Planning for Urban & Rural Local Governments

Planning and allocation of resources, at the district level, for the Panchayati Raj institutions, are normally to be done by the Zila Parishad, and in the urban areas, the municipal bodies discharge these functions within their jurisdiction. However, the need to take an overall view with regard to development of the district as a whole and decide on allocations of investments between the urban and rural institutions was constantly felt. The Constitution 74th Amendment Act makes provision for the constitution of a planning committee at the district level with a view to consolidate the plans prepared by the Panchayats and the municipalities and prepare a development plan for the district as a whole.

The District Planning Committee (DPC)

In order to impart a democratic character to such committee, it is laid down that not less than four-fifths of the total number of members of these committees should be elected from amongst the members of the Panchayats at the district level and of the municipalities in the dish-id in proportion to the ratio between the urban and the rural populations in the district. All other details, regarding the composition, have been left to the state legislatures. The DPC, in preparing the Draft Development Plan, shall have regard to:

1. matters of common interest between the Panchayats and the municipalities including spatial planning;

2. sharing of water and other physical and natural resources;

3. integrated development of infrastructure and environment conservation; and

4. extent and type of available resources, whether financial or otherwise.

The plan so prepared by the DPC is to be sent to the state government by the chairperson of the committee.

Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC)

As of 1993, there were 23 metropolitan agglomerations in the country. Where the metropolitan area encompassed not only the main city corporation but also a number of other local bodies—both urban and rural—surrounding the main city corporation. In order to ensure orderly development of the urbanising fringe areas, proper development plans of the surrounding towns and villages need to be drawn up in association with the plan of the main city. Besides, their development schemes have also to be coordinated. The Constitution 74th Amendment provides that in every metropolitan area (with a population of 10 lakh or more), a Metropolitan Planning Committee is to be constituted for preparing a draft development plan for the metropolitan area as a whole. With a view to imparting it a democratic character, it is laid down that not less than two-thirds of the members of such committees shall be elected by and from amongst the elected members of the municipalities and chairpersons of the Panchayats in the metropolitan area, in proportion to the ratio between the population of the municipalities and the Panchayats in that area.

While preparing the Draft Development Plan, the MPC will take account of the following factors:

1. plans prepared by the municipalities and the Panchayats in the metropolitan area;

2. matters of common interest between the two, including coordinated spatial plans of the area;

3. sharing of water and other physical and natural resources;

4. integrated development of infrastructure and environmental conservation

5. overall objectives and priorities set by the Government of India and the state government;

6. other available resources, financial and otherwise.

The draft so prepared by the MPC will be forwarded by the chairperson of the committee to the state government.

Now, we move on to certain problems faced by urban bodies.

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