29 Urban and Rural Planning in India

Sunil Mittal

Introduction
Rural Planning
Description of various schemes
Urban planning
Conclusion

1. Introduction

After attaining the independence, the prime concern of government was to pay adequate attention towards rural and urban development sectors of country. In this context, Planning Commission mapped out a plan in 1950 for the development of the nation. Since the beginning of the first five year plan (1951-1956) to 12th Five year plan (2012-2017), government has taken several steps to frame policy for rural and urban development, and designed various types of schemes to fulfill basic services. Though Indian Government has achieved success to some extent, the efforts were not enough to reduce overall poverty and inequality. Rural and Urban Development of India was registered under Government of West Bengal under T.R. act based on the Central Government Act 1882 and empanelled under the N.P.S. Planning Commission and Central Social Welfare Board, Government of India. This department was established with the clear objectives of integrated development of the poor people (residing in rural and urban areas) through providing innovative income generation approach and awareness with training and workshop. Basic roots of India reside in villages and 60-70% of population neither has proper land holdings nor service opportunities to fulfill basic needs. People who are earning less than Rs 11,000 annually have been classified as poor. Due to poverty, rural people suffer from severe problems like poor health care, illiteracy and shortage of clean drinking water and now major population is migrating towards the cities in search of jobs and other basic facilities. As a result, urban population is increasing rapidly. Therefore, government planned various programs related to housing, sanitation, transportation and other facilities. Some planning programs were launched that provided loans with concessional interest rates and subsidies for the poor sections of rural and urban area. Government has started different programs for rural and urban development under different five year plans and huge funds have been released to tackle this problem. For the development of rural and urban areas, government is providing clean water supply, proper sanitary and health care, education, self-employment, and implementing new policies and schemes.

2. Rural Planning

Rural planning has become an integral part of the nation and is playing an important role in the development of the country’s economy. Ministry of Rural Development is playing a pivotal role in this regard. Rural Planning in India is an area of key importance for the Ministry of Rural Development. Main objective of the rural planning is to provide better living conditions to the rural people. Growth in the rural sector is very important since it decides the socio-economic development of India. Government of India (GoI) has started a policy known as Samagra Gramin Vikas which is related to cater the basic necessities and demands of the rural scenario.

Departments that have been formed under the Ministry of Rural Development are listed below:

1. Department of Land Resources-

a. Land Reforms Division

b. Wastelands Development Division

2. Department of Rural Development

3. Department of Drinking Water Supply

Rural Planning in India is based on various issues and chief areas of development are mentioned below:

Poverty reduction
Provision of basic minimum service
Employment generation
Making available basic necessities
Rural infrastructure habitant development

3. Description of various schemes

A brief description of various schemes launched by GoI with respect to rural development are as follows:

Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY): A self-employment program for the rural people in which all necessary financial help, infrastructure, training, etc., is provided to the rural people of India.
Rural Housing: This program comes under sub-scheme of Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme. This program is also known as Indira Awaas Yojana that facilitates the construction of houses for the rural homeless and deprived. According to 11th Paln, the main aim of this mission was to establish pucca houses for needy people.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): . This scheme was launched on 25th December 2000. Main aim of this scheme was to increase connectivity to unreached rural areas with a population of minimum 500, and hilly and desert areas having a population of minimum 250 persons
National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP): It was launched under Bharat Nirman by UPA Government. Objective of this program was to provide safe and adequate drinking water supply through hand-pumps, and piped water supply to all rural areas. This programme was launched after merging the three programmes i.e., Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme, Swajaldhara and National Rural Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance. In the financial year 2017-2018, 6050 crore has been granted for NRDWP.
Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana: It was launched on 1st April 1999 and the main motive of this program was to improve the life quality of rural people. There were two main objectives of this program. First objective was to create village infrastructure and second was generation of supplementary employment for unemployed rural people.
Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP): This programme was initiated in 1973-74 to deal with the drought prone rural area people. The basic objective of this programme was to reduce the adverse effects of drought on crop production, livestock, land productivity, water and human resources. The programme also aimed to improve the socio-economic conditions and promote economic development of affected sections (inhabiting the areas which are under this programme).
Integrated Wastelands Development Programme: This program was launched in 2001 by Government of India and renamed as Hariyali in 2003. Main objective of this programme was to overcome the problems of drought and land degradation of rural area and improve the socio-economic conditions of rural people.
Wage Employment Programs: This program provide anti-poverty strategies to rural poor families to bring them above the poverty line, so as to ensure the sustained level of income through the process of training and capacity building. This program not only provides income in agricultural seasons but also during the natural calamities like floods, drought etc. This program covers Swaarbjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yoojana, Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana and National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS): EAS was launched on 2nd October, 1993. This programme was implemented in different blocks of different states. The regions selected as blocks included desert areas, hilly and tribal areas, and drought prone areas. Later on, this scheme was also implemented in rest of the blocks in the country. At present, this scheme is running in all the rural blocks of India. The cost of this programme is shared by Central and State Governments in the ratio of 75:25. However, the entire cost is beared by the Central Government in case of Union Territories (UTs). Main objective of this program was to provide employment to the rural people.
Food for work program: This program was initiated in 2000-01 as sub-part of EAS in notified drought affected eight states Gujarat, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Uttaranchal and Maharashtra. The main aim of the program was to provide food through wage employment and supply food grains free of cost.
Integrated Rural Development Program: It was first introduced in 1978-79 to provide assistance in the form of subsidy and bank credit for employment opportunities to poor people in rural areas. Swaarbjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yoojana, Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana and National Rural Employment Guarantee Act are sub- programs of this plan.
Rural Housing: It was initiated in 1985-86 and its target was to provide the pucca house to the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and freed bonded labors. Samagra Awas Yojana was started in 25 blocks to ensure convergence of housing with the provision of safe drinking water, sanitation and other facilities. The housing and urban Development Corporation has enhanced its plans in rural areas by providing concessional rate of interest to economically weaker section and low income groups.
Indira Awaas Yojana: It is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Rural Development to provide houses to BPL families and was started in 1985-86. Funding under this scheme is provided by Central and State Governments in the ratio of 75:25 and in case of UTs entire fund is provided by the Central government. All nationalized banks have been instructed to involve the IAY houses under differential rate of interest scheme up to Rs 20,000 and per housing unit at interest rate 4% for SC and STs and financial assistance of Rs 15,000 is provided for the upgradation of kutcha houses.
Public housing programme was started in India for the rehabilitation of refugees after 1947 and since then, it is the focus of the Government for poverty mitigation. Rural housing programme was started as Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) in January 1996. Although IAY was successful in managing the housing needs of rural people, yet certain gaps were identified by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India during the year 2014. These gaps included lack of transparency during the selection of beneficiaries, low grade houses, lack of convergence & technical supervision, and non-availing of loans by beneficiaries. These loop holes limited the outcomes and impact of the programme. To address these gaps in the rural housing program, the IAY was re-structured into Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana –Gramin (PMAY-G) on 1st April 2016 to provide pucca house to all by 2022. The size of the pucca house has been increased to 25 sq.mt and moreover, hygienic cooking space will be provided. The financial assistance has been increased upto Rs. 1.20 lakh in plain areas and Rs 1.30 lakh in hilly and difficult areas.
Training Schemes: Various Institutions like National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) have taken up actions in training, seminars, workshops for the rural area development.
National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (or, NREGA): This act was later renamed as the “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act”, MGNREG. It is a social security measure and law, and its basic aim is, to guarantee the ‘right to work’.

Objectives and aims of MNREGA

To provide 100 days of wage employment and to enhance livelihood security in rural areas.

2. To create roads, wells, ponds and canals. If employment is not provided within 15 days, then the applicants are permitted to an unemployment allowance. Thus, it can be said that work provision under MGNREGA is a legal entitlement. The advantage of MGNREGA is that the work is provided only by gram panchayats. Contractors have no role in this act. Labour performs hard tasks like construction of water harvesting infrastructure, road constructions etc.

3. This act not only provides economic security but also creates rural assets, protects the environment, empowers rural women, and reduces rural-urban migration.

