DETAILED REPORT

SECTION A

PART I

INTRODUCTION 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 GENERAL

Prosperity of a nation depends upon the development of economic

activities which in turn depends upon the development of facilities and

services. As in the words of ‘M. Davis’, “Infrastructural facilities are those

facilities which are responsible for social and economic development of the

area.”

Keeping in mind the above fact as well as the 2001 census figures,

about 70 percent of the total population of India resides in the rural

areas. Rural areas dominate the Indian economy. Hence, there is need to

achieve socio–economic development of the rural sector and to improve

the standard of living by providing the required rural infrastructure in a

planned manner. For planning of rural areas there exists a three tier

hierarchy (Refer Fig. 1).

Ministry of Rural Development National

Department of Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation

Department of Rural Development

Department of Wasteland Development

At state level, there is State Planning Commission and cabinet ministries

District level/ Block level

Dealing agencies are District Rural Development Agency and District Planning Boards /Block Development and Planning Office

State level

Fig. 1: Three Tier Hierarchy in Rural Areas

Block as indicated in fig1 is suitable and manageable

administrative unit in the context of regional planning. Block level

planning thereby is a micro level unit of planning of rural areas. It is

directly related to planning of local resources, engaging the problems and

potentials of the area. Block development plans are prepared by keeping

in mind the national and state five year plan’s objectives and thereby are

implemented accordingly.

1.2 NEED FOR BLOCK DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

The need for block level planning/micro planning has been

recognized by the Planning Commission as well as by the government of

India since the formulation of the 4th Five Year Plan. The main reason for

this is the recognition of the fact that while centralized planning based

on macro level indicators of growth has contributed to an increase in

agricultural and industrial production and in the GNP at the national

level such economic growth has not necessarily brought about

distributive justice. It has been recorded that during the same period of

industrial and agricultural growth the rate of unemployment and the

percentage of population below poverty line have also gone up

considerably.

One of the reasons for the above facts was that Planning was not

viewed with the concept of distributive justice and a realistic approach.

It was just based upon the arithmetic exercise with major emphasis upon

few sectors like heavy industries. Due to this arithmetical exercise, basic

beneficiaries were only the elite farmers whereas poorer sections of the

society were totally neglected. The Fourth Five Year Plan suggested for

the first time that irrespective of the centralized macro planning system,

the best solution is to take district as an ideal planning unit. The

following logical facts were kept in the background to select district as

the optimum unit:

(a) District may be the most convenient geographical unit where there

can be concentration of public administration. The district

administration includes all agencies and officials, functions of the

government and provides all principal points of contact between

administration and its citizens.

b) Demarcation of convenient geographical unit for the purpose of

providing sound administration and impetus to physical, social and

cultural development.

c) District plans are prepared in accordance of achieving the state

level objectives.

During fourth and fifth five year plan periods, a number of district

level plans were prepared and implemented. But unfortunately, this did

not make much impact on the distributive justice and the conditions of

the poor. It was later realized that the district still was not an ideal unit

of planning for the purpose and that method of planning is also

defective. The mobilization of local material, human resources and all

decentralized economic activities such as agriculture, major irrigation,

rural industries, health, education and other social facilities require a

smaller area level approach. The Community Development Blocks were

considered ideal for this purpose because they are much smaller than

district and yet are larger than village which may be too small for

planning purpose.

Smaller units like blocks also reflect the physiographic, socio

economic and cultural diversities of the country which need special

attention. Larger units such as districts or a region do not provide the

base for attending to special problems of smaller areas. The Blocks also

provide the area base where various sectoral plans sponsored either by

the centre or the states can be integrated to the maximum. However,

most important rationale for Block Level Planning is the need to change

the planning process itself. The present system is to prepare a macro–

level national plan earmarked into various sectors such as agriculture,

Industries, health, education and so on with specific financial

allocations. This macro-level plan is further broken down into state and

district level plans. This system of planning reflect the continuation of

colonial approach towards its subjects who for obvious reasons were left

out of the decision making process. Unless there is intimate knowledge of

local problems, people and a certain amount of dedication to the

development of the poor, complemented with professional planning, the

ultimate result may actually be harmful. So only block development

planning can offer both things i.e. helping in understanding the local

problems and accordingly developing the region in a systematic, balanced

and realistic manner.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF BLOCK PLANNING

1.3.1 Social objectives

(a) Removal of disparities.

