name some examples of macro planning region
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Answer:
ISSUES IN MACRO AND MICRO LEVEL PLANNING
1 * 1 Introduct ion:
Economic development generally is the outcome of resource
endowments, utilisation and their best use for specific region,
by society or a group. There are aptitudinal and social factors
that are responsible for economic progress. Factors like social
and economic institutions, degree and efficacy of state
intervention and extent of market also play specific roles in the
process, direction and spread of economic development. Customs,
know-how and trading differ from place to place. The factors
like capital accumulation, education and technology etc.
determine the progress, however they vary from place to place and
region to region in different degrees. Economic backwardness is,
many a time, a result of natural resources constraint in an area
e.g. in the form of poor soil or insufficiency of water. This
can be mitigated to some extent, with progress of science and
technology. Resources, such as human skill, enterprise and
administrative talents, tend to get concentrated in some regions.
Backward regions can grow fast efficiently and effectively with
proper utilisation of existing resources using proper technology.
In this sense balanced regional development contributes in
sustaining the growth processes in the long run for the country
as a whole. Balanced regional development is referred to be the
fulfillment of basic minimum needs for food, shelter and clothing
etc., but satisfactory level of development is practically within
the reach of all regions of the country.
Economists have viewed development process in different
ways. Before one can think of measures for the development of
backward areas, one is confronted with the problem of
identification of homogenous areas. The aim of ail economic
activities is to achieve higher level of consumption. From this
view point, per capita consumer expenditure can be considered as
a good indicator of economic development of a region.
"Despite major strides in development in the last three
decades in World Economy, millions of people still struggle for
bare survival. The developing countries have been the victims in
this 'development drama’. The famous quote 'poor are poor
because they are poor’, still holds good. Every year, about 18
million people die from hunger and hunger related diseases, of
which 15 million are children (WCED, 1987)"1. Over 500 million
people are chronically hungry. The benefit of substantial
increase in food production in the decades that have rolled over
seem to have skipped this segment of population. In fact in the
last four decades the number of poor has grown. "Tlie material
condition of life for large number of people is worsening year 4
after year. This was widely discussed by the World Community
1 World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) Food
2000: Global Policies for Sustainable Agriculture. Zeds Book
Ltd., London, 1987.
Z
more than a decade ago".^ The benefits of the rapid economic
growth, thus, have not reached in equal proportions to all groups
of society and the number of poor and unemployed has not shown
substantial decline. This has proved to be a costly affair for
rich as well as poor countries.
Economic Planning implies deliberate control and direction
by central authority for the purpose of achieving definite target
and objective within specified period of time. Today when the
standard of living, full employment, increasing income of general
masses, reducing inequality and above all eradicating poverty are
the main aspects to be dealt with by planning.
The need for planning in the underdeveloped country is
stressed by the necessity of removing widespread, unemployment
and disguised employment in such economies, capital being scarce
and labour -being abundant, the problem of providing gainful
opportunities to an ever increasing labour force is a difficult
task. It is only centralised authority, which can solve this,
but in the absence of sufficient enterprise and initiative, the
planning authority is the only institution for planning for the
balanced development of an economy. For rapid economic
development, underdeveloped country requires the development of
agriculture and the industrial sectors. It also requires the
2' / ILO, “Employment. Growth and Basic Needs - A One World
Problem". Geneva, 1976. :
3
establishment of social and economic overheads (infrastructural
facilities), the expansion of domestic and foreign trade sector
in a harmonious way. All these require simultaneous
in different sectors which is only possible under
planning.
investment
development
1•2 Development and Issues at Micro-Level:
An integrated approach to development would require some
sort of area planning i.e. planning for use, conservation and
development of the growth potential of each area, in the light of
its own needs and resources.