NITI member urges shift from sectoral to spatial planning

NITI Aayog member R Balasubramaniam on Tuesday called for a shift from sectoral planning to a spatial planning approach, with greater emphasis on human and social capital and the development of local economic clusters. Balasubramaniam was speaking at a national workshop on ‘Viksit Panchayat: Connecting People, Places, Resources and Opportunities’ organised by NITI Aayog.

According to an official statement, the inaugural session highlighted the importance of decentralised governance, spatial planning, capacity development, digitalisation, and convergence for advancing Viksit Gram Panchayats.

The spatial planning approach integrates geographical, land-use, and spatial data into rural development planning to decide where infrastructure and services should be located for maximum efficiency and equity.

The deliberations focused on four key areas: decentralised and spatial planning, grassroots capacity development, spatial planning for priority sectors, and integration of spatial planning into the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) process, it added.

Participants discussed the constitutional foundation of Panchayati Raj under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment and Part IX of the Constitution.

Discussions also focused on clearer activity mapping, adequate financial resources, appropriate staffing, greater decision-making authority, Gram Sabha participation, and institutional accountability.

The workshop emphasised the need to move from a sectoral to a spatial and integrated approach to local development. GIS, geospatial data, village master plans, and digital platforms were discussed for identifying local resources, infrastructure gaps, land-use patterns, and development opportunities.

Integrating spatial information with GPDP, GramSwaraj, and Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) was highlighted as a means of strengthening evidence-based and convergence-oriented planning.