PLANNING IN HIMACHAL PRADESH

"The forces in a capitalist society, if left unchecked, tend to make the rIch richer and the poor poorer.
Action to be effective must be directed to clearly conceived ends. " -Pt. Jwahar Lal Nehru

Planning in India has its history since pre-independence days.

seventh schedule to the constitution, concurrent list includes social and economic planning which means
that it is a concern of both the governments. In 1946 itself, under the Interim Government an Advisory
Planning Board was set up, under the Chairmanship of K.C. Neyogi.

After independence in 1950 the central agency of planning in India, Planning Commission was set up. In
1952, National Development council was set up, which finally approves the five year plan. Prime-
minister of India is the chairman of planning commission and National Development Council.

Decentralized planning as a concept, has been accepted since the beginning of planning era. The state
government has however, initiated the decentralization of planning process in the phased manner.

The planning in Himachal Pradesh was also initiated in 1951 along with the other parts of the country.

STATE PLANNING BOARD

This is the apex policy planning body at the state level. It is headed by the Chief Minister as its chairman
and its members include

 all the ministers,

 all the MPs from the state,
 Subject matter specialists in the important areas,
 Vice Chancellors of local Universities,
 prominent public men,
 representatives of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and
 all the Secretaries to the state government;
 Advisor (planning), H.P. Government is the member Secretary of the Board .

Prominent functions include

 determination of the development priorities,
 formulation of the five year and Annual Plans,
 review of the plan programmes and interregional as well as intra regional disparities and
 evaluation of the plan programmes etc. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE
 (a) State level: The state planning machinery in Himachal Pradesh is headed by the Secretary
(planning) to the government who is assisted by the Special secretary (planning) and Under
Secretary (planning) at the Secretariat level.
 The head of the Department is Adviser (planning). The state planning department is organized
into eight functional divisions as under:
 (1) Plan Formulation Division
 (2) Plan implementation and information Division
 (3) Manpower Planning Division
 (4) Project Formulation and Review Division
 (5) Evaluation Division
 (6) Regional and District Planning Division
 (7) Administration Division
 (8) Backward area sub-plan Division. These divisions are headed by a joint Director/Deputy
Director level officers.
 (b) District level: The planning machinery at the district level is headed by the Chief Planning
Officer. The ADC/ADM of the district has been ex-officio designated as the Chief Planning officer.
 He is assisted by a Chief Planning officer?? , a Credit planning officer and an Assistant Research
Officer and the supporting staff.

 The district planning set up was created in the mid-eighties and has continued as such.

 Two Tribal districts and two blocks of Chamba district have been excluded from this structure.

 The district planning cells are engaged in the preparation of scheme at the decentralized level,
to maintain the record of all the plan needs of the departments after approval of the budget for
review, implementation of schemes and monitoring of funds provided under LDP, VMTS,
MPLADS, Sectoral Decentralized Planning, Backward Area Sub-Plan as well as convening the
meetings of District Planning Development and 20 point programme Review committees.

 In these meetings, the place of expenditure, level of development achieved through

implementation of schemes and decentralized are reviewed and thereafter the DC and other
Executive Agencies ensure taking up corrective measure from time to time.

 In addition to these activities, These units are engaged in collection of data desired by the State
government and District Administration concerning developmental activities etc.

 (c) Block level: Himachal Pradesh does not have any specific block level planning machinery as
of now.

 State Planning, Development and Twenty Point Programme Review Committee:

 As is evident from the nomenclature of the committee, this is a state level body to review the
implementation of the Twenty point programme and all other developmental programmes.

 It is headed by the Chief-Minister and its members include minister, Vice-Chairman, Twenty
polnt programme committee, all MPs, some MLAs, prominent public men and all secretaries of
the state Government.

 The Adviser (planning), government of Himachal Pradesh is the member Secretary of this
committee.

 District Planning, Development and Twenty Point Programme Review Committee:

 These committees have been constituted to review the implementation of the Twenty Point
Programme and other developmental programmes viz. LDP, VMJS, MPLADS and Decentralized
Sectoral Planning etc.

 The committee is headed by the Minister from the district and has its members; the MP
representing the districts, all the MLAs, other prominent public men, representatives of various
interest groups like SCs, STs, Women, OBCs, all the district level officers and the Additional
DC/ADM as its members, in his capacity as the Chief Planning officer of the district.

 These committees are required to meet once in every quarter and apart from the required role
of review, it is also required to approve the schemes under the LDP, VMJS and Sectoral
Decentralized Planning.

 Sub Divisional Removal of Public Grievances and Planning Developments: For all the
Subdivisions the Sub-Divisional Removal of Public Grievances and planning, Development of 20
point Review Committeesstand constituted and notified with a view to remove Public
Grievances locally and quickly.

 Through the meetings of these committees,the place of implementation of various

developmental programmes is invariably reviewed and corrective measures got ensured besides
redressing public grievances

 The formulation of the comprehensive district level plans and their implementation hasn’t, yet
been started in Himachal Pradesh.