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY): This scheme was oriented towards skill development of rural youth. It also aimed at providing jobs to rural poor people on minimum wages or regular monthly wages. The implementation of this scheme was a good initiative of Ministry of Rural Development and GoI, for promoting rural livelihoods. This scheme comes under National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). It has been estimated that around 55 million rural youth will be benefitted by this scheme.

This scheme is a major contributor to “Make in India” campaign started by the Prime

Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna: This scheme was launched by GoI under poverty reduction strategy. The aim was to provide connectivity to unconnected habitations. GoI is ensuring the sustainable management of the rural roads network. A survey led to the documentation that about 1.67 lakh unconnected habitations are eligible for coverage under this programme.
National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP): This scheme was launched on 15th August, 1995. The scheme displays a significant step towards the completion of the Directive Principles in Article 41 of the Constitution. The programme introduced social assistance for the poor people in rural areas. At present this scheme comprises of Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS), Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), and National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) and Annapurna.

4. Urban planning

It is a combination of technical and political processes that are concerned with the development, land use planning permission, protection of environment and public welfare. It proposes the plans for urban environment including water and air. Urban planning refers to town planning, city planning, and urban development. Urban planning is related to the design of cities and towns. It provides the designs for the streets, parks, and buildings. Urban planning frames guidelines for the different regions such as urban, suburban and rural areas. Although, urban planning is concerned with planning of settlements and communities, but it is also responsible for the planning of water resource management, rural or agricultural lands around the city. Nowadays urban planning is an independent discipline that includes different sub fields such as land use planning, zoning, transportation planning, economic development and environmental planning.

Definition

Urban planning is a massive concept concerned with planning and development from all the levels like infrastructural, architectural, economical, ecological and political.

Technical aspects

Technical aspects forming integral part of urban planning include the application of scientific and technical processes for urban design, land use, transportation and infrastructure.

National Urban Transport Policy 2006

National Urban Transport Policy was issued by Ministry of Urban Development (MOUD), (GoI) in 2006. The aim of this policy was to bring about inclusive improvements in urban infrastructure and transport services. The policy was more focused on moving people instead of vehicles. Several years have passed and new initiatives have been taken by MOUD to promote transport services in cities. Main objective of this policy was to ensure the quick, affordable, comfortable, reliable and sustainable access for city residents to jobs and recreation and other needs within the cities. This policy seeks to promote integrated land use and transport planning.

National Urban Sanitation Policy

Purpose of this policy was proper sanitization facilities in all the cities of country, and sustainability of good health for all the citizens. Three major goals of this policy are:

A. Awareness generation and behavior change

i. Aware the people about sanitation and its linkage with public health among institution and communities.

ii. Promotion of the mechanism to bring sustainable behavior changes.

B. Open Defecation free cities

C. Integrated city wide sanitation

Rajiv Awas Yojana

RAY scheme was launched between 2009 and 2014. This scheme was a central scheme and was primarily focused on slum free India. This scheme was succeeded by Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. This scheme would provide basic needs such as water supply, drainage, sewage, roads, street lighting and social infra-structure facilities.

Interest Subsidy Scheme for Housing The Urban Poor (2009)

Government of India and Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation has designed this Scheme for economically weaker sections and low income groups to purchase their own house in urban areas. Purpose of this scheme was to provide loan with Central Government Subsidy to low income groups for home construction. According to this scheme, economically weaker sections can get subsidized loan up to Rs 1, 00,000 for 15-20 years for an area of 25 square meters. For low income groups, maximum loan for 40 square meters is Rs 1, 60,000.

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission 2005

This mission was launched by MoUD, GoI on 3rd December, 2005 and envisaged a total investment of $20 billion over seven years. This scheme was named after the first Prime Minister of India Sh. Jawaharlal Nehru and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sh. Manmohan Singh. Central Government focused on integrated development of urban infrastructure and facilities in selected 63 mission cities thorough this scheme. These cities were selected on the basis of population. Only those areas were selected that had population above 10 lacs. Main aim of the mission was the improvement of water quality, housing, sanitation, urban road network & transport and maintenance of heritage sites.

Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme

Centrally sponsored scheme of low cost sanitation was initiated in 1980-81 by Ministry of Home affairs and later on, by Ministry of welfare. From 1989-90 onwards, it came under MOUD. Currently, this scheme is being looked after by Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation. Prime objective of this scheme was the transformation of the existing dry latrines into low cost pour flush latrines to improve the sanitation system of urban area. There is no eligibility criteria for this scheme and all towns come under this scheme. Central Government releases the subsidy after the state’s government share has been released. These funds are released to State Urban Development Agency, and District Urban Development Agency

Smart City Mission 2015

This mission was launched in 2015 to create smart cities across the country. This mission focused on the basic facilities, health services, education, IT accessibility, e-governance and sustainable development. According to this scheme, only those cities are considered as smart cities that have basic amenities like water supply, shelter, education, solid waste management, public health services and public transport facilities. Other countries like Singapore, USA and Japan have come forward to help India in this mission.

Housing for all by 2022

This scheme was started in 2015 and its target was to provide house for every person by 2022. This scheme was launched in 305 cities and towns among 9 states in country. Main focus was to construct houses for slum dwellers by providing loans at subsidies. According to 2001 census, many rural areas have converted to urban with an increase in population. Under this scheme housing loan of 6 lakh with 6.5 percent subsidy is provided for15 years.

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation

The objectives of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) are

(i) To ensure sewerage connection and water supply for every household.

(ii) To enhance greenery and parks so as to increase the value of cities.

(iii) To minimize pollution by following alternates e.g. cycling and walking.

This mission was initiated in 2015 after the closure of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission among the 500 cities on the basis of population, tourism and vicinity to water bodies. Main focus of this mission was to provide facilities to improve the life quality in the selected cities. Some initiatives such as water supply, sewage treatment, green spaces and eco-friendly public transport have been taken under this mission.

National Urban Livelihood Mission

This mission was launched in 2013 and implemented in 790 cities. The aim of the mission was to alleviate urban poverty and homelessness. This mission replaced the Sawrna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana, and main objective of this mission was to provide skill development and employment chances along with housing solutions to urban poor and homeless people. This scheme benefited those people who were employed in unorganized sections of cities.

National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY)

This yojana was launched on 21st January, 2015 under the Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs, GoI, to preserve and develop the heritage cities of India, and unique features of the city. It was implemented in religious and historical cities like Amritsar, Ajmer, Amaravati, Badami, Dwarka, Puri, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Varansi, Warangal and Velankanni.

The Scheme ropes in the development of core heritage infrastructure projects approved by the Ministry of Culture, GoI and State Governments. These developmental initiatives include development of water supply, waste management, footpaths, sanitation, landscaping, drainage, approach roads, electricity wiring, street lights, tourist conveniences, and citizen services.

National Urban Information System (NUIS)

The Mission was an initiation of MoUD launched in 2006. The aim of this scheme was the generation of Urban Geospatial Database using GPR, satellite and aerial techniques. During the first phase of the scheme, 152 towns were selected from all States and union territories throughout the country. The project was executed by Survey of India (SOI), Town & Country Planning Organization (TCPO), and National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC/ISRO).

Pooled Finance Development Fund (PFDF) Scheme: This scheme was sponsored by

Central Government in 2006. The broad objectives of PFDF are:-

a) To facilitate the development of bankable infrastructure projects in urban areas.

b) To access financial and capital markets so that the investment can be made in critical municipal infrastructure.

c) To reduce borrowing cost for urban local bodies with suitable credit measures and through reorganization of existing costly debts.

d) To smoothen the development of Municipal Bond Market.

North Eastern Region Urban Development Programme (NERUDP): The programme was launched by MoUD. The financial assistance has been provided by Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Mainly, 5 north-eastern states covered under this programme are Gangtok (Sikkim), Agartala (Tripura), Kohima (Nagaland) and Aizawl (Mizoram). The priority services covered under this project are

i. Water supply

ii. Sanitation and sewerage

iii. Solid waste management

Conclusion

Indian Government designed various schemes, plannings and polices to improve the life quality of poor sections of urban and rural area like Indira Awaas Yojana, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission 2005, Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana, Indira Awaas Yojana, Housing for all by 2022 and Smart City Mission 2015. These schemes have shown promising potential to make the country a super power in near future.

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References