(b) Progressive elimination of exploitation and injustice.

(c) To encourage peoples’ initiative and participation to inculcate in

them the spirit of self reliance.

(d) To foster community feeling and sense of mutual help, cooperation

and sharing among the people.

1.3.2 Economic Objectives

(a) To provide opportunities for full and gainful employment to every

person in the community, starting from the poorest.

(b) Bringing local resources and means of production progressively

within the control and direction of the local community in order to

make equality a reality.

(c) Use of local resources both material and human supplemented by

outside inputs wherever necessary.

(d) Production oriented to the meeting of basic and minimum needs

with surplus available for capital formation and further

development.

(5) To plan infrastructural facilities, such as roads, markets, energy

sources, warehouses, agricultural inputs, distribution centres and

cooperatives.

2. RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES IN INDIA First planned effort towards rural development was made by the

Indian Government in the year 1952 by launching Community

Development Programme.

2.1 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Community Development Programme was launched in 1952. This

programme was a multi-purpose programme and aimed at material and

human resources of an area through the co-operative effort of the people

and active help of the state. The approach and the activities covered

under this programme included-agriculture and animal husbandry,

irrigation, co-operation, village and cottage industries, health and

sanitation, education, electricity, communication, marketing etc.

Though, spread throughout the nation, the program failed in its

objective as it did not concentrate on the most desired need of the rural

communities, that is, the upliftment of their socio-economic base.

Because for such a gigantic programme to succeed, there should be no

resource constraint while the resources available were meagre. It

expanded very rapidly at the cost of quality. Also, the administrative

boundaries of the blocks were delineated without any regard to regional

considerations.

2.2 INTENSIVE AGRICULTURE DISTRICT PROGRAMME (I.A.D.P.)

In the year 1960, Government of India adopted a minimum package

approach and launched Intensive Agriculture District Programme. Being

a package programme, the programme advocated selective area approach

to agriculture development. The efforts were concentrated towards

achieving agriculture development in 15 districts (one in each state) with

favourable conditions to agriculture development and related

infrastructure. These districts were-Tanjore (Madras), Shahbad (Bihar),

West Godavari (Andhra Pradesh), Ludhiana (Punjab). Pali (Rajasthan),

Raipur (M.P.), Aligarh (U.P.), Mandya (Mysore), Bhader (Maharashtra),

Cacher (Assam), Palghat (Kerala), and six blocks of Jammu and Kashmir.

Later in 1964, this programme was modified and introduced as

Intensive Agriculture Area Programme (I.A.A.P.).

However, both the programmes necessitated heavy investment in

agricultural inputs, thereby, benefiting only rich farmers of the rural

areas. Also the scope of the programmes was limited to provide

infrastructure only for agriculture development ignoring other sectors.

Thus the scope of these programmes was confined to provision of

agriculture infrastructure in selected areas.

2.3 MINIMUM NEEDS PROGRAMME

Under the programme of Minimum Needs, which was introduced in

the National Fifth Five Year Plan and revised during the Sixth Plan, the

aim of the Government was to ensure at least minimum level of social

consumption in rural community. Facilities included were - elementary

education, rural health, nutrition, safe drinking water, provision of all-

weather roads to all villages with a minimum population of 1,500

persons; electrification to cover 30 to 40 percent of the rural population

and environment improvement of urban slums. This criteria was revised

in the Sixth Plan under the Revised Minimum Need Programme. It

included - provision of education to all children upto the age of 11 years;

Adult education Centre in every village; one Health Sub Centre for 3,000-

5,000 persons; a Primary Health Centre for every 30,000 persons, and

Community Health Centre for a population of 1 lakh persons, to link

every village having 1000 persons with all-weather road; to electrify at

least 60 percent of the villages in every state; to provide safe drinking

water within a distance of 1.6 kilometers; to provide house sites to all

landless labourers and environment improvement of urban slums.

Though implemented in every state, the emphasis in this

programme was only on social facilities and not on entire rural

infrastructure.

