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DETAILED REPORT
SECTION A
PART I
INTRODUCTION 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 GENERAL
Prosperity of a nation depends upon the development of economic
activities which in turn depends upon the development of facilities and
services. As in the words of ‘M. Davis’, “Infrastructural facilities are those
facilities which are responsible for social and economic development of the
area.”
Keeping in mind the above fact as well as the 2001 census figures,
about 70 percent of the total population of India resides in the rural
areas. Rural areas dominate the Indian economy. Hence, there is need to
achieve socio–economic development of the rural sector and to improve
the standard of living by providing the required rural infrastructure in a
planned manner. For planning of rural areas there exists a three tier
hierarchy (Refer Fig. 1).
Ministry of Rural Development National
Department of Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation
Department of Rural Development
Department of Wasteland Development
At state level, there is State Planning Commission and cabinet ministries
District level/ Block level
Dealing agencies are District Rural Development Agency and District Planning Boards /Block Development and Planning Office
State level
Fig. 1: Three Tier Hierarchy in Rural Areas
Block as indicated in fig1 is suitable and manageable
administrative unit in the context of regional planning. Block level
planning thereby is a micro level unit of planning of rural areas. It is
directly related to planning of local resources, engaging the problems and
potentials of the area. Block development plans are prepared by keeping
in mind the national and state five year plan’s objectives and thereby are
implemented accordingly.
1.2 NEED FOR BLOCK DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
The need for block level planning/micro planning has been
recognized by the Planning Commission as well as by the government of
India since the formulation of the 4th Five Year Plan. The main reason for
this is the recognition of the fact that while centralized planning based
on macro level indicators of growth has contributed to an increase in
agricultural and industrial production and in the GNP at the national
level such economic growth has not necessarily brought about
distributive justice. It has been recorded that during the same period of
industrial and agricultural growth the rate of unemployment and the
percentage of population below poverty line have also gone up
considerably.
One of the reasons for the above facts was that Planning was not
viewed with the concept of distributive justice and a realistic approach.
It was just based upon the arithmetic exercise with major emphasis upon
few sectors like heavy industries. Due to this arithmetical exercise, basic
beneficiaries were only the elite farmers whereas poorer sections of the
society were totally neglected. The Fourth Five Year Plan suggested for
the first time that irrespective of the centralized macro planning system,
the best solution is to take district as an ideal planning unit. The
following logical facts were kept in the background to select district as
the optimum unit:
(a) District may be the most convenient geographical unit where there
can be concentration of public administration. The district
administration includes all agencies and officials, functions of the
government and provides all principal points of contact between
administration and its citizens.
b) Demarcation of convenient geographical unit for the purpose of
providing sound administration and impetus to physical, social and
cultural development.
c) District plans are prepared in accordance of achieving the state
level objectives.
During fourth and fifth five year plan periods, a number of district
level plans were prepared and implemented. But unfortunately, this did
not make much impact on the distributive justice and the conditions of
the poor. It was later realized that the district still was not an ideal unit
of planning for the purpose and that method of planning is also
defective. The mobilization of local material, human resources and all
decentralized economic activities such as agriculture, major irrigation,
rural industries, health, education and other social facilities require a
smaller area level approach. The Community Development Blocks were
considered ideal for this purpose because they are much smaller than
district and yet are larger than village which may be too small for
planning purpose.
Smaller units like blocks also reflect the physiographic, socio
economic and cultural diversities of the country which need special
attention. Larger units such as districts or a region do not provide the
base for attending to special problems of smaller areas. The Blocks also
provide the area base where various sectoral plans sponsored either by
the centre or the states can be integrated to the maximum. However,
most important rationale for Block Level Planning is the need to change
the planning process itself. The present system is to prepare a macro–
level national plan earmarked into various sectors such as agriculture,
Industries, health, education and so on with specific financial
allocations. This macro-level plan is further broken down into state and
district level plans. This system of planning reflect the continuation of
colonial approach towards its subjects who for obvious reasons were left
out of the decision making process. Unless there is intimate knowledge of
local problems, people and a certain amount of dedication to the
development of the poor, complemented with professional planning, the
ultimate result may actually be harmful. So only block development
planning can offer both things i.e. helping in understanding the local
problems and accordingly developing the region in a systematic, balanced
and realistic manner.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF BLOCK PLANNING
1.3.1 Social objectives
(a) Removal of disparities.
