1. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PREPARATION OF DEVELOPMENT PLANS
SHUBHRANSHU UPADHYAY* VINEET SHRIVASTAV* HARINARAYAN*
ABSTRACT
Development plans are meant for people.
But do people have any say in their process
of preparation? What are the merits and
pitfalls of public participation in
preparation of development plans? The
paper tries to throw light on these questions
significant in the context of seventy third
and seventy fourth Constitutional
Amendment Acts.
INTRODUCTION
Seventy Third and Seventy Fourth from recognized groups of people such as
Constitutional Amendment Acts have set NGO’s, professionals, academicians,
upon responsibilities of preparing scholars and experts in addition to proposals
Development plans on Village Panchayats made by authorities.
and Urban local authorities respectively. Development Plans are comprehensive
Development plans are documents documents covering socio-economic
indicating policies and strategies of aspects, physical infrastructure and
development along with maps and diagrams environmental aspects of development of a
showing spatial elements. delineated area falling under the jurisdiction
For the purpose of development plan of respective development authority.
preparation contributions must be asked
* Authors are students of Masters Urban &
Regional Planning Department of Planning
SPA Bhopal.

2. Social and economic aspects cover firstly a urban development authority for
proposal for designating various land uses, development purposes. The respective
secondly reservation of land for public authority prepares the ‘Draft Development
purposes such as education, health, markets, Plan for the area. The draft plan is being
cultural institutions and public places prepared gathering requisite information’s
including reservation of land for local from various institutions, local authorities
authorities. and government bodies pertaining to
Environment aspects cover designation of requirement of land for public purposes,
lungs spaces such as zoological gardens, provision for infrastructure services, existing
green belts, natural reserves and sanctuaries land uses and road alignments.
etc. These also include preservation, The draft development plan is accompanied
conservation and development of green by a statement indicating broadly the
areas. Conservation of places of historical proposed land uses and surveys carried out
value and architecturalinterest. Proposals for the preparation of the same, maps, charts
also to be made for prevention of air and and statements explaining and justifying the
water pollution and also for flood controls provisions. It also includes draft regulations,
particularly in river catchment areas. stages of development, and an estimate of
Physical Infrastructure includes transport the costs involved in land acquisitions and
and communication features such as development.
roadways, railways, waterways and airways
including airports their extension and PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
development. Proposals for services such as In order to understand public participation,
water supply, drainage, and sewage disposal, a look at individual meanings of both the
supplies for electricity and gas also needs to terms ‘participation’ and ‘public’ is
be taken care of. essential. Participation is the act of sharing
in the formulation of policies and proposals
PREPARATION OF A and therefore furnishing information by the
DEVELOPMENT PLAN planning authority and an opportunity to
For the purpose of preparation of comment on that information is a major part
development plan, State government first in the process of participation. Participation
delineate the area and then constitutes the involves discussing in addition to doing and

3. full participation can happen only by active limitations needs to be looked at in a
involvement throughout the plan making corrigible manner.
process.
The term public refers to the entire STAGES OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
community inhabiting an area for which the Public participation is sought and applied in
plan is proposed. One can regard the a definite codified, manner for the purpose
community as an aggregate comprising of of preparation of Development Plan.
all individuals and groups within the Generally this being done in stages as
community. follows.
Development plans are to be construed i. Briefing about the proposed
sccording to the aspirations and demands of development plan through
people for whom it is being prepared. workshops.
However there area few limitations to this ii. Call for advises from public
concept of public participation. participatory groups during
The first limitation is that the responsibility finalization of goals and objectives
of the plan preparation is and must remain of city development plan.
with the respective panning authority. So iii. Priorities regarding area wise plans,
there is not any assurance of the outcomes of schemes and there alternatives to be
participation by persons outside the discussed with public.
authority. iv. To obtain comments on draft
The second limitation to participation as a development plan.
concept is that the completion of plans and v. Finally to be adopted in meeting of
the setting of proposals and decisions into a local public authority.
statutory form are tasks demanding the
highest standards of professional skill. CONDITIONS FOR PUBLIC
Hence, because of the lack of demand, PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPMENT
approach and the ability to express people’s PROCESS
side, often the representation of the public The public that is, all the concerned citizens
does not get considered. In order to find a of the planning area for which Development
suitable way of participation these Plan is being prepared, can participate in the

