Madhya Pradesh Planning Board was constituted through General Administration Department’s resolution in 1972. After promulgation of the District Planning Committees Act, 1995, District Planning Committees were set up as measure to devolve power.
Consequent to the 73rd and 74th amendments in the Constitution, the elected members of Zila Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies comprise fourth fifth of the members of the District Planning Committees (DPC). However, their participation has been absent in plan preparation, which has defeated the purpose of grass root planning.
State Planning Board vice-chairman and former Union agriculture minister Dr Som Pal Shastri who arrived on two-day visit to Indore spoke to Padma Shastri about Board’s plans. Excerpts:
What causes are impeding growth of State economy. What measures have been suggested to remove regional imbalance?
Lets put it this way. It’s 69 per cent agricultural-dependent India. The accumulation of physical capital, human capital and production enhancement contribute to the growth and we are focusing on this. Two days back, government has come out with policy of allocating cultivable wasteland to landless, SC, ST, educated unemployed, cooperatives, ex-servicemen and self-help groups. Government will provide irrigation, good seeds and technical support that will fetch higher prices to them for their produce.
Then we are inviting private sectors to take up 14 lakh hectares of difficult land like ravines, hilly areas on long-term lease for agriculture and forest based development. This will improve GDP, green cover and generate employment. Then there is plan to develop special durum, kathia wheat production centres and exclusive cotton and cereal seed villages. This will retain purity of product, which will facilitate their sale in international market.
{{/usCountry}}Then we are inviting private sectors to take up 14 lakh hectares of difficult land like ravines, hilly areas on long-term lease for agriculture and forest based development. This will improve GDP, green cover and generate employment. Then there is plan to develop special durum, kathia wheat production centres and exclusive cotton and cereal seed villages. This will retain purity of product, which will facilitate their sale in international market.
{{/usCountry}}The nutritive value of these specialized products will be highlighted to gain international access. Area under horticulture will be doubled. Talks are on with NABARD to prepare readymade bankable projects for farmers to choose from. They will be like business project reports.
On human capital front, mass skill mapping will be undertaken for first time where we will search from industries what skills they require and introducing training courses in Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) accordingly. Our ITIs have 40 courses while China has 4,000. Specific skill courses that commensurate with international demands would be introduced.
Despite 73rd and 74th amendment in the Constitution, the participation of panchayat members could not be ensured. It’s true.
The 73rd and 74th amendments have been conceived in vacuum that are devoid of ground realities, as the Indian rural masses are not prepared for it. Though political and financial powers have been granted to elected representatives, they haven’t taught to be responsible and accountable. Fortunately, we have district planning committees (DPC) in place that receive technical assistance from district administration.
District administration has been asked to help DPC members, urban local bodies to undertake resource inventory of their area, project thrust areas, make assessment of development needs and recommend ways for optimum utilisation of resources. Board proposes to hold meeting with DPCs in Bhopal and later at divisional and district headquarters after monsoon. As for district plans, there is lot of political uncertainty from Centre. The guidelines are yet to be received.
What has been Board’s assessment of State resources so far and how do you plan to develop them?
Apart from agriculture, tourism has big potential. We have recommended forming specialised tourism circuits that include heritage tourism, religious tourism, eco friendly tourism, wildlife and forest circuits. Development of wind power and non-conventional sources of energy are other thrust areas. Next week, we will have demonstration on bio digester at Bhopal. It consumes kitchen, agricultural waste to produce energy enough to meet domestic and cooking needs of every rural household all round the year. Besides these wholesale reforms, retail reforms are in the offing.
Under this, government application forms have been simplified. The need to collect form from government offices is obviated. Xerox copy of prescribed application format can also be submitted with computer readable documents. E-tendering is being encouraged in government departments.
Board needs to change its approach towards planning and identifying priorities, specially when world is going global.
There is need for an overhaul. Our emphasis has to be on consolidating strengths, enhancing productivity, marketability and on reducing incremental capital output ratio that ensures early returns on capital investment. Then we must address infrastructural weaknesses. Sectoral priorities will have to be changed. Growth has to be made more inclusive and participatory.