(b) Progressive elimination of exploitation and injustice.
(c) To encourage peoples’ initiative and participation to inculcate in
them the spirit of self reliance.
(d) To foster community feeling and sense of mutual help, cooperation
and sharing among the people.
1.3.2 Economic Objectives
(a) To provide opportunities for full and gainful employment to every
person in the community, starting from the poorest.
(b) Bringing local resources and means of production progressively
within the control and direction of the local community in order to
make equality a reality.
(c) Use of local resources both material and human supplemented by
outside inputs wherever necessary.
(d) Production oriented to the meeting of basic and minimum needs
with surplus available for capital formation and further
development.
(5) To plan infrastructural facilities, such as roads, markets, energy
sources, warehouses, agricultural inputs, distribution centres and
cooperatives.
2. RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES IN INDIA First planned effort towards rural development was made by the
Indian Government in the year 1952 by launching Community
Development Programme.
2.1 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
Community Development Programme was launched in 1952. This
programme was a multi-purpose programme and aimed at material and
human resources of an area through the co-operative effort of the people
and active help of the state. The approach and the activities covered
under this programme included-agriculture and animal husbandry,
irrigation, co-operation, village and cottage industries, health and
sanitation, education, electricity, communication, marketing etc.
Though, spread throughout the nation, the program failed in its
objective as it did not concentrate on the most desired need of the rural
communities, that is, the upliftment of their socio-economic base.
Because for such a gigantic programme to succeed, there should be no
resource constraint while the resources available were meagre. It
expanded very rapidly at the cost of quality. Also, the administrative
boundaries of the blocks were delineated without any regard to regional
considerations.
2.2 INTENSIVE AGRICULTURE DISTRICT PROGRAMME (I.A.D.P.)
In the year 1960, Government of India adopted a minimum package
approach and launched Intensive Agriculture District Programme. Being
a package programme, the programme advocated selective area approach
to agriculture development. The efforts were concentrated towards
achieving agriculture development in 15 districts (one in each state) with
favourable conditions to agriculture development and related
infrastructure. These districts were-Tanjore (Madras), Shahbad (Bihar),
West Godavari (Andhra Pradesh), Ludhiana (Punjab). Pali (Rajasthan),
Raipur (M.P.), Aligarh (U.P.), Mandya (Mysore), Bhader (Maharashtra),
Cacher (Assam), Palghat (Kerala), and six blocks of Jammu and Kashmir.
Later in 1964, this programme was modified and introduced as
Intensive Agriculture Area Programme (I.A.A.P.).
However, both the programmes necessitated heavy investment in
agricultural inputs, thereby, benefiting only rich farmers of the rural
areas. Also the scope of the programmes was limited to provide
infrastructure only for agriculture development ignoring other sectors.
Thus the scope of these programmes was confined to provision of
agriculture infrastructure in selected areas.
2.3 MINIMUM NEEDS PROGRAMME
Under the programme of Minimum Needs, which was introduced in
the National Fifth Five Year Plan and revised during the Sixth Plan, the
aim of the Government was to ensure at least minimum level of social
consumption in rural community. Facilities included were - elementary
education, rural health, nutrition, safe drinking water, provision of all-
weather roads to all villages with a minimum population of 1,500
persons; electrification to cover 30 to 40 percent of the rural population
and environment improvement of urban slums. This criteria was revised
in the Sixth Plan under the Revised Minimum Need Programme. It
included - provision of education to all children upto the age of 11 years;
Adult education Centre in every village; one Health Sub Centre for 3,000-
5,000 persons; a Primary Health Centre for every 30,000 persons, and
Community Health Centre for a population of 1 lakh persons, to link
every village having 1000 persons with all-weather road; to electrify at
least 60 percent of the villages in every state; to provide safe drinking
water within a distance of 1.6 kilometers; to provide house sites to all
landless labourers and environment improvement of urban slums.
Though implemented in every state, the emphasis in this
programme was only on social facilities and not on entire rural
infrastructure.