2.4 WHOLE VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

The National Commission on Agriculture recommended adoption of

whole village approach to development in order to increase the growth

potential of the villages and this Programme got started in the year 1977

with the aim of dealing with the village problems in totality through a

package of practices. The main components of the programme were-

consolidation of land holdings, overall land development plan for

maximizing water control and moisture preservation in dry areas,

maximizing irrigation support, cropping pattern for villages for the best

use of irrigation.

This programme concentrated only on the development of

agriculture and irrigational facilities. Therefore, it could not achieve the

desired targets.

2.5 HABITAT MOVEMENT

The Habitat Movement started after the commencement of the

‘United Nations’ Conference on Human Settlements held at Vancouver in

Canada on May 30th to June 11th 1976. The programme in general

aimed at modernizing agricultural practices, developing village industries

and making subsidiary occupations like poultry, dairy-farming etc. Other

physical aspects covered were education, health, roads, water supply,

sewerage and drainage.

The programme did not have much impact on the development of

rural areas as there was no scientific base for selecting the Habitat

Villages. They were often selected on political bias. The facilities provided

in the block were concentrated on one place. Thus, the main objective of

integration was missing in this programme.

Various other programmes such as-Farmers’ Training Education

(1966), Tribal Development Programme (1968), Drought Prone Area

Programme (1970), Crash Scheme for Rural Employment (1971),

Marginal Farmers Development Programme (NDFA), Hill Area

Development Programme (1975), National Rural Employment Programme

(1980), etc., were launched from time to time by the Indian Government.

But all these programmes were limited in their scope in terms of

providing infrastructural facilities and their coverage of rural areas. They

concentrated on the development of either one or few facilities in selected

areas. They did not aim at integrated development of the rural sector as

a whole. Therefore, in order to achieve balanced regional development

there was a dire need to have integrated development of the rural

areas/sector.

2.6 INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (I.R.D.P.)

Launched in 1979, the Integrated Rural Development Programme

aimed at a systematic and integrated use of all natural resources,

enabling every person to engage himself in a productive and socially

useful occupation. I.R.D.P. is a strategy package seeking to achieve

enhanced rural production and productivity, greater socio-economic

equity, a spatial balance in social and economic development broader

based community participation in the process of development. It is a

dynamic concept ever changing with respect to the condition and

requirement of the rural economy.

2.7 BLOCK PLANNING

During the Sixth Plan Working Group appointed by the Planning

Commission under the Chairmanship of M.L. Dantewala recommended

‘Block Level Planning’. Block with a population of 60,000 to 80,000

persons and covering 80 to 125 villages was identified as a Convenient

Unit for rural planning and development as it is at this level that local

problems and potentials can be assessed. Block Development Planning

has been undertaken in all the States for rural development.

3. BLOCK DEVELOPMENT PLANNING IN PUNJAB 3.1 GENERAL

The concept of Block Development Planning came into existence in

Punjab in the year 1973-74. Three Area Planning Units were set up by

the State Town and Country Planning Department, Punjab, at Amritsar,

Hoshiarpur and Chandigarh (Refer Map 1) to prepare Block Plans of

some selected Community Development Blocks. Later on under

Integrated Rural Development Programme in 1977, all the blocks were

covered to carry out the exercise of block development plan preparation.

Out of the then 118 blocks of Punjab state, block development plans for

109 blocks were prepared.

Map 1 : Map of Punjab showing location of

first three area planning units.

3.2 OBJECTIVES OF BLOCK DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The objectives of Block Plans are as follows.

1. Identification of various local problems which may get blurred at

macro level.

2. Assessment of resource potential of the block and its optimum use

and conservation of soil and vegetation for food, fodder and fuel.

3. Identification of growth centers which can generate and sustain

activities in their respective hinterlands.

4. Assessment of infrastructural requirements in the area and

planning for the same.

5. Optimum exploitation of strategic location of local resources to

generate additional employment opportunities to absorb

unemployed and under-employed workers particularly those

belonging to poorer sections of the society.

6. Balanced Area Development within the block to ensure equitable

geographical spread of development.

7. Integration of beneficiary-oriented specific activities within sectoral

schemes for balanced development of the block.

8. Identification of families below poverty line especially those

belonging to the scheduled castes and backward classes.