 The state government has been making strenuous efforts to promote planning and
implementation at the district level through various means.

 The salient features of this effort are explained as below:

 (i) Local District Planning:

 This scheme was introduced in the years 1984-85. It envisages allocation of united funds to the
districts based on a formula.

 The formula provides for 60 per cent on the basis of area according to Surveyor General of India.

 Infrastructural schemes benefiting at least five families with no recurring liability can be taken
up under this scheme.

 The upkeep and maintenance of the assets created is either the responsibility of the user
community or the concerned Govt. Departments.

 The developmental works/assets which can be taken up under this category are-
 (1) Construction of School buildings.

 (2) Construction of Rural water schemes;

 (3) Construction of Motorable roads/ropeways;

 (4) Construetion of Minor irrigation schemes

 (5) Construction of Multipurpose community centres;

 (6) Providing of other important infrastructural facilities for development as also to benefit
people at large such as three phase transmission Lines, Ambulance, X-ray plant and purchase of
laboratory equipments for educ tional institutions etc.

 Before sanction and execution of developmental works under this scheme, the same are to be
got approved from the District Planning Development 20 point programme Review Committee
which also monitors/review the progress.

 (ii) Vikas Mein Jan Sahyog (VMJS): To ensure effective people's participation towards fulfilling
their development needs in terms of infrastructure at the grass root level as to supplement
government efforts resources, the programme "Gaon Bhi Apna Kam Bhi Apna", was started in
the year 1991-92.

 After about two years of implementation, a detailed review led to restructuring the programme
by providing for maintenance of assets, greater decentralization and other changes and was
renamed as VIkas Mein Jan Sahyog".

 This programme is an integral part of Local District Planning. -DC can sanction community
works/schemes each costing upto Rs.1.00 lakh but works/schemes costing more than Rs. 1.00
lakh are to be sanctioned at the State headquarters on the recommendations of DC.

 The following type of works/schemes can be undertaken under VMJS:

 (1) Construction of School buildings.

 (2) Construction of multipurpose community/public assets.

 (3) Construction of motorable roads and ropeways;

 (4) Construction of irrigation schemes/drinking water schemes/hand pumps.

 (5) Construction of public health services buildings and

 (6) Provision of important missing Links; such as three phase transmission lines (or electricity) X-
ray plants, ambulances etc.

 Sectoral Decentralized Planning

 Under this scheme, five percent of the approved outlay in selected sectors are taken out and
allocated to the district on the same formula as for the local district Planning. i.e., 60 percent on
the basis of population and 40 percent on the basis of geographical area.

 The scheme was introduced in the year 1993-94.

 The districts are given total freedom for identifying projects to be implemented under this
scheme irrespective of the sectoral bounds only constraints applied is that no diversions are
allowed from the outlay earmarked for the rural water supply.

 The DC is required to get the schemes approve from District Planning Development and 20
Points Programme Review Committee.

 Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) This scheme was
introduced in the year 1993-94, as a central sector scheme.

 The objective of this schemes is to authorize M.P.'s to recommend small works of capital nature
demanded by their constituents.

 Under this scheme each M.P. has the choice to suggest to the District Collector workS to the
tune of Rs. 1.00 crore per year from the financial year 1994-95 (whereas tor the year 1993-94,
each M.P. could suggest works to the tune of Rs. 5 lakh to be taken up in their respective
constituencies) with each individual work not exceeding Rs. 10.00 lakh.

 The following type of works can be taken up under this scheme.

 (1) Construction of school buildings;

 (2) Providing drinking water to the people in the villages, towns or cities by digging tube wells or
other works which may help in this respect.

 (3) Construction of village roads or approach roads.

 (4) Construction of bridges on the approach roads.

 (5) Construction of common shelter for the old and handicapped.

 (6) Construction of buildings for local bodies or for cultural and sports activities or for hospitals.
 (7) Social forestry, farm forestry, horticulture, parks and gardens in Govt. and community land.

 (8) Desilting of village ponds.

 (9) Construction of irrigation canals.

 (10) Construction of common gobar-gas plants, non conventional energy system/devices for
community use and related activities.

 (11) Construction of small irrigation bands or lift irrigation schemes or water table recharging
schemes.

 (12) Public reading rooms or study room.

 (13) Creches and Anganwadis.

 (14) Crematorium/burial grounds.

 (15) Construction of public Health care building, ineluding family welfare sub centres together
with A.N.M's residential buildings.

 (16) Construction of public toilets and bathrooms.

 (17) Drains and gutters.

 (18) Footpath, pathways and foot bridges.

 (19) Provision of civil amenities like electricity, water, pathways, public toilets etc. in slum area
of cities, town and village, provision of common work sheds in slums and for artisans.

 (20) Residential schools in tribal areas.

 (21) Bus-sheds/stops for public transport passengers; and

 (22) Veterinary-Aid centres.