Spatial Planning

Spatial Planning

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India has experienced remarkable economic growth during last few decades, with significant achievements in the areas of agriculture, health, rural development, poverty alleviation, education and science& technology. Rapid urbanisation, increased migration from rural to urban areas, and declining rural poverty have been the central themes for economic development in India until now.

However, in recent times rapid unplanned development sprouting up in the villages has been witnessed, specifically near the urban centres in the extended abadi (residential) area of the village, gives rise to unplanned and unauthorised development, which has to be later regularized and retrofitted into planned development. Moreover, the interdependency existing between the villages and the metro cities/ industrial townships/ urban centres, makes it important to plan the villages for the provision of services and infrastructure. Specifically, the planning process for the rural land in vicinity to urban centres holds importance as the planning of the activities to be permitted in these fast transforming villages needs to be decided, for making a sustainable environment in the villages. Hence, the Gram Panchayats in proximity to the National and/ or State Highways are an ideal candidate for the Master Planning exercise.

Well-designed rural communities & areas are places where people want to live and invest in the future. Therefore, there is a need for a scientific and orderly disposition of land resource, which would in turn foster economic development, and contribute to the ease of living. Community cohesion and pride would also manifest into improvement in quality of life.

In this endeavour, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj is partnering and collaborating with 17 specialised agencies and Institutions of National repute such as School of Planning & Architecture, IITs, Colleges of Architecture or Regional Engineering Colleges etc.  to draw up a common Master Plan framework for the States/ Panchayats to adopt and also to provide handholding support to the Panchayat during implementation.The Institutes are also collaborating in this initiative with NRSC and GIS unit of NIC. Copy of the Concept Note in this regard is at Annexure.