people's participation.

The result was that almost every plan that was adopted upto the
Sixth Five Year Plan period failed to have achieved its targetted growth rate.

Planning will be regarded as decentralized if it is carried out at the lower spatial

level i.e. by the local planning agency attached to the local self-government by involving
people and from the perspective of solving local problems through the utilization of
locally available resources. Hence, the cardinal point in decentralized planning is
people's participation and not the tiered system of planning. It cannot be denied that
human factor is one of the topmost factors of consideration in planning because planning
is to serve the interest of the community. In any process of systematic and rational
planning, the motivations of men, their ideas and the satisfaction which they look forward
to their work, should be reflected. Thus the quality of planning in a democratic country
depends upon the extent to which both society and individual actively participate. The
scope for participation in planning process can only be provided if the planning system of
the country is decentralized.

It is expected that in a democratic country plans should originate at the village

level or any other lowest rural unit through the widest participation ofthe people. It does
not mean, however, that micro-level planning process is to be followed in all cases and in
all spheres. For the sake of sustainable development with least disparity macro-level
planning is required in sectors like huge multi-purpose projects, national highways, key
industries, railways, airways, ports, defence etc. involving more than one state and having
national importance. On the other hand, in cases where the focus of planning is attuned
to solving local problems, such as poverty, unemployment and under-utilization of
locally available resources micro-level planning with people's participation or
decentralized planning becomes more effective as the common people are well aware of
the local problems and resources. Thus the objective of planning is the determining
factor of the type of planning to be pursued. In short, decentralized planning is best
suitable for the development of neglected regions, sectors and sections ofthe community
which tend to become a casualty in case of macro-plan.

The movement fur decentralized planning gained impetus recently after the
introduction of the Seventh Five Year Plan in 1985-86, though the issue seems to have
seriously taken up by the brief Janata regime in 1977. At present, majority of the states
have adopted decentralized planning as their mode of grassroots development,

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