District Planning Committee (DPC): Members, Functions & More

PWOnlyIAS December 12, 2023 05:28 4972 0

The District Planning Committee, mandated by Article 243ZD of the Indian Constitution, is formed in each district. Its role is to prepare a draft development plan for the district as a whole.

District Planning Committee (DPC): Members, Functions & More

Constitutional Mandate

District Planning Committee is set up under Article 243ZD of the Constitution of India at the district level.

Appointment of District Planning Committee

The state legislature constitutes a DPC to consolidate the plans prepared by the Zilla Parishad, Gram Panchayats, Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council, and Municipal Corporation in the district.
Composition:
- Members of the Lok Sabha who represent the whole or part of the district;
- All the members of the State Legislative Assembly whose constituencies lie within the district;
- President of the Zilla Parishad;
- President of the Municipal Corporation or the Municipal Council, having jurisdiction over the headquarters of the district;
- About four-fifths of the members of a district planning committee be elected from amongst the elected members of the district panchayat and municipalities;
- The Chairman of the District Co-operative Banks and the Land Development Bank (Permanent invitees);
- The Chief Executive Officer (Secretary of the Committee);
- The Deputy Commissioner of the districts (Chairman of the District Planning Committee);

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District Planning Committee: Functions

Decentralized Planning: One of the major mandates of the District Planning Committee is to enable decentralized planning in the state.
Specific Plans: The District Planning Committee makes plans on sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, watershed development, women and child care, public health, education, etc.
Resource Management: The DPC is required to carry out coordinated development with the available resources.

District Planning Committee: Significance

Link between ULBs and Panchayats: The District Planning Committee will serve as the link between Panchayats and ULBs of the district.
Potential Environment for Growth: The committee makes a plan for development by considering the specific needs of the people, the area’s growth potential, and the available budgetary allocations.
Socio-economic Planning: The committee is critical for the function of ‘economic and social justice planning,’ which is now a mandated local function.
Consolidated Planning: The District Planning Committee will consolidate the plans suggested by the Zilla Parishad, Gram Panchayats, Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council, and Municipal Corporation in the district.

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District Planning Committee: Criticism

Non-functional: In many states, the DPCs are not properly constituted. In some states, they are not even functional.
Political Interference: In many states, the DPCs are chaired by the ministers. Because of this political interference, development is affected.
Lack of Coordination: Despite the mandate of coordination between rural and urban bodies, DPCs have failed to properly coordinate their functioning.
Funding: There are no separate funds for DPCs allocated in the state budget. The functions they perform do not have enough funding.

Way forward

Professional Support: DPCs can be provided professional support to improve the efficiency of the DPCs.
- There also needs to be a professionally qualified District Planning Officer to head the District Planning Committee. The most motivated experts must be invited to participate as experts.
Dedicated Cell: A separate cell can be created to service the District Planning Committee. It could provide a dedicated focus on panchayats and municipal bodies.
Institutional Support: Institutions such as universities and research institutions, both at the district and state levels, could assist the DPC in planning, monitoring, and evaluation.

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73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992

Origin: The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 added Part IX to the Constitution. It also added a new eleventh schedule to the constitution through Articles 243 to 243O.
Objective: The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj institutions in the country.
- The act contains two types of provisions: compulsory provisions, which have to be included in the state laws, and voluntary provisions, which are based on discretion.
Salient Features of the Act:
- Three-tiered System: The act provides a three-tiered panchayati raj system in the states, which includes village, intermediate, and district levels.
- Gram Sabha: It is the foundation of the Panchayati Raj system and includes members from villages. Their functions are stated by the state legislature.
- Election of Members: Members of panchayats at village, intermediate, and district levels shall be elected directly by the people.
  - The chairperson election shall be determined by the state legislature.
- Reservation: The reservation for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes is provided under the act. Not less than one-third of the members shall be women.
  - The state legislature can also make provisions for reserving seats for backward classes.
- Tenure: The panchayats have a five-year tenure. If dissolved before the completion of the term, elections are to be held within six months.
  - The newly constituted panchayat will continue only for the remaining duration.
- Eligible age: A person is qualified to be elected as a member of the panchayat if he/she has attained the age of 21 years.
- Authority: The state election commission has to be set up for superintendence, direction, and control of elections to panchayats.
- Powers of Panchayats: Panchayats have the power to prepare plans for economic development and also implementation of schemes for economic development.
- Financing: The state legislature can authorize panchayats to levy, collect, and appropriate taxes, duties, tolls, fees, etc.
  - The state provides funds to panchayats from the consolidated fund of the state.
- Finance Commission: Every five years, the governor of the state may constitute a finance commission to review the financial position of panchayats and make recommendations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

District Planning Committee is a constitutional body set up under Article 243ZD of the Constitution of India at the district level.

The main mandate of the District Planning Committee is to coordinate developmental plans of Zilla Parishad, Gram Panchayats, Nagar Panchayat, Municipal Council, and Municipal Corporation.

The state legislature has the power to set up the District Planning Committee.

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj institutions in the country.

Members of panchayats at village, intermediate, and district levels shall be elected directly by the people. The chairperson election shall be determined by the state legislature.

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District Planning Committee (DPC): Members, Functions & More

Constitutional Mandate

Appointment of District Planning Committee

District Planning Committee: Functions

District Planning Committee: Significance

District Planning Committee: Criticism

Way forward

73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the District Planning Committee?

What is the main mandate of the District Planning Committee?

Who sets up the District Planning Committee?

What is the objective of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, of 1992?

What is the composition of the Panchayati Raj?

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