2.4 WHOLE VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
The National Commission on Agriculture recommended adoption of
whole village approach to development in order to increase the growth
potential of the villages and this Programme got started in the year 1977
with the aim of dealing with the village problems in totality through a
package of practices. The main components of the programme were-
consolidation of land holdings, overall land development plan for
maximizing water control and moisture preservation in dry areas,
maximizing irrigation support, cropping pattern for villages for the best
use of irrigation.
This programme concentrated only on the development of
agriculture and irrigational facilities. Therefore, it could not achieve the
desired targets.
2.5 HABITAT MOVEMENT
The Habitat Movement started after the commencement of the
‘United Nations’ Conference on Human Settlements held at Vancouver in
Canada on May 30th to June 11th 1976. The programme in general
aimed at modernizing agricultural practices, developing village industries
and making subsidiary occupations like poultry, dairy-farming etc. Other
physical aspects covered were education, health, roads, water supply,
sewerage and drainage.
The programme did not have much impact on the development of
rural areas as there was no scientific base for selecting the Habitat
Villages. They were often selected on political bias. The facilities provided
in the block were concentrated on one place. Thus, the main objective of
integration was missing in this programme.
Various other programmes such as-Farmers’ Training Education
(1966), Tribal Development Programme (1968), Drought Prone Area
Programme (1970), Crash Scheme for Rural Employment (1971),
Marginal Farmers Development Programme (NDFA), Hill Area
Development Programme (1975), National Rural Employment Programme
(1980), etc., were launched from time to time by the Indian Government.
But all these programmes were limited in their scope in terms of
providing infrastructural facilities and their coverage of rural areas. They
concentrated on the development of either one or few facilities in selected
areas. They did not aim at integrated development of the rural sector as
a whole. Therefore, in order to achieve balanced regional development
there was a dire need to have integrated development of the rural
areas/sector.
2.6 INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (I.R.D.P.)
Launched in 1979, the Integrated Rural Development Programme
aimed at a systematic and integrated use of all natural resources,
enabling every person to engage himself in a productive and socially
useful occupation. I.R.D.P. is a strategy package seeking to achieve
enhanced rural production and productivity, greater socio-economic
equity, a spatial balance in social and economic development broader
based community participation in the process of development. It is a
dynamic concept ever changing with respect to the condition and
requirement of the rural economy.
2.7 BLOCK PLANNING
During the Sixth Plan Working Group appointed by the Planning
Commission under the Chairmanship of M.L. Dantewala recommended
‘Block Level Planning’. Block with a population of 60,000 to 80,000
persons and covering 80 to 125 villages was identified as a Convenient
Unit for rural planning and development as it is at this level that local
problems and potentials can be assessed. Block Development Planning
has been undertaken in all the States for rural development.
3. BLOCK DEVELOPMENT PLANNING IN PUNJAB 3.1 GENERAL
The concept of Block Development Planning came into existence in
Punjab in the year 1973-74. Three Area Planning Units were set up by
the State Town and Country Planning Department, Punjab, at Amritsar,
Hoshiarpur and Chandigarh (Refer Map 1) to prepare Block Plans of
some selected Community Development Blocks. Later on under
Integrated Rural Development Programme in 1977, all the blocks were
covered to carry out the exercise of block development plan preparation.
Out of the then 118 blocks of Punjab state, block development plans for
109 blocks were prepared.
Map 1 : Map of Punjab showing location of
first three area planning units.
3.2 OBJECTIVES OF BLOCK DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The objectives of Block Plans are as follows.
1. Identification of various local problems which may get blurred at
macro level.
2. Assessment of resource potential of the block and its optimum use
and conservation of soil and vegetation for food, fodder and fuel.
3. Identification of growth centers which can generate and sustain
activities in their respective hinterlands.
4. Assessment of infrastructural requirements in the area and
planning for the same.
5. Optimum exploitation of strategic location of local resources to
generate additional employment opportunities to absorb
unemployed and under-employed workers particularly those
belonging to poorer sections of the society.
6. Balanced Area Development within the block to ensure equitable
geographical spread of development.
7. Integration of beneficiary-oriented specific activities within sectoral
schemes for balanced development of the block.
8. Identification of families below poverty line especially those
belonging to the scheduled castes and backward classes.
