Unit–1 Introduction
Regional Planning/ Development
1. Concept of Regional Development
2. Determinants of Regional Disparities
3. Significance of Balanced Regional Development
Definition
A region is a sub-system within a system (the country itself) and if sub-systems develop
greater inter-connectivity, the greater will be the efficiency of the system.
A region means track of land; any area; space; portion of earth's surface.
A region is a geographical or areal unit with certain limits and bounds. The units may consist
of a few
• Villages
• Districts
• States
• Countries
• Continents
Hence, a region may be a thought of an areal or spatial organisation of varying dimensions.
An area of any size homogenous throughout with respect to the announced criteria:
Homogeneity,
Nodality and
Administrative Convenience (D. Witlesey, 1954)
Table Types of Regions
Homogeneous Regions Nodal Regions Administrative Regions
Heterogenous/function Planning/programming
1. Formal/single factor region
regions regions
2. Geographical area which is Functional regions focus Combination of homogeneity,
homogenous in terms selected interdependence such as nodality and administrative
criteria or geographical criteria villages, towns and cities. convenience, e.g. developing
such as topography, soil, mining, plantation, or power
climate grid region at specific location
for maximum benefits
3. Economic criteria such as per Function relationship revealed Large enough to make
capita income, consumption in flows of people, factors, substantial investment
patterns, uniform commodities, services and decisions, but small enough to
unemployment and similar communication. comprehend the problem as a
production style. whole.
4. Social /political criteria (part Distribution of retail and Contiguous area, socio-cultural
allegiance). household goods freight and homogeneity, special data
passenger movement, collection unit, consensus in
telecommunication density, defining problem and solving
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newspaper circulation areas, it, enable direct people
domiciliary origin of students participation have a growth
in educational institutions, point.
labour catchment areas.
All regions are ‘problem regions’ in one way or the other, level of development
notwithstanding. A structural set of different types of regions has its own ‘dualism’
everywhere. The essential task of planning is to bind various regions into a system in which
only those inequalities remain in which simply cannot be obliterated (eradicated).
Development is a dynamic concept which refers to acquiring skills, knowledge and
capabilities. It has different meanings for different people. In fact, there is no consensus on
the concept of development among planners, researchers and thinkers. Some say, it means
increase in their annual income while other lay emphasis on
Employment
Quality of life on happiness
Meeting basic needs
The only thing on which everyone agrees is development which is quite necessary, and
everyone wants, although in her/his own image and perhaps in her/his own way. There is slight
difference between growth and development
Table Difference between Growth and Development
Growth Development
It is quantitative and value neutral It refers qualitative change which is always value
positive.
It means development can't happen unless there is
an increment or addition to the existing condition.
It may have positive (increase) or negative It happens when positive growth takes place in
(decrease) sign. For example, +5% growth quality
(+5) or –3 growth of the Indian economy
Fig. Concept of Regional Development
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The regional development generates multiplier effects, causing the emergence and
development of related sectors, subcontractors, and the regional services market, and
contributing to the strengthening of the competitive position of the region. Export as an
important factor of long-term growth may contribute to the reduction of development
differences (income level) in the regions.
Regional Disparities
The regional development disparity refers to difference in economic development and
uneven economic achievement in different geographical regions. It is reflected by multiple
indicators like
Proportion of population living below poverty line
Proportion of population engaged in agriculture, industry and infrastructure projects
Proportion of urban population
Per capita income
Determinants of Causes/ Regional Disparities
1. Historical Factors
The British government and industrialists developed only those regions of the country that
possessed rich potential for prosperous manufacturing and trading activities. It includes
port cities Bombay, Madras and Calcutta are strategically very important areas for import
and export of goods.
India could not attain economic growth to the desired satisfactory level due to absence
of adequate land reform laws and industrial laws.
2. Geographical Factors
Undulating terrain surrounded by rivers, lakes, mountains, hills, very dense forest, drought
prone and flood prone areas increase the regular cost of governance, administration,
development projects, logistics.
The mobilization or transportation of goods or resources