Patna, June 28: Planning and development works should be carried out in such a way that the common man can reap its benefits.

This was the topic of discussion at a workshop on strengthening decentralised planning process organised by planning and development department, government of Bihar at AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies today.

“There is an urgent need for redefining our planning and development-oriented works and the focus should be shifted from mainstream planning process to broadstream planning process,” said Vijoy Prakash, principal secretary for planning and development.

Elaborating on his approach, he said: “The state planning process should be in such a way that all sections of the society should reap the fruits of development. We have to mould our planning process in such a way that people will be associated with the planning and no section of the society will be left behind or deprived of benefits that they deserve.”

Citing an example when the planning secretary had visited a school in a rural area, he said: “During my visit to a school in a rural area, a teacher by referring to a pot asked a student to identify the object. Some students identified the object in their local parlance as ghaila, but the teacher didn’t agree with them claiming the pot should be called by its Hindi name.”

Prakash said it is an example but with a wider implication. “We have to get associated with people. The state government and district administration planning should be made according to the expectations of the common man, so that the fruits of development reach them.”

Speakers said there is an urgent need of decentralisation of planning and in this step feasibility of block-level planning should be stressed. G.P. Mishra, the former director, Giri Institute of Developmental Studies, said: “During late ’60s, there was a good deal of talk about multi-level planning, that is arrangement at the Centre, state and district. This talk of multi-level planning was nothing but a methodological debate on the question of operationalising the top-drawn process of planning.”

Mishra added that in view of the growing need of decentralisation of political power and people’s participation to enshrine democracy at grassroots level, some concrete constitutional amendments to the electoral process and urban local bodies are required. All police stations and the lower level of administrative units should be placed under the control and management of the village council.

Mishra said the formation of Nyaya Panchayat at the centre of a few clustered villages comprising specified number of directly elected members vested with the power to appoint judicial magistrate and pleaders for resolving the local disputes at the central village level, should be set up.