GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 4761

ANSWERED ON:09.05.2007

VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT MAPPPING IN THE COUNTRY

(a) whether the Government has any proposal for village development mapping in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) if not, whether the Government has consulted the experts on the subject about the utilities of such village mapping; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

ANSWER

 MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ (SHRI MANI SHANKAR AIYAR)

(a) to (d): The Planning Commission in its guidelines for the preparation of District Plans in the 11th Five Year Plan, issued on 25 August 2006, defines District Planning as `the process of preparing an integrated Plan for the local government sector in a district taking into account the resources (natural, human and financial) available and covering the sectoral activities and schemes assigned to the district level and below and those implemented through local governments in a state`. This district plan should emerge through a district vision which is the collective vision emanating from the Gram Sabhas and Ward Sabhas, Panchayats and Municipalities. The stock-taking exercise, comprising an assessment of the human condition in the district as also the availability of natural, social and financial resources and infrastructure, requires data pertaining to aspects of development.

The Census 2001 database already includes data on various socio-economic parameters relevant for development planning. However, this data is not easily identifiable with the assets that each Panchayat has. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India has therefore, commenced an exercise to identify and relate the census villages with their respective Gram Panchayats. This is being done in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and State governments. The resultant map, available on the Geographic Information System (GIS) platform, gives information on the boundaries of the village, the boundaries of the Gram Panchayat and the details available in the Census data as applicable to the specific villages and the Gram Panchayat. The exercise has already been undertaken in 250 districts.

Besides facilitating planning by Panchayati Raj Institutions, the development maps would also be available in the public domain and may be used by any of the Central and State Government Departments both to plan and measure the impact of planning.