Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Department

Policy Note 2003-2004

Demand No. 35

1.1  The main functions of Planning and Development department are:

1. Preparation of Five Year Plans and Annual Plans with inputs from State Planning Commission.

2. Monitoring of Plan Schemes and Centrally Sponsored Schemes, Schemes shared between State and Centre.

3. Evaluation of Plan Schemes, Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Externally Aided Projects through Directorate of Evaluation and Applied Research.

4. Collection, compilation and release of statistical data through Directorate of Economics and Statistics.  This includes State Income Estimates, conduct of Economic Census, Agricultural Census and Special Surveys as well as monthly monitoring of the State’s economy.

5. Monitoring of poverty alleviation programmes such as Twenty Point Programme and Prime Minister’s Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY).

6. Overseeing of District Planning Committees for Decentralised District Planning, through the State Planning Commission.

7. Overseeing the implementation of Hill Area Development Programme and Western Ghats Development Programme.

8. Overseeing the functioning of Nodal Officer, World Trade Organisation (WTO) Cell.

9. Review of progress of major infrastructure projects.

10. Convergence and overseeing of schemes taken up under Special Initiatives.

11. Coordination of projects taken up under Infrastructure Investment Plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area.

12. Preparation of Plan Budget Link for the Annual Plans.

13. Attending the works relating to National Development Committee meetings.

14. Coordination of schemes implemented under 15 Point Programme.

15. Monitoring of release of Central Assistance for Annual Plan Schemes, Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Schemes shared between State and Centre.

16. Coordination of the schemes relating to Remote Sensing.

17. Overseeing implementation of the schemes under Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana.

18. The follow up action on the reports of the District Monitoring Officers.

1.2        Brief notes on the main items of work indicated above are given below:

1. 1.2.1          The Performance of Five Year Plans

The State Government has been consistently achieving the Plan Outlays from Second Five Year Plan onwards.  The approved plan outlays and expenditure from First Five Year Plan till Ninth Five Year Plan are indicated below:

(Rs. in crores)

The per capita Plan outlay during First Five Year Plan was Rs.29 and it was Rs.248 during Fifth Five Year Plan.  The higher per capita Plan outlay of Rs.6,440 is anticipated during the Tenth Five Year Plan.  The Plan wise per capita outlays are indicated in the Chart below:

1.2.2     Year-wise achievements in Ninth Five Year Plan (1997-98 to 2001-02)

The approved outlay for Tamil Nadu for the Ninth Five Year Plan was Rs.25,000 crores.  The approved outlays and expenditure during the Ninth Plan period are given below:

The Annual Plan outlay for 2001-2002 was originally fixed at Rs.6040 crores.  The Government was forced to scale down the above outlay to Rs.5200 crores due to un-precedented resource constraints.  The following graph will indicate the trend of performances during Annual Plans from 1995-96.

As against the targeted growth rate of 7% per annum in GSDP for the Ninth Plan period, the achievement was 5.46%.

1.2.3     Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-2007)

The approach paper in the National Tenth Plan as approved by the National Development Council on 1st September 2001 proposed that the Tenth Plan should aim at 8% GDP growth per annum for the period 2002-2007.  Based on the above, the State Planning Commission has formulated the Tenth Five Year Plan.  An enhanced outlay of Rs.40000 crores has been approved by Union Planning Commission for Tenth Five Year Plan.  Besides envisaging the growth rate of 8%, monitorable targets for key indicators of Human Development has been set in.  The goal is to make Tamil Nadu the best State in the country during Tenth Five Year Plan by providing opportunities for a healthy and productive life for all.  The Hon’ble Chief Minister’s 15 Point Programme has been taken as the road map for development for the Tenth Five Year Plan.  The following diagram will indicate the sectoral priorities in the Tenth Five Year Plan.

1.2.4     Annual Plan 2002-2003

2002-2003 is the first year of the Tenth Five Year Plan.  An outlay of Rs.5750 crores was approved by the Union Planning Commission for the Annual Plan  2002-2003.  It is anticipated that the State will be able to achieve the Plan outlay in full.

