District Planning in Kerala:

Mechanism for Bottom-up Planning

Dr.J.B.Rajan Assistant Professor

Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA)

M.G.Kavu-PO, Thrissur-680581

Ph: 0487-2201768;

email: jbrajan@yahoo.com

District Plan has long history

National

• I FYP

• DDC in II FYP

• I ARC

• PC’s Guideline in 1969

• V FYP

• Prof.Dantwala Committee in 1978

• District Credit Plan by RBI in 1983

• Dr.Hanumanta Rao Committee on

Dist Plan in 1984

• District Plans of mid 80’s

• BRGF and Dist Planning

• Manual for Integrated Dist Planning

• MoPR’s intervention

Kerala

• I FYP – Athiyannoor Block Plan

• Early 80’s – Kollam Dist Plan

• Mid 80’s – Kannur Dist Plan

• 1989 – DDC led Dist Plan

• 2000 – Experience of People’s

Plan

• 2003 – DDP – LDP of Kollam

• 11th FYP – District Human

Development Reports

• 12th FYP – re-visiting

73rd and 74th CAA

• Local Plans [Art. 243 G]

• District Plans [Art. 243 ZD (1)]

Why District Plan?

Macro

Messo

Micro

Local

Central

State

District

Local

Democratic Participatory District Plan:

Constitutional

Plan Document Mechanism

Draft District Plan District Planning

Committee (DPC)

District Plan: as per 74th CAA

Kerala Context

• Kerala Municipality Act, 1994: Section 53

• Planning & Economic Affairs Dept.

Guideline, 1999

• District Plans in 2000

• Town & Country Planning Dept: IDDP in

Quilon Dist.; then to 5 Districts

Decentralisation in Kerala

Launched as Peoples’ Plan Campaign

• Local Planning:

– Kerala Model of Decentralisation

• District Planning:

– ?

– Guideline, Tools, Mechanism

District Plan: After 74th CAA

• V.Ramachandren Committee

(2005)

• Guidelines by Planning

Commission (2005)

• Manual by Planning Commission

(2008)

Spirit of PC’s District Plan: Democratic-Participatory

• Avoid duplications

• Fill the gaps

• Integration possibilities

• Process

• Democratic-Participatory

• Top-down & Bottom-up

• Iterative process at different levels

Kerala’s Attempt

• 11th FYP

– Aborted attempt for DP due to various

reasons

– DHDR – 4 districts

• 12th FYP

– Guidelines for Bottom-up Participatory

Planning

• Local Planning

• District Planning

12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017) Guidelines for Bottom-up, Participatory

Planning

• Local Planning

– 4 Guidelines prepared by KILA

• Plan

• Subsidy

• Project Forms and Codes

• Project Vetting

– Online: Sulekha Software by IKM

• District Planning

– Draft Guidelines prepared by KILA in

concurrence with SPB

Approach of Local Planning:

• Comprehensive Development through

Participatory Planning

• How comprehensive?

– Beyond ‘Ward’; Plan for the Local

Government

– Beyond ‘Year’; Plan for Five Years with

Annual Plan on Rolling Plan basis

• How Participatory?

– Through democratic, but scientific process

Local

Planning

Working Groups:

12+1

Stakeholder Consultatio

ns

Grama Sabha

Sub-Committee

Development Seminar

DPC

Status Reports

Suggestions

Need Specific Suggestions

Draft DR & PD

Final DR & PD

Projectisation

Strengthening Grama Sabha in Planning

• ‘Ayal Sabha’; based on NHGs

• Special Sabhas:

– Oorukoottom for Tribals

– Matsya Sabha for Fisherpeople

– Bala Sabha for Children

– Vayojana Sabha for Aged

– Bhinnasheshi Sabha for Differently Abled

– Vanitha Sabha for Women

• Grama Kendra

Projects in Finger Tips

• Uniform templates for projects

• Online using ‘Sulekha’ Software by IKM

– Entry

– Vetting

– monitoring

Supportive Mechanism

• Capacity Building

– Massive coverage ERs and Officials within

short duration

• Help Desk

– At KILA

– At IKM

• Concurrent Monitoring & Policy

Intervention by Coordination Committee

on Decentralization

District Planning

• Draft Guideline prepared by KILA in

concurrence with SPB

• Simplified version of Planning

Commission’s Manual; in Kerala context

Formulation Phases

Phase 1 Phase 3 Phase 2

District

Development

Perspective

DPC

Local Plans Draft

District Plan

Local

Governments/

Depts/Missions

DPC.

Phase 1: District Development Perspective

- 1. Preparatory

2. Status Analysis

3.Perspective (Draft)

4.Perspective (Draft) – Dissemination

5. Perspective – Consolidation

6. Perspective (Final) – Approval

Perspective – Formulation Process Status Analysis

Draft Perspective

Finalisation

District

Block

Village

Consolidation

Consolidation

Phase 2: Local Planning

• Plans of Local Governments

– 4 Guidelines

– Sulekha Software

• Plans of Departments/Missions

– Vertical to Horizontal

Phase 3: Draft District Plan Content

Part I: District Development Perspective

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Status Analysis

Chapter 3: Perspectives

Part II: District Consolidated Plans

Chapter 4: Consolidated Plans of Local Governments

Chapter 5: Consolidated Plans of Departments/MissionsGovernments

Part III: Plans Suggestions to State

Mechanism for District Planning

• State Level

– State Monitoring Committee (SMC); chaired

by VC-SPB

• District Level

– District Planning Committee; chaired by DP

Chairperson

– District Coordination Committee; chaired

by Dist Collector

– District Task Forces; DP Members

• 5 sectors; 24 sub-sectors

District Planning Committee: Mechanism

District Planning Committee

DPC Secretariat

Member Secretary: District Collector

DPO DSO DPO

District Coordination Committee

District Task Forces

District Plan for Inclusive Development

• District Plan for Special Categories

• Joint initiative of KILA and Wynad

District Panchayat

• Wynad District Perspective Plan

– SC

– ST

– Differently Abled

– Aged

– Women

Thank you