RADPFI: Rural Area Development Plan Formulation and Implementation

Context:

Recently, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has revised Rural Area Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (RADPFI) guidelines, 2017 in a view to transforming rural India and ensuring rural prosperity.

What is the need for Rural Area Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (RADPFI) Guidelines?

• There have been spatial development initiatives that have been implemented in India, especially in urban areas. However, there has been no comprehensive exercise for rural spatial planning of panchayats/villages. 
• In recent times, there has been a large growth in rural areas, but this unplanned growth has led to inefficient utilization of geospatial potential in rural areas. 
• Thus, spatial planning especially for the villages located in the vicinity of the urban centres and those, along the major road corridors, becomes necessary.
• Hence, keeping this in view, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has revised these guidelines.

What are the key features of the RADPFI Guidelines?

• Village Planning Scheme(VPS) on the lines of Town Planning Schemes in urban areas; 
• provisions of linking Gram Panchayat Development Programme (GPDP)with Spatial Land Use Planning,
• Planning for environmental benefit and disaster preparedness.
• Linking to the 15th Central Finance Commission(CFC) and respective State Finance Commission (SFCs).
• Improving the E-Governance through Spatial Data Infrastructure
• Integrating/Consolidation of GP Development with RURBAN CLUSTERS/ Block District Plan,
• Using the  SVAMITVA (and other digital tools) for the Abadi area (linking to land records).

Objectives:

• It is aimed at ensuring ease of living in villages and help minimizing migration to big cities by providing all necessary infrastructure and facilities and also resources and opportunities for livelihood in rural areas.

Significance:

• It will augment development of vibrant economic clusters in rural areas, which would contribute to the socio-economic development of rural areas.
• It will also supplement the efforts of the Central Government such as the SVAMITVA Scheme of Ministry of Panchayati Raj and RURBAN Mission of Ministry of Rural Development and facilitate better utilization of Geospatial information.

What is the purpose of RADPFI Guidelines?

The plan aims to serve as the basis for rural transformation and enable effective Land use planning in rural areas. 

The plan will also ensure ease of living in villages and help minimising migration to big cities by providing all necessary infrastructure and facilities and also resources and opportunities for livelihood in rural areas.

Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) Background

• A pilot exercise conducted in 2018 suggests that a majority of the GPs scored between 41% and 50% on a scale of 100, showing glaring deficiencies.
  • Merely 0.1% and 0.6% GPs fell in the high 91-100 and 81-90 score respectively.
• A comparison of the performance among the larger states shows that Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, in that order, were the top scorers, while GPs in Jharkhand, Assam, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh were at the bottom.
• A recent study of 100 randomly chosen GPs by National Institute of Rural Development has shown that several GP has reported improvements while others have slipped down over the past year. A fresh survey is, therefore, significant.

Gram Panchayat Development Plans

• Gram Panchayats have been mandated for the preparation of GPDP for economic development and social justice utilizing the resources available to them.
• The GPDP planning process will be comprehensive and participatory by involving full convergence with the schemes of all related Central Ministries / Line Departments.
• The People’s Plan Campaign initiated under “Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas” is an intensive and structured exercise for planning at Gram Sabha through convergence between Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and concerned departments of the State.

About the process

• Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) will include 48 indicators covering various aspects such as health and sanitation, education etc.
• After each GP is scored out of 100 — with 30 marks for infrastructure, 30 marks for human development, and 40 marks for economic activity— the GPs will be ranked.
• The data on the 48 indicators would come from Census 2011 (for physical infrastructure), Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (for Household-level deprivation data), and fresh survey starting in September 2019 that will be carried out by local facilitators.
• The score for each GP will reflect the local needs and priorities.
  • For instance, for a drought-prone area, water conservation would be accorded the highest priority.
  • Within this ranking, households suffering the worst deprivations would be prioritised further.
• The entire ranking exercise is meant to identify the gaps at the GP level, make an assessment of where it stands, and accordingly plan the interventions.

National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj

• The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR) is an autonomous organization under the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
• It is recognized internationally as one of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Centres of Excellence.
• It builds capacities of rural development functionaries, elected representatives of PRIs, bankers, NGOs and other stakeholders through interrelated activities of training, research and consultancy.
• Establishment in 1958, the Institute is located at Hyderabad in Telangana.
• In addition to the main campus at Hyderabad, this Institute has North-Eastern Regional Centre at Guwahati, Assam to meet the NE-regional needs.

Schemes Related to Rural Development

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005.
• Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
• Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin.
• National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

Source: PIB

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Rural Area Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (RADPFI) Guidelines, 2016