6. PREPARATORY PHASE

6.1 Step 1 - Reconstitution of Working Groups

6.1.1 Working Groups have already been constituted by local governments for different sectors/areas of development. The following Working Groups are mandatory for the remaining portion of the Tenth Five Year Plan.
(1) Watershed Management including agriculture and allied sectors.
(2) Animal Husbandry and related sectors
(3) Local Economic Development other than agriculture including local industries, facilitation of private and community investment.
(4) Poverty Reduction.
(5) Development of Scheduled Castes
(6) Development of Women and Children
(7) Health, Water Supply and Sanitation
(8) Education
(9) Infrastructure
(10) Social Security including care of the aged and disabled
In addition for all local governments having allocation under Tribal Sub Plan a separate Working Group for Development of Scheduled Tribes should be set up.

6.1.2 The above Working Groups are mandatory. More Working Groups would be needed at Block Panchayat, District Panchayat, Municipality and Corporation levels. Local Governments including Village panchayats are free to constitute as many Working Groups as may be required depending on availability of experts.

6.1.3. Each Working Group should be headed by an elected member and the Working Group on development of Scheduled Castes should be headed by an SC Member and the Working Group for Women and Children by a lady member. The Working Group on Anti Poverty Sub Plan should be headed by the Chairperson himself. A known expert in the sector concerned should be nominated as the Vice-Chairman of the Working Group. The Convener of the Working Group should be the senior most official transferred to the local government in that sector. The suggestive list of Conveners for different Working Groups for different tiers is given in Annexure - 2

6.1.4 In spite of clear instructions it is seen that Working Groups have not been properly constituted in a large number of local governments. Therefore the Convener should prepare a panel of experts available in the locality. If experts from outside the local government jurisdiction are willing to work voluntarily in the Working Group they may also be included in the panel. Experts should be identified from among ‘model’ practitioners, professionals, those showing interest and activism in the sector and from among academically qualified people. These persons can be identified from Government/Public Sector (serving or retired), NGOs, private establishments and outstanding individuals. The local governments should consider the panel prepared by the Convener of the Working Group and further improve on it.

6.1.5 At least one member of the Kudumbashree CDS should be included in all the Working Groups and in the case of Working Groups on Poverty Reduction, Development of Women and Children, Development of Scheduled Castes at least two members of the CDS have to be included. SC Promoters should be nominated to all Groups and at least three of them to the Group on Development of Scheduled Castes.

6.1.6 The Working Group would have the power to co-opt members as well as set up Task Forces to perform assigned functions.

6.1.7 The Working Group should meet as frequently as possible and keep a brief record of its deliberations. The quorum for the meetings shall be four including the mandatory presence of the Convener. The functions of the Working Group are:
(1) Analysis of the development sector / area assigned to the Working Group with reference to available data and additional data generated specifically for the purpose.
(2) Analysis of the performance during the first two years of the Tenth Five Year Plan.
(3) Reappraisal of the schemes originally prepared under Annual Plan 2004-05 as part of the Five Year Plan which was finalised in 2002.
(4) Detailing of such schemes and modification of such schemes wherever required.
(5) Identification of spillover projects.
(6) Preparation of draft project proposals in the format prescribed for the purpose.
(7) Any other task assigned by the DPC or the local government concerned.

6.1.8 The Working Group should take care of cross-sectoral issues especially in poverty reduction, plan for special groups like Scheduled Castes, Women, Disabled, Children, Aged etc. Each Working Group should identify the anti-poverty component of its subject and intimate the working group for Poverty Reduction which should consolidate the proposals.

6.1.9 It should be ensured that representatives of banks participate in the Working Group on Watershed Management as well as on Local Economic Development.

6.2 Step 2 - Filling up of Gaps
As part of the Tenth Five Year Plan local governments were asked to do the following:
(1) Prepare a Vision Document.
(2) Update the Development Report and print it.
(3) Prepare a Reform Plan.
(4) Prepare a Benefits Register.
It is seen that many local governments have not implemented the suggestions. Therefore it is mandatory for all local governments to publish their Vision Document, update Development Report and Reform Plan as three separate documents and submit along with the Plan to the DPC with three copies of each. The Benefits Register should be kept ready in the local government for inspection by the Performance Audit Team.

6.3 Step 3 - Establishing Linkage with Banks
In order to establish a strong linkage with nationalized banks, scheduled banks and co-operative banks the District Collector should hold a special meeting of the District level Bankers Committee to which the DPC Chairperson and the heads of urban local governments are specially invited. The Potential Linked Credit Plan prepared by NABARD should be discussed in detail and broad areas for infrastructure development and economic development identified. The DLBC should also lay down a time table for Block Level Bankers Committee meetings to which all Presidents of Village and Block Panchayats, Officers of the Village and Block Panchayat belonging to the Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, and Social Welfare Departments are invited along with officers in charge of Kudumbashree and other anti-poverty programmes. This full-day meeting should come out with clear project suggestions for each Village Panchayat as well as for the Block Panchayat.