Sirsa, Mahendergarh chosen to prepare Perspective Plan

Chandigarh, Dec 17 (UNI) Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj has identified two districts of Haryana--Mahendergarh and Sirsa--for facilitating the preparation of Perspective Plan for the 11th Five Year Plan period and annual plan for 2008-09 under the Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF).

An official spokesman said the Ministry had also released a grant of Rs ten lakh for each district as Central assistance under (BGRF) programme for preparation of Comprehensive District Plans.

He said the district plan process had been made an integral part of the process of preparation of states 11th Five Year Plans. Plans prepared by the Panchayats and Municipalities would be consolidated by the District Planning Committee into a district plan.

He said that with a view to assisting the districts in the preparation of the Districts plans and facilitating the participatory process, the Planning Commission and Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj had prepared a panel of Technical Support Institutions. The institutions which would assist the two districts of Haryana for preparation of Plan included National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Centre of Research for Rural and Industrial Development (CRRiD).

The teams formed by these institutions would visit the districts assigned to them and hold discussions with the district officers working in the development sectors and Panchayats at the three tiers to clarify the process.

UNI