4. plan preparation process in the following landowners adversely affected by the plan
manner. proposals and not from the common
First, it would be essential for the people to citizens.
be aware of the problem and ground realities According to current practices, it is assumed
of the locality for which the plan preparation that the participation of people should come
process has been initiated. This kind of after the plan preparation. In fact if public is
awareness is essential irrespective of the fact invited during the preparation, probably
that the people might or might not be the there is a scope to translate the inputs from
residents of the planning-targeted area. the public and include them in proposals.
Second, they should be aware of the issue of
notification by the respective planning SHORTCOMINGS
authority, since as on today it is the only In the absence of participation on part of
platform where they can put forth their public the Development Plan may carry
grievances and objections. Knowledge various shortcomings, some of which are
pertaining to its issuance is necessary and enlisted below.
important. All notification issued by the i. Civil society organizations and their
planning authority or the government have a concerns not included and taken care
limitation of publication in few newspaper of.
and that of time. So the date of issue is ii. Heritage and nature lovers are not
important in order that the whole attempt of called for their opinions, thus the
participation does not go void. Development Plan lacks on issues of
In addition, people should have a social conservation, protection and
concern for an effort of this kind, which preservation of heritage and nature.
would keep them, motivated till the end of iii. Economically weaker sections like
the process. It is also important that the hawkers, slum dwellers and street
suggestions and modifications raised and vendors, comprises a sizeable section
proposed by the people are not biased or of society and still not heard for their
driven by malign intentions of vested grievances, inspite of lack of
interests. availability of basic facilities such as
It is commonly witnessed that authorities drinking water and shelter.
receive objections from persons and

5. SUGGESTIONS vi. Public participation to be called for
Enlisted below are some suggestion by way of organizing workshops,
applicable at suitable stages of meetings, discussions and
Development plan preparation. exhibitions.
i. Series of meeting should be vii. Land acquisition to be phase manner
conducted with civil society groups & conveyed to related people with
and community building due notification in advance.
organizations. viii. Implementation of Constitutional
ii. Interviews of slum dwellers, Amendment Act 1992 for
hawkers, and street vendors should preparation of Development plan
be conducted and their opinions to be which advocates constitution of the
included. Metropolitan Planning Committees
iii. Contents of a development plan (MPCs), District Planning
should be published and should be Committee (DPCs) and
displayed on the wed before decentralization of powers should be
invitation of objections and carried out.
suggestions. ix. In view of advanced technology
iv. Objections and reservations should people should be involved in
be invited through media, hoardings surveys, data verification and
and other available communication assessment of ground realities.
channels. People’s representatives i.e. the
v. Constitution of community forums, elected corporations should be
advisory Panels of people from provided with opportunity for
social service, academicians, discussions with all citizens
business and politics for obtaining involved, at all stages of
divergent views. These panels and development plan.
forums can further work as
intermediary between public and
administrative authorities during
implementation stage.

6. PARTICIPATION OF Development Plan proposals where these
PROFESSIONALS AND EXPERTS issues get totally ignored.
A development authority indulges in the Lastly professionals from various strata of
preparation of Development Plan but does society should come forward on personal
not indulge in its implementation. This level and guide in formulation of objectives
might give rise to discrepancies while and guidelines of Development Plan.
implementation takes place. It is being
advocated that competent professionals and CONCLUSIONS
experts should be appointed to bridge this Involvement of public and citizens needs to
gap .They can provide assistance in both be done in order to maneuver the planning
plan preparation and subsequently in its process in the correct direction. There is an
implantation. urgent need to make people more aware and
It is a common practice that reserved lands to increase their responsiveness for
are not being acquired by respective successful translation of their vision in to
development agencies, exception being reality.
lands reserved for housing and roads. Thus Wide participation from civil society groups
criteria for reserving land, needs from inception stage shall lead to
reconsideration. Better understanding among peer groups
Absence of qualified professionals in local with respect to clarity of objects,
bodies vise Municipalities and Panchayats eliminations of dubious and controversial
leads to lack of interaction with issues and settlement of contradictions with
development authorities. Local bodies are due reasons.
well versed with ground realities and Thus public participation in its right earnest
existing situations but are not equipped with is the need of the day and should be sought
suitable human resource to communicate the at appropriate stages while making
real issues to the development authorities. Development Plans.
Development authorities do not deal with
slum eradication, shelter for economically
weaker sections, environmental protections
and preservations etc. This reflects in their

7. REFERENCES
Pal Mahi, 2008, Decentralised planning and
development in India, Mittal Publications,
New Delhi
Sivaramakrishnan K.C, 2006, People’s
participation in urban governance, Institute
of Social sciences, Concept Publishing Co.,
N.Delhi
Rao P.S.N, 2006, Urban governance and
management INDIAN INITIATIVES, Indian
Institute of Public Administration, Kanishka
Publishers Distributors, N.Delhi , pp 218-
219
Government Of India 1993, The
Constitutional (Seventy Fourth Amendment)
Act 1992
Times of India 2010, Planning with eyes
shut, Jan 06