Column: How do planning committees get constituted?
Hyderabad: This article is in continuation of the last article on Constitutional and Statutory Bodies: https://telanganatoday.com/understanding-the-framework-of-gst-council.
District Planning Committee
The District Planning Committee is provided for under Article 243D of Part IX A of the Constitution as an important body for developing a holistic plan for the development of the entire district, keeping in view the needs of the rural areas as well as the urban areas in the district.
Article 243ZD – provides for the constitution of Committee for District Planning for consolidating the plans prepared by the Panchayats and the Municipalities in the district and to prepare a draft development plan for the district as a whole.
It also states that
• the composition of the District Planning Committees and the manner in which the seats in such Committees shall be filled will be provided for by the State, by law. However, not less than four-fifths of the total number of members of such Committee shall be elected by, and from amongst, the elected members of the Panchayat at the district level and of the Municipalities in the district in proportion to the ratio between the population of the rural areas and of the urban areas in the district;
• the manner in which the Chairpersons of such Committees shall be chosen will be provided for by the State, by law.
• the functions relating to district planning which may be assigned to such Committees. Every District Planning Committee shall, in preparing the draft development plan,
(a) have regard to —
(i) matters of common interest between the Panchayats and the Municipalities, including spatial planning, sharing of water and other physical and natural resources, the integrated development of infrastructure and environmental conservation;
(ii) the extent and type of available resources whether financial or otherwise;
(b) consult such institutions and organisations as the Governor may, by order, specify.
– the Chairperson of every District Planning Committee shall forward the development plan, as recommended by such Committee, to the government of the State.
Metropolitan Planning Committee
The civic needs of a metropolitan area are unique given its population, the economic activity in that area and the pace at which the development of the area is spreading to the surrounding areas. In order to take care of the ever-growing and changing needs of a metropolitan area, an exclusive planning authority is created for each metropolitan area under Article 243ZE.
Article 243ZE – deals with the constitution of Committee for Metropolitan Planning in every Metropolitan area to prepare a draft development plan for the Metropolitan area as a whole.
It also states that
• the composition of the Metropolitan Planning Committees and the manner in which the seats in such Committees shall be filled will be provided for by the State, by law. However, not less than two-thirds of the members of such Committee shall be elected by, and from amongst, the elected members of the Municipalities and Chairpersons of the Panchayats in the Metropolitan area in proportion to the ratio between the population of the Municipalities and of the Panchayats in that area;
• the manner in which the Chairpersons of such Committees shall be chosen will be provided for by the State, by law.
• the functions relating to planning and coordination for the Metropolitan area which may be assigned to such Committees;
Every Metropolitan Planning Committee shall, in preparing the draft development plan, consult such institutions and organisations as the Governor may, by order, specify and have regard to —
(i) the plans prepared by the Municipalities and the Panchayats in the Metropolitan area;
(ii) matters of common interest between the Municipalities and the Panchayats, including co-ordinate spatial planning of the area, sharing of water and other physical and natural resources, the integrated development of infrastructure and environmental conservation;
(iii) the overall objectives and priorities set by the Government of India and the government of the State;
(iv) the extent and nature of investments likely to be made in the Metropolitan area by agencies of the Government of India and of the government of the State and other available resources whether financial or otherwise;
• The Chairperson of every Metropolitan Planning Committee shall forward the development plan, as recommended by such Committee, to the Government of the State.
— By Shikara Academy
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