9. Identification of environmentally depressed areas and abadis and to
suggest measures to improve their environment.
10. To estimate tentative cost of development and phasing of
expenditure involved.
However, block plans, in Punjab are being prepared just to achieve
four of the ten objectives. These objectives are-assessment of local
problems; identification of growth centres; assessment of infrastructural
requirements and planning for them. Finally, estimation of cost of
developing these facilities. Thus, the block plans, mainly, are concerned
with the planning for infrastructure. In infrastructure too, the scope of
block plans is limited to certain standardized facilities such as
educational, medical, veterinary, marketing facilities and postal services
etc. in five villages of a block while there is need to provide and develop
all the infrastructure facilities required at the block level in a planned
manner.
3.3 INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES AT BLOCK LEVEL The infrastructural facilities which are required to be planned at
Block level, the implementing agencies and the land use for which
various facilities are required have been listed below. The infrastructural
facilities required in a block can be summarized as follows:
1. Transportation: It covers all the roads in a hierarchical order-
National and State highways, district roads, link roads, kutcha
rasta, Phirni, railway line, bus stand/stop, railway station, petrol
pumps, bridges and culverts.
2. Communication: It includes branch, sub and main post offices;
telegraph office, telephone connections and telephone exchange,
telephone tower, etc.
3. Electricity: It includes power sub-station and transmission lines.
4. Rural Water Supply: It covers the source of water supply e.g. wells,
tube well, hand pumps and piped water supply.
5. Drains: Drainage covers drains, and pavement of drains.
6. Market: Under this facility, shopping centre, consumer shops,
daily/weekly market are included. It also includes Grain Market,
purchase centres and sub-yards.
7. Storage: Storage facilities include godowns, Warehouses and Cold
Stores for storing agricultural produce.
8. Agriculture: It includes tractors, thrashers, combines, sprayers,
fertilizer depots, seed distribution centres, agro-repair centre.
9. Irrigational facilities include open wells, tube wells (electric and
diesel), canals, rivers, tanks etc.
10. Credit: It includes banks and credit societies.
11. Agriculture allied activities: this covers fish ponds, pasture land,
cattle sheds, feed plants, milk collection centres, and poultry
farms.
12. Educational: This facility includes primary, middle, high/ higher
secondary schools, colleges, technical/ vocational training
institutes, adult education centre.
13. Medical facilities: it cover health sub centres, dispensaries, primary
health centre, community health centre, family planning centre and
hospitals, RMP’s, chemist shop, etc.
14. Veterinary: Under this facility comes veterinary dispensaries,
hospitals, artificial insemination centres.
15. Recreational facilities cover facilities such as community centres,
library/ reading room, playgrounds, stadiums, regional park, fair
ground, temple, Gurudwara, etc.
16. Other Services: Police services, fire services, NGO’s, etc.
4. THE PRESENT STUDY OF VALTOHA BLOCK
4.1 GENERAL
Punjab is an important and one of the most prosperous states of
India. It is famous for its rivers, agriculture, village and above all
‘punjabiyat’. It consists of 142 blocks in total. Valtoha block under study
lies in the recently made district i.e. Tarn Taran. The block is situated
along International Border of India and Pakistan (Refer Map 2) thereby
having its own potentials and constraints. Emerging metropolis Amritsar
with population of 10,11,327 (Census 2001) is at a distance of 72 kms
from village Valtoha. Valtoha Block consists of 59 Settlements out of
which 4 villages are uninhabitated and one urban settlement i.e.
Khemkaran (Refer Map 3). In rest of the 54 villages, there are 66 village
Panchayats which have been studied in detail by way of primary surveys.
Total population of Valtoha block was 51080 persons in 1961 which
raised 77112 persons in 1991 and 91115 persons in 2001 thereby having
a growth rate of 16.98% during 1991-2001 (Refer Fig.2). Valtoha block
reports literacy rate of 41% which is low as compared to Punjab which
has literacy rate of 69.9%.
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
90000
100000
PO
PU
LATI
ON
1961 1971 1981 1991 2001YEAR
Fig. 2: Population Growth of Valtoha Block
Map 2: Location of Valtoha in the Region
Map 3: General
4.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The study of Valtoha block aims at formulating an approach
towards integrated growth of the region. Following objectives have
been framed.
