District Level Planning Process and Implementation: A Case Study of District Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

District level planning is expected to result in better planning because the local people have a better awareness of their needs and fuller information on the conditions and possibilities of their areas. The district planners who have more intimate knowledge of the interdependence of activities in the district, would be in a better position to develop integrated programmes which would avoid duplication and can produce the maximum impact with minimum cost. Besides, there is scope for involvement of people in the planning process if the process is decentralized. Moreover, implementation may also be better as a result of more realistic planning and greater involvement of the people. Considering all factors, it seems appropriate to decentralize the planning process in the next few years. The present study attempts to examine the district planning process and implementation. District planning occupies and important place in the process of countries economic development. Obviously, the success of the plan would depend upon the systemic working of the district planning process. District is one of the most important units of the governmental activities, performance traditional as well as development functions. Various institutions are involved in the developmental process at this level. With democratic decentralization, the institution is not merely concerned with execution of development functions, but also with policy formulation in this behalf.