9. Identification of environmentally depressed areas and abadis and to

suggest measures to improve their environment.

10. To estimate tentative cost of development and phasing of

expenditure involved.

However, block plans, in Punjab are being prepared just to achieve

four of the ten objectives. These objectives are-assessment of local

problems; identification of growth centres; assessment of infrastructural

requirements and planning for them. Finally, estimation of cost of

developing these facilities. Thus, the block plans, mainly, are concerned

with the planning for infrastructure. In infrastructure too, the scope of

block plans is limited to certain standardized facilities such as

educational, medical, veterinary, marketing facilities and postal services

etc. in five villages of a block while there is need to provide and develop

all the infrastructure facilities required at the block level in a planned

manner.

3.3 INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES AT BLOCK LEVEL The infrastructural facilities which are required to be planned at

Block level, the implementing agencies and the land use for which

various facilities are required have been listed below. The infrastructural

facilities required in a block can be summarized as follows:

1. Transportation: It covers all the roads in a hierarchical order-

National and State highways, district roads, link roads, kutcha

rasta, Phirni, railway line, bus stand/stop, railway station, petrol

pumps, bridges and culverts.

2. Communication: It includes branch, sub and main post offices;

telegraph office, telephone connections and telephone exchange,

telephone tower, etc.

3. Electricity: It includes power sub-station and transmission lines.

4. Rural Water Supply: It covers the source of water supply e.g. wells,

tube well, hand pumps and piped water supply.

5. Drains: Drainage covers drains, and pavement of drains.

6. Market: Under this facility, shopping centre, consumer shops,

daily/weekly market are included. It also includes Grain Market,

purchase centres and sub-yards.

7. Storage: Storage facilities include godowns, Warehouses and Cold

Stores for storing agricultural produce.

8. Agriculture: It includes tractors, thrashers, combines, sprayers,

fertilizer depots, seed distribution centres, agro-repair centre.

9. Irrigational facilities include open wells, tube wells (electric and

diesel), canals, rivers, tanks etc.

10. Credit: It includes banks and credit societies.

11. Agriculture allied activities: this covers fish ponds, pasture land,

cattle sheds, feed plants, milk collection centres, and poultry

farms.

12. Educational: This facility includes primary, middle, high/ higher

secondary schools, colleges, technical/ vocational training

institutes, adult education centre.

13. Medical facilities: it cover health sub centres, dispensaries, primary

health centre, community health centre, family planning centre and

hospitals, RMP’s, chemist shop, etc.

14. Veterinary: Under this facility comes veterinary dispensaries,

hospitals, artificial insemination centres.

15. Recreational facilities cover facilities such as community centres,

library/ reading room, playgrounds, stadiums, regional park, fair

ground, temple, Gurudwara, etc.

16. Other Services: Police services, fire services, NGO’s, etc.

4. THE PRESENT STUDY OF VALTOHA BLOCK

4.1 GENERAL

Punjab is an important and one of the most prosperous states of

India. It is famous for its rivers, agriculture, village and above all

‘punjabiyat’. It consists of 142 blocks in total. Valtoha block under study

lies in the recently made district i.e. Tarn Taran. The block is situated

along International Border of India and Pakistan (Refer Map 2) thereby

having its own potentials and constraints. Emerging metropolis Amritsar

with population of 10,11,327 (Census 2001) is at a distance of 72 kms

from village Valtoha. Valtoha Block consists of 59 Settlements out of

which 4 villages are uninhabitated and one urban settlement i.e.

Khemkaran (Refer Map 3). In rest of the 54 villages, there are 66 village

Panchayats which have been studied in detail by way of primary surveys.

Total population of Valtoha block was 51080 persons in 1961 which

raised 77112 persons in 1991 and 91115 persons in 2001 thereby having

a growth rate of 16.98% during 1991-2001 (Refer Fig.2). Valtoha block

reports literacy rate of 41% which is low as compared to Punjab which

has literacy rate of 69.9%.

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

PO

PU

LATI

ON

1961 1971 1981 1991 2001YEAR

Fig. 2: Population Growth of Valtoha Block

Map 2: Location of Valtoha in the Region

Map 3: General

4.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

The study of Valtoha block aims at formulating an approach

towards integrated growth of the region. Following objectives have

been framed.

