Manual for Integrated District Planning - National Institute of Rural ...

Manual for Integrated District Planning
3.10.6 In order to ensure that the District Planning Committee effectively performs
the role envisaged for it in the Constitution, the following are also recommended:
(a) Infrastructure: A building to house the District Planning Committee Secretariat
with adequate space for the office of Chairperson, Secretariat headed by the
Secretary of the District Planning Committee, officials of the District Planning
Unit (DPU) and supporting staff. The offices must be fully equipped with IT
facilities. Access to conference rooms with adequate facilities for holding large
meetings and smaller working group meetings is also necessary.
(b) Secretary of the District Planning Committee: At present, either the District
Collector or the CEO of the Zila Parishad functions as Member Secretary. However,
District Collectors usually have about seven to eight years of experience and for
CEOs of Zila Parishads, if they are from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS),
this may only be four to five years. On the other hand, line department officers
such as Conservator of Forests, the Superintending Engineer for PWD and Public
Health, CMOs, Deputy/Joint Director (Agriculture), have at least 15-16 years of
service behind them. District Collectors are often preoccupied with regulatory
responsibilities concerning law and order, elections, revenue administration
and protocol duties, leaving them precious little time for development work.
Their leadership in coordinating planning and monitoring district development
work has been eroded with time. This results in compartmentalised working by
line departments and consequent sub-optimal utilisation of financial and other
resources. It is, therefore, necessary that the Secretary of the District Planning
Committee works on a full-time basis and be equipped to lead the planning
process in the district. It is suggested that an IAS officer with at least 15-16 years
of service, or an officer from the Indian Economic Service (IES) or Indian Statistical
Service (ISS) or technocrats, with the same years of service be posted as Secretary
of the District Planning Committee.
(c) Adequate budgetary resources must be provided to the District Planning
Committee: To meet expenditure on its regular staff as well as to hire experts,
outsource work, facilitate the envisioning workshops, PRA exercises, exposure
visits etc. funds are required. Capacity-building of elected representatives and
staff of line departments related to the planning process must also be funded
through the District Planning Committee. The District Planning Committees
could, in turn, work out their training programmes and schedules in consultation
with the state SIRDs, or any other nodal agency that is entrusted the task of
training of elected representatives.
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