aliround development of the village in terms of, the agricultural produce, cottage industries, aspects of health, education, employment and social organisation. These ideas were further crystallized by Shriman Narayan in the form of Gandhian constitution for Free India. Efforts were made to initiate decentralization at the district level and block level and to promote the establishment of three tier institutions, viz. Panchayati Raj at the village, block and district level. In order to suggest ways and means to accomplish the task of decentralized planning and people's participation etc., the Planning Commission in its endeavour to strengthen the levels below the state, set up various committees and expert groups to review the issues regarding the planning process in India.......
