Planning Department,Government of Meghalaya

District Planning Office and District Planning & Development Councils(DPDC)

East Khasi Hills District | Ri-Bhoi District | West Khasi Hills District | Jaintia Hills District | West Garo Hills District | East Garo Hills District | South Garo Hills District |Guidelines for District Plans in the Eleventh Five Year Plan

The District Planning Offices

The District Planning Office has been created in all District under the Deputy Commissioner’s office and is headed by (1) The District Planning Officer (DPO) as the Head of Office, appointed by Personnel Department from amongst IAS/ Sr. MCS and endorsed by the Planning Department. There are also Research Officer, Assistant Research Officer, Research Assistant and Ministerial staffs appointed by the Planning Department/ Deputy Commissioner. This office also services the District Planning and Development Council (DPDC).

The Duties, Function & Role of District Planning Offices :

The main duties and function of District Planning Office are as follows:-

To convene meetings of the District Planning Boards at least once in two months and to pursue the recommendations of such meetings with the concerned Departments of the State Government and other agencies;

To prepare District Annual Plans for the districts and to place the same before the District Planning Boards for consideration before submission to Government;

To monitor the implementation of various plan schemes in the districts in general, to identify the limiting factors in the implementation of plan schemes and to place the matter before the District Planning Boards and State Government with specific suggestions for ensuring speedy and efficient implementation of plan schemes;

To compile and consolidate quarterly progress reports of district-level plan schemes hitherto done by the District Statistical Officers, to place such consolidated reports before the District Planning Boards for review and then to finalise the consolidated quarterly progress reports of such district-level plan schemes for submission to Government in the month following each quarter. Quarterly progress reports may be obtained from the District Heads of Development Departments, who may also furnish such other information and materials as may be necessary for compilation of the reports;

To take up such other activities as may be assigned to them from time to time by the District Planning Boards or by the Government;

To perform all other functions as assigned to them by Government; and

To ensure co-ordination among all the District heads of Development Departments in the formulation and implementation of plan schemes.

The District Planning and Development Council (DPDC).

The District Planning & Development Councils are constituted one each in all the seven Districts with the District Headquarters as its main office. The District Planning and Development Council were first constituted on 5-3-1986 by an executive order in 4 (four) Districts but after creation of new Districts, the number was increased to 7. Originally, they consisted of 1 (one) Chairman, 2 (two) Vice-Chairmen and 6 (six) Members.The Chairman is the head of the Council, the Deputy Commissioners of the concerned District is the Vice Chairman, all the MLAs of the concerned District, the CEM’s are Members and the Additional Deputy Commissioner/DPO is the Member Secretary. The function of the council is to co-ordinate, monitor and review the implementation of District Plans & Programmes. It makes recommendations, Projection of local needs and fixing priority within the objectives of State/National Plan.

ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL ARE AS FOLLOWS :

Take stock of the natural and human resources of the District as well as the level and pattern of development and exploitation of these resources.

Projection of local needs and aspirations and translating them into schemes and programmes and fixing priorities within the objectives of the State/ National plan.

Formulation of District development plans.

Co-ordination in the implementation of District Plans and programmes.

Monitoring and review of the implementation of District Plans and programmes.

Take up such other studies and functions as may be assigned to it from time to time and such to make suitable recommendation to the State Government.

Make recommendation with a view to ensuring co-ordination in the matter of planning in the State.