1.2.5     Annual Plan 2003-2004

The draft Annual Plan outlay for 2003-2004 has been finalised by the State Planning Commission and sent to the Union Planning Commission for approval.  Taking into account of the size of the Tenth Five Year Plan and the achievement anticipated during 2002-2003, it is proposed to embark on a much larger Plan outlay for the Annual Plan 2003-2004.  This will be finalised in the meeting between the Deputy Chairman and the Chief Minister to be held in New Delhi shortly.

1.2.6     Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana (RSVY)   

The Union Planning Commission has come out with a new initiative called Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana (Development and Reform Facility).  Under this 3 year programme, the areas of high poverty and low productivity are selected and the assistance is given to remove the barriers to the growth and to accelerate the development process.  Tiruvannamalai District in Tamil Nadu has been selected for implementation of the above programme.  The Government of India will be sanctioning a grant of Rs.15 crores per annum for the period of 3 years.

1.2.7     Centrally Sponsored Schemes / Schemes shared between State and Centre

The Centrally Sponsored Schemes (100% funded by Government of India) and Schemes shared between State and Centre implemented by various Departments / Agencies are monitored.  The procedure for sanction of Centrally Sponsored Schemes / Schemes shared between State and Centre has been simplified with a view to speedy implementation of schemes.  The progress of implementation of the schemes are being monitored on monthly basis at various levels.

1.2.8  Hill Area Development Programme

The Hill Area Development Programme is being implemented in the Nilgiris District since the year 1975, with the financial assistance from the Government of India to supplement the efforts of the State Government in preservation, protection and enrichment of bio-diversity.  The main objectives of the programme are ecological preservation, its restoration and overall development of district economy.  The implementation strategy is based on the integrated watershed approach, whereby all the different sectors are developed simultaneously in selected priority watersheds to enable optimisation of results and recharge of the water tables.  The district has been delineated into 75 major watersheds on the basis of the drainage pattern.

The Nilgiris District, which forms an integral part of the Western Ghats and which has an area of  2549 Sq. Kms. located at the junction of the Eastern and Western Ghats and has an average elevation of 2000 Mts. above the mean sea level, the highest peak being Doddabetta (2640 Mts. above sea level).  The area coming under forest is 143351 Ha which is 56.3% and the area coming under cultivation is 76,000 Ha out of which 82% area is under tea cultivation.  The vegetables, fruits and other crops are cultivated in the remaining areas.  The major thrust during the present plan period is given for area development.  Soil erosion was identified as the major problem due to improper drainage pattern, unscientific agricultural practices etc.  Specific objectives of the programmes are given below:

1. To preserve and conserve extremely fragile tropical eco-system i.e. sholas and grasslands of Nilgiris.

2. Development of land use plan for forest area as well as cultivated areas on the basis of slope levels and other climatic, ecological considerations.

3. Conserve soil and water to increase productivity of the land by predominantly using vegetative methods and changing the cropping pattern, where needed.

4. Promote non-land based economic activities to uplift the poor people and to ensure environment protection.

5. Economic up-liftment of tribals in isolated locations, settlements.

6. Manage the human pressures on eco-system through comprehensive human settlement policy and discourage migration.

7. “Area based Approach” will be given top priority.  Integrated plans shall be prepared for all watersheds and high priority watershed shall be chosen for treatment.

8. Use of scientific interventions will be encouraged i.e. application of Remote Sensing, high tech forming methods etc.

9. Promotion of Non-Conventional Energy sources i.e. Solar, Hydro, Bio-gas, etc.

The Union Planning Commission, Government of India have released a sum of Rs.10744 lakhs for the schemes implemented under HADP in the Nilgiris District during the Ninth Five Year Plan 1997-1998 to 2001-2002 as detailed below:

The approved outlay under HADP for 2002-2003 was Rs.2210 lakhs.  Actual implementation is done by the concerned line departments.  Soil conservation, preservation of bio-diversity are given the prime importance on watershed basis in the inter allocation.

