AFPRO is the Facilitating Agency for CDAP in Dhule District

Dhule District, Maharashtra is one of the pilot districts where Comprehensive District Agriculture Plan would be developed. AFPRO will facilitate the preparation of Comprehensive District Agricultural Plan in the District

A preliminary interface on the District Level Planning was organized on 13th and 14th September 2007 by the Planning Commission at Yashada in Pune for the western region comprised of four states viz. Maharshtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The purpose was to accelerate the process of preparation of district agricultural plans keeping in view the priorities emerging at the district level through participatory grassroots level planning signifying a major shift from top-down state-centric planning to bottom-up people-centered approach.

Preparatory meeting with District officials at Dhule

The meeting was called by the district Collector for the HODs of all the line departments on 18th September 2007 at the Agricultural College, Dhule. This was mainly to draw a broad framework for preparing the district level agriculture plan for the eleventh five year plan where AFPRO also participated as a facilitating Agency.

During the meeting AFPRO made a presentation about the organization and the role to be performed as a facilitating agency. A brief note on the proposed strategy/steps to be followed for evolving the plan was also circulated and discussed in context of the district Dhule. Based on the reflection of the participants, tentative activity plan is prepared

It was also discussed during the meeting that as a first step there is need to set vision and objectives of the plan at the district level and in this line it was decided to form sector-wise small groups to reflect and discuss on the critical issues and finding out the gaps. This will be a sort of visioning process which will also help to have a common understanding on the planning process and the target to be achieved

Strategy for CDAP

A Startup and sensitization Phase

§ Meetings and consultation with the district officials to develop common understanding for the preparation of plan

§ Formation of sub Groups for visioning process
Based on the outcome of first meeting it was decided that in order to have more clarity for plan preparation sector wise subgroup would be formed and the group will come up with sector wise specific database and vision. The findings will be incorporated in CDAP after due consultation with all the stakeholders. A total of nine subgroups related to NRM, credit in agriculture, processing etc will be formed to work out the details

§ Sensitization workshop at District Level
Once the subgroups come out with sector specific vision, a common meet, tentatively in the first week of October would be organized to develop common understanding on the proposed decentralized planning approach for CDAP among the various stakeholders. This process will also help in setting up Bench Mark for the district.

§ Understanding of Ongoing schemes
Detail understanding of the Agriculture related ongoing schemes and programs (Macro-Micro) in the district. Emphasis will be on finding the gaps and indicative strategy for those.

§ Sensitization workshop at block Level
Once the common understanding is developed for CDAP at district level, the sensitization workshop would be organized for four blocks viz.Dhule, Sakri, Shirpur and Shindkheda.

B-Data collection for situational analysis

§ Block level team would be constituted to carryout the village level planning exercises through participatory methods.
§ Capacity building input would be provided to block level team by conducting demonstration in few villages.
§ The situational analysis would be carried out based on agro-ecological situation. However it will be ensured that villages from each block are represented.

C-Developing Plans
§ Based on the findings of villages level exercises, consolidation of plan will be carried out first at bock level where due consideration would be given to the available plans, schemes and other secondary data.
§ Compilation of bock level plans to finalize the comprehensive district agriculture plan (CDAP).

Consultation at AFPRO Head Office on District Level Planning Initiatives of GoI

A consultation was organized at AFPRO Head Office on 10th September 2007 to discuss the Planning Commission’s initiatives for District Level Planning – the Special District Livelihood Plan (SDLP) Pilot Project and the Backward Regions Grant Fund.

Those present included
Dr. Jimmy Dabhi, Director, Indian Social Institute (ISI), Treasurer of the AFPRO Governing Body
Dr. N R Jagannath, Project Officer, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Mr. George Mathew, Director, Institute of Social Sciences
Dr. Sudhirendar Sharma, Environmental Journalist
Dr. M. Maitra, Project Officer, Indo-Canadian Environment Facility
Mr. Pradipto Roy
Ms. Archana, ISI
Mr. D K Manavalan, Executive Director, AFPRO
Mr. S C Jain, Programme Coordinator, AFPRO

The following is a summary of the issues or concerns discussed:
· How would plans be evolved in States like Jharkhand where Panchayati Raj Institutions are not in place as yet?
· Secondary data regarding resource status, livelihood options, agriculture and other options available at the local and district levels should be made available to Panchayats.
· District level planning requires facilitation from subject matter specialists as sector-wise requirements need to be identified and converged with plans.
· Block level teams need to be instituted for facilitation of village planning exercise. Therefore, these teams need to be provided proper orientation and skill development.
· AFPRO can demonstrate planning methodology in villages. However, upscaling these models is the responsibility of local institutions.
· Intensive training orientation and sensitization will be required for all stakeholders who will participate in the district level planning exercise.
· There is need for flexibility in time plans to adapt local situations.
· AFPRO may have to provide specialized input in the area of land, water and other livelihood generation activities.
· Regional variations are there across the States with regard institutional arrangements, local systems and structures etc. Hence a common approach to evolve plans may not be appropriate and recognition of local and traditional systems is imperative.
· This is a good opportunity for organizations to contribute to the Planning Commission’s initiative. At the same time caution should be exercised in the delivery of services so that quality documents emerge from this large-scale participative endeavour.

AFPRO gets involved in District Level Planning of GoI

AFPRO has sent in proposals for supporting district level planning under 2 projects of the Government of India, the Special District Livelihood Plan (SDLP) Pilot Project and the Backward Regions Grant Fund.

Special District Livelihood Plan (SDLP) Pilot Project

AFPRO is among selected institutes that would be called upon to provide capacity building and handholding support for conduct under the Special District Livelihood Plan (SDLP) Pilot Project for 25 selected districts. AFPRO will be working in 3 of these districts. This is an initiative of the Planning Commission to for “re-orienting agricultural planning at the district level and below to address productivity and livelihood issues and participatory planning through convergence strategies in these rainfed districts spread across varying agro-climatic conditions.”

Backward Regions Grant Fund

In addition, AFPRO has also been invited to take up more districts under the Backward Regions Grant Fund, and has accordingly sent in its proposal for supporting 14 more districts.

The Planning Commission of the Government of India has initiated this process for District Level Planning, with a view to make these plans an integral bases of State level Eleventh Five Year Plans (2007-11) and Annual Plans (2007-08). The Ministry of Panchayati Raj had constituted an Expert Group in consultation with the Planning Commission in 2005 to plan this process.

In this initiative of the Planning Commission, district plans are also taking into account the activity plans of non-governmental sector of the local economy i.e. community-based initiatives, financial institutions, international NGOs, and private organizations.

A Brief Background of District Planning in India

The concept of District Level Planning is not new. Integrated local area plans based on specific endowments and needs of each area have been made stressed upon from the beginning of planned development in 1950s, but efforts made were few, irregular and isolated. 73rd and 74th Amendments to the constitution made it mandatory for District Level Plans to be consolidated out of local plans derived at the village, intermediate and district panchayats and urban local governments. However, though constitutionally validated, little progress has been made in the direction of the objectives.

Thus development activities were carried out with the inevitable segregation of sectors and programmes. The result was too was obvious in terms of incongruent processes, resource wastages, and limited outcomes.

What are District Plans?

Essentially a district plan will comprise consolidated plans of local government within a district. Each of these plans, whether rural or urban, would allocate the resources available with the district in terms of natural base, human potential and finances against sectoral activities and schemes that are assigned to the district level and below and those implemented by local governments in a State.

The each District level plan would contain the following plans:

1. Plan to be prepared by the Rural Local Bodies for the activities assigned to them and the national/state schemes implemented by them with their own resources and those earmarked for these purposes;
2. Plan to be prepared by the Urban Local Bodies for the activities assigned to them and the national/state schemes implemented by them with their own resources and those earmarked for these purposes;
3. Physical integration of the plans of Rural and Urban Local Bodies with the elements of the State Plan that are physically implemented within the geographical confines of the district.

All the three aspects would be considered and consolidated by the District Planning Committee (DPC) into a District Plan. The expected activities of the non-government sector in the local economy must also be taken into account and responded to. These would include the following:
1. Plan emerging from activities of people’s groups like SHGs, Co-operatives etc.
2. Plan emerging from the financial institutions like the local branch(es) of Commercial banks (both in the public and the private sector), NABARD, Co-operative Banks and the like.
3. Plans of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs)/NGOS and Bilateral Agencies operating in the District.
4. Plans of other private agents that would either have an impact on the activities of the government or would need the government to respond to those developments in so far as its own areas of functioning/service delivery are concerned.