1. To identify, study and analyze the problems and potentials of the
region.
2. To ensure equitable growth and development amongst all sections
of the society to remove disparity.
3. Upgradation / reorientation of existing infrastructure.
4. Optimum utilization of growth potential of the area.
5. Strengthening the pattern of service centres in such a way as to
serve for majority of population.
4.3 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT
The scope of the project is to study the following aspects and to
identify the problems and potentials in light of these aspects:
The Block
Regional setting
• Location
• Locational advantages and disadvantages
Physiography
• Topography
• Drainage
• Climate
• Water table
Demography
• Population Distribution
• Literacy
• SC Population
• Sex Ratio
• Population Density
Economic Sector
Land Utilization
Agricultural and Irrigation
• Irrigated area
• Worker/Non Worker
• Cropping pattern
• Cropping intensity
• Irrigation
Industries
• Industries type
• Employment
Heritage Tourism
Social Sector
Infrastructure
• Educational infrastructure
• Medical infrastructure
Physical Infrastructure
Traffic and Transportation
• Road Hierarchy
• Road Condition
• Right of Way
Rural Water Supply & Sanitation
Nodal Infrastructure
Public Opinion Survey
Level of Development
Proposed Development Strategies
Findings of Household Survey 4.4 METHODOLOGY FOR BLOCK DEVOLVEMENT PLAN–VALTOHA
The integrated area developed plan for a block shall take into
accounts the people’s needs and potentials. Although preparation of the
block development plan shall be a professional exercise but peoples’
involvement in its formulation shall not only make our plan more
realistic but will also make it more acceptable to them. The overall stages
of methodology to be followed in the project are shown (Refer Fig. 3).
Fig. 3: Methodology of the Project
Step I: Project Team Meeting with People and Officials of Block:
Before launching a survey for detailed collection of data, it is
necessary for survey team to have interaction with as many people and
officials of the block as possible. Detailed discussions with these groups
regarding general problems and prospects of the area would provide a
balanced picture of the area under study.
Project Team under the umbrella of Project Coordinator discussed
various issues related to the development of the Block with various
officials and representatives of the villages, which include
Sarpanches of Valtoha Block
Women Representatives from different villages
Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO), Valtoha
Subdivisional Magistrate (SDM), Patti Tehsil
Deputy Commissioner, Tarn Taran
Before discussion, the questionnaire highlighting various aspects of
block development plan was discussed with all the above groups/
individuals as a pilot testing of questionnaire for assessing lucidity of the
items and questions. Accordingly necessary improvement was made in
the questionnaire. Thus, these improvements helped the survey team to
prepare a real ‘Block Profile’ highlighting various aspects such as
agricultural, economic, social, education, health etc. of the block.
Step II: Detailed Collection of Data from Various Sources:
After finalizing the questionnaire, the next stage was that of data
collection. In this stage all the villages were visited by different survey
teams for filling up of questionnaire. The data was collected from primary
sources as well as secondary sources related to different aspects of Block
Development Planning. These include Demographic, Social, Economic,
Environmental, Cultural and Physical aspects. The data collected by the
survey teams helped in diagnosing the latest and real situation of the
block both quantitatively as well as qualitatively.
Step III: Data Compilation and Presentation:
The data related to different aspects of block development planning
collected in stage II has been compiled. Statistical tables, graphs, and
maps etc. have been prepared the maps have been prepared in GIS
(Geographical Information System) software.
Stage IV: Analysis of Data:
In this stage, the data has been analyzed based upon three
parameters i.e., aspect wise analysis (both qualitative and quantitative),
spatial analysis and cross tabular analysis. The analysis has been done
on the normative planning basis, i.e., it would be based upon norms and
standards (population wise and area wise) evolved in urban and regional
planning.
Stage V: Proposals:
Based upon the analysis of data, the existing problems and
potentials both qualitative and quantitative have been highlighted. This
has shown the existing gaps in terms of requirements of various
facilities, services and related infrastructure. The future requirements of
different aspects keeping in mind the views of the residents as well as
surveys conducted have been worked out. This has become the base for
working out the proposals regarding different aspects of Comprehensive
and Balanced Block Development Planning.