For the Annual Plan 2003-2004, the outlay for HADP is Rs.2210 lakhs.  Proposals for release of the above funds are being submitted to the Union Planning Commission.  Necessary provisions for the above sectors have been made in the Budget under the respective Demands for Grants.

Western Ghats Development Programme

Western Ghats Development Programme was initiated in Tamil Nadu during 1975-76 with financial assistance (90% grant and 10% loan) from the Government of India.

The Western Ghats region in Tamil Nadu spreads over 26,000 Sq.Kms. i.e., around 20% of the total area of Tamil Nadu.  This Programme is presently implemented in 33 Taluks which covers 57 Blocks of Tamil Nadu in 8 Districts as detailed below:

Theni and Kanyakumari have been fully covered under WGDP. 

The broad objectives of this programme are as follows :-

1. Maintenance of the ecological balance essential for life support system.

2. Preserve genetic diversity.

3. Restoration of ecological damage caused by human interaction.

4. Creation of awareness among the people and educating them on the far-reaching implications of ecological degradation and securing their active participation for the eco-development schemes.

 Under this programme, the main activities undertaken are Soil Conservation, Horticulture, Forestry, Minor Irrigation, Rural Roads, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Sericulture, Remote Sensing and Palm Products Development.  Eighty percent of the total outlay is set apart for three major sectors such as Soil Conservation, Horticulture and Forestry.

Impact of the Programme:

Due to the various activities carried out so far under the Western Ghats Development Programme there is significant impact on the rise of ground water table and more availability of water in wells wherever check dams and percolation ponds were constructed.  Due to soil conservation structures created, dry lands have been converted into garden land resulting in increase in the land value from 20% to 50%.  The construction of check dam has not only improved and doubled the yield of coconuts but also improved the size of the nuts.  It has also provided drinking water through out the year in the villages where there was no drinking water earlier.

The farmers have also reported that the silt detention tanks constructed under WGDP have improved the water table in the wells enabling them to raise pulses as inter crop in the midst of mango, guava and coconut.

For the Ninth Five Year Plan period, a total sum of Rs.51.50 crores has been received from the Union Planning Commission, Government of India as Special Central Assistance for Western Ghats Development Programme.

 For the first year i.e. 2002-2003 of the Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-2007) an outlay of Rs.1099 lakhs was approved by the Union Planning Commission, Government of India.  Actual implementation is done by the concerned line department.  Soil conservation, preservation of bio-diversity are given the prime importance on watershed basis in the inter allocation.

 For the Annual Plan 2003-2004 also, the outlay for WGDP is Rs.1099 lakhs.  Proposals for the above funds have been sent to the Union Planning Commission for approval.  Provisions for the above sectors have been made in B.E. 2003-2004 under the respective Demands for Grants.

1. 1.2.10      Twenty Point Programme

This is a poverty alleviation programme being implemented since 1986.  The main components are Rural Health, Rural Housing, Slum Clearance, Child Welfare, Rural Water Supply, Employment Generation and Welfare of SC/ST.  Monthly reviews are being undertaken both at the State and All India levels.

1.2.11  Evaluation of Major Programmes

Evaluation of Schemes to ensure that the benefits actually reach the targeted population is an important function of the Department.  Both concurrent and terminal evaluations are done by Directorate of Evaluation and Applied Research and the outcomes are analysed and course corrections and policy changes, if any, are suggested to Government.

1.2.12  World Trade Organisation Cell

 As per G.O.Ms.No.121, Planning and Development Department, Dated 19.11.2001, a nodal cell has been formed in Planning and Development Department to coordinate matters relating to World Trade Organisation.  Seminars on World Trade Organisation challenge to State Agriculture Sector was conducted in December 2002.  A seminar on challenges faced by Textiles industry, especially Apparels industry, from the globalisation of market brought in by World Trade Organisation was held in the stake holders in Tiruppur in February 2003.  Further such seminars are being considered for other sectors influenced by World Trade Organisation issues.

1.3 Heads of Department

The departments under the administrative control of Planning and Development Department are as follows:

1. State Planning Commission

2. Department of Economics and Statistics

3. Department of Evaluation and Applied Research

The functions of the above departments are given briefly in the following pages.