Sharing unique experience of training on Integrated District Planning at NIRD, NERC
- Part 1 -

Sorokhaibam Geetmala / Rojendrakar Nongthomba *

The soul of 'India lives inits villages' –MK Gandhi
'Decentralized Planning 'is seed of 'Village Swaraj'
The seed is sown but yet to sprout fully.

We do not need to emphasize the important role the 'In service training' playson honing our skills and widening our knowledge horizon. For this obvious reason the state government does not hesitate in sending its officials to different institutes not only in the country but also to those at the foreign countries by incurring huge expenditure from the state exchequer. For this, at the outset, we would like show our gratitude to the state Government.

Very recently, to be precise from 3rd to 7th June we three(Rojendrakar N, S. Geetmala, Bholanath Sharma) of us from Planning Department had an opportunity to attend a training programme as state nominees on the subject of INTEGRATED DISTRICT PLANNING conducted by the NIRD-NERC Guwahati. We love to share our experience of the programme.

NIRD–NERC is a North East Regional Centre for the National Institute of Rural Development and is located at KHANAPARA, Guwahati. The campus is not so sprawling but it has all the facilities of perfect training institute. It has all the required infrastructure and utilities.Regular training programmes are being conducted atregularintervals.

For our training programme two participants had to share a room and the room has all such facilities as provided by a three star hotel. There is a small but well maintained grass lawn in front of the hostel .The lawn is surrounded by the slopping series of inter connected solar panels. But because of our training schedules we forgot to enquire about the Kilo watts generated by these solar panels but could presume that electricity generated from these would fill the gaps that is there due to non-provision of all the energy requirement of the Institute by the Assam Govt.

In the evening it is very refreshing to sit or have a stroll in and around the lawn as all along the footpaths are sound systems attached on the five feet poles and music is being played from a centrally controlled music system.We really had very tight schedule.Classes are started from 9.30 am. Before that we had to have breakfast between 8–9 am.

And class goes up to1 pm for the morning session with a brief tea break at 11 am. Lunch break starts from 1pm and we have to attend evening session at 2pm and class finishes at 5.30 pm. ours is small group of 22 participants and all the classes were so interesting and engrossing that we did not realise how time passed so fast. There was not a moment of boredom among us (especially we three because we had gone there for a purpose leaving all the important things way back home) moreover topics were also very relevant and thought provoking.

Though we three heard about DPC (District Planning Committee) we did not know how it actually functions. Rojendrakar N had heard of DPC while working in the IMC but he was not fully acquainted with the nitty-gritty of the actual functioning of the District Planning Committee. Same is the case with S. Geetmala and Bholanath Sharma. It is known to all that consequent upon the 73rth and 74rth constitutional amendments DPC and SFC (State Finance Commission) have become mandatorybodies.

The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act mandated the establishment of the DPC for consolidating the plans prepared by panchayats and municipalities in the districts into the Draft District Plan. We were informed by thecourse director that many states have notified the constitution of the DPCs but in terms of functioning, there is not much headway. He also made a passing remark that district planning is a very complex process and full functioning of DPC in accordance to the constitutional provisions cannot be attained so easily!

Nevertheless it is very heartening to know that our state has already taken step for proper functioning of DPC and several meetings had already been conducted and many are in the pipelines. Besides meetings of the local bodies and the machineries of the state government, we feel that holding workshops on the subject of district planning would very useful for all the stakeholders.

In such forum experts could explain to all the stakeholders about the role, function and guidelines of functioning of DPC and cite examples of the states where the DPCs are functioning well and also explain how they function. In the discourse we can analyseif the models of the other states that have successfully effected the functioning of DPC could be adopted in our state.

In this small write up we are not attempting to elaborate on the composition of DPC and how itis constituted.We are not going into the areas where academic discussion would be more appropriate except mentioning that DPC is a body representing both rural and urban elected members and some officials.

Its main function is the consolidation and integration of the plans prepared by urban both urban and rural bodies for consideration and approval before being put forward (both annual and perspective plans) tobe integrated the state plans in time. Whereby the people of the districts know what all things are to be taken by the district level. It is natural that DPC while preparing the draft development plan is required to consider the matters of common interest between the panchayats and municipalities.

In the training discussions with faculty members and experts and with fellow trainees were very fruitful and useful. And we believe whatever we learnt about decentralised planning and localself-government and meaning of the devolution from the training shall go long way to help us in dealing such matter in our course of career.

As the training session was intensive and of very short duration, we confess, we might have missed many important things. Still we make an attempt to report whatever experience that is still lingering in our little brains. The first day we had inauguration session in the beautifully maintained decorated, well equipped conference cum class room.

There are big screens at three sides of the walls on which all the participants can see the slides sitting all around. The inauguration was conducted in very simple but complete environment. Before the formal function was started as a ritual of kind we were shown the video about the institute backed by articulate voice narration.

After the show Administrative officer cum warden welcomed us. The warden/AO is gentle, soft and cooperative. He listed out 'dos and don'ts'. Drinking is prohibited strictly within the campus. We could sense he had a bitter experience earlier though he did not mention the incidents.

After which the course director—Associate professor Mr.K.Haloi gave a bird's eye view of the course and course contents and later on he requested the director to give an inaugural speech. Director is very simple, philosophical yet very down to earth and experienced academics.

In his no holds barred style he candidly shared his experience and even the plan failures with which he was associated. While discussing the merits of the top down planning vis a vis the decentralized planning he made us to think by his passing comment that, "governments come from the people but their wants are different".

The first class of the training programme is taken by S.N Das, the learned, former Chief Secretary of Assam. He is 79 but still very alert and energetic. He was active in his academic life and fully equipped with books and reference materials. He eloquently narrated thehistory of Panchayats before it was given the Constitutional status and also the developments that had taken in the later years.

He advised usto inculcate the habit of reading as many relevant materials and book we can . We were quite overwhelmed to learn that at his age not only he is an avid reader but also an author on policy matters. He has already published some books.

His light comment — 'now -a- days many officers do not find reading interesting'—make us ruminate on our reading capabilityvis a vis our professional achievement.He brought a book —ResourceConvergences Mantra Model——By Aruna Sharma. He suggested us to read the book. The book is based on the author's practical experience in fostering convergence for livelihood promotion and health sector in Madhaya Pradesh, India. The concept has already been adopted by UNDP.

To be continued....