1. To identify, study and analyze the problems and potentials of the

region.

2. To ensure equitable growth and development amongst all sections

of the society to remove disparity.

3. Upgradation / reorientation of existing infrastructure.

4. Optimum utilization of growth potential of the area.

5. Strengthening the pattern of service centres in such a way as to

serve for majority of population.

4.3 SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

The scope of the project is to study the following aspects and to

identify the problems and potentials in light of these aspects:

The Block

Regional setting

• Location

• Locational advantages and disadvantages

Physiography

• Topography

• Drainage

• Climate

• Water table

Demography

• Population Distribution

• Literacy

• SC Population

• Sex Ratio

• Population Density

Economic Sector

Land Utilization

Agricultural and Irrigation

• Irrigated area

• Worker/Non Worker

• Cropping pattern

• Cropping intensity

• Irrigation

Industries

• Industries type

• Employment

Heritage Tourism

Social Sector

Infrastructure

• Educational infrastructure

• Medical infrastructure

Physical Infrastructure

Traffic and Transportation

• Road Hierarchy

• Road Condition

• Right of Way

Rural Water Supply & Sanitation

Nodal Infrastructure

Public Opinion Survey

Level of Development

Proposed Development Strategies

Findings of Household Survey 4.4 METHODOLOGY FOR BLOCK DEVOLVEMENT PLAN–VALTOHA

The integrated area developed plan for a block shall take into

accounts the people’s needs and potentials. Although preparation of the

block development plan shall be a professional exercise but peoples’

involvement in its formulation shall not only make our plan more

realistic but will also make it more acceptable to them. The overall stages

of methodology to be followed in the project are shown (Refer Fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Methodology of the Project

Step I: Project Team Meeting with People and Officials of Block:

Before launching a survey for detailed collection of data, it is

necessary for survey team to have interaction with as many people and

officials of the block as possible. Detailed discussions with these groups

regarding general problems and prospects of the area would provide a

balanced picture of the area under study.

Project Team under the umbrella of Project Coordinator discussed

various issues related to the development of the Block with various

officials and representatives of the villages, which include

Sarpanches of Valtoha Block

Women Representatives from different villages

Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO), Valtoha

Subdivisional Magistrate (SDM), Patti Tehsil

Deputy Commissioner, Tarn Taran

Before discussion, the questionnaire highlighting various aspects of

block development plan was discussed with all the above groups/

individuals as a pilot testing of questionnaire for assessing lucidity of the

items and questions. Accordingly necessary improvement was made in

the questionnaire. Thus, these improvements helped the survey team to

prepare a real ‘Block Profile’ highlighting various aspects such as

agricultural, economic, social, education, health etc. of the block.

Step II: Detailed Collection of Data from Various Sources:

After finalizing the questionnaire, the next stage was that of data

collection. In this stage all the villages were visited by different survey

teams for filling up of questionnaire. The data was collected from primary

sources as well as secondary sources related to different aspects of Block

Development Planning. These include Demographic, Social, Economic,

Environmental, Cultural and Physical aspects. The data collected by the

survey teams helped in diagnosing the latest and real situation of the

block both quantitatively as well as qualitatively.

Step III: Data Compilation and Presentation:

The data related to different aspects of block development planning

collected in stage II has been compiled. Statistical tables, graphs, and

maps etc. have been prepared the maps have been prepared in GIS

(Geographical Information System) software.

Stage IV: Analysis of Data:

In this stage, the data has been analyzed based upon three

parameters i.e., aspect wise analysis (both qualitative and quantitative),

spatial analysis and cross tabular analysis. The analysis has been done

on the normative planning basis, i.e., it would be based upon norms and

standards (population wise and area wise) evolved in urban and regional

planning.

Stage V: Proposals:

Based upon the analysis of data, the existing problems and

potentials both qualitative and quantitative have been highlighted. This

has shown the existing gaps in terms of requirements of various

facilities, services and related infrastructure. The future requirements of

different aspects keeping in mind the views of the residents as well as

surveys conducted have been worked out. This has become the base for

working out the proposals regarding different aspects of Comprehensive

and Balanced Block Development Planning.