6.1. Target Area Planning

The word ‘planning’ is not new to you as it is a part of everyday usage. You must have used it with reference to preparation for your examination or visit to a hill station. It involves the process of thinking, formulation of a scheme or programme and implementation of a set of actions to achieve some goal. Though it is a very broad term, in this chapter, it has been used with reference to the process of economic development.

Planning is a fundamental idea that you encounter daily, whether you're studying for a test or organizing a trip. It includes several steps:

1. Thinking about what you want to achieve.
2. Creating a plan or program on how to achieve that goal.
3. Implementing the plan by taking specific actions. In this text, planning specifically refers to economic development, highlighting its importance beyond personal tasks to broader societal objectives.

Think about planning a birthday party. You first decide on the theme (thinking), then create a list of things to do, like sending invites and ordering a cake (formulation), and finally, you carry out your tasks on the day of the party (implementation). Economic planning works in a similar way, but on a much larger scale, involving communities and resources.

On 1 January 2015, the NITI Aayog was formed. India adopted centralised planning after Independence, but subsequently, it graduated into decentralised multi-level planning. The responsibility of plan formulation was with the Planning Commission at the Centre, State, and district levels. But on 1 January 2015, the Planning Commission was replaced by the NITI Aayog.

Until 2015, India had a centralized way of planning through the Planning Commission. This means that the central government made major decisions about development plans. However, now with the formation of the NITI Aayog, the approach has shifted towards decentralization, meaning that local and state governments have a more significant role in planning and policy making. This change aims to involve various levels of government to better address local needs and conditions.

Imagine a school deciding on its curriculum. A central board may dictate what subjects to offer, but if the school gets to plan its curriculum according to student interest and community needs, the education can be more relevant and beneficial—this is similar to how NITI Aayog allows states more say in their development.

Generally, there are two approaches to planning, i.e., sectoral planning and regional planning. Sectoral planning means formulation and implementation of the sets of schemes or programmes aimed at development of various sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, irrigation, manufacturing, power, construction, transport, communication, social infrastructure, and services. There is no uniform economic development over space in any country. Some areas are more developed and some lag behind. This uneven pattern of development over space necessitates that the planners have a spatial perspective and draw the plans to reduce regional imbalance in development. This type of planning is termed as regional planning.

In planning, there are typically two main types:

1. Sectoral Planning focuses on specific areas of the economy, like agriculture or manufacturing, creating plans and programs tailored to improve these sectors.
2. Regional Planning considers geographical differences in development, recognizing that some areas may prosper more than others. This planning aims to balance development across regions and reduce inequalities. This ensures that all regions benefit from development efforts, not just the most advantaged ones.

Picture a school addressing student issues: sectoral planning would mean focusing on subjects like math and science, improving just those. Regional planning would mean looking at different classrooms to see which students are struggling and providing extra help where it's needed.

The planning process has to take special care of those areas which have remained economically backward. As you know, the economic development of a region depends upon its resource base. But sometimes resource-rich regions also remain backward. Economic development requires technology, as well as, investment besides resources. With the planning experience of about one-and-a-half decades, it was realised that regional imbalances in economic development were getting accentuated. In order to arrest the accentuation of regional and social disparities, the Planning Commission introduced the ‘target area’ and target group approaches to planning.

Planning must focus on economically disadvantaged areas to assist their development. Although some regions have plenty of resources, they might still lack economic growth due to insufficient technology or investment. Over the past 15 years, planning has recognized growing inequalities in economic development and has introduced 'target area' and 'target group' strategies. This means that specific areas and groups that are lagging need dedicated plans and resources to help them develop.

Consider a community garden project. If one area has lots of resources but lacks care, just throwing resources there won't help—it needs specific attention and efforts to thrive. Similarly, planning focuses targeted efforts on areas that lag behind, ensuring they receive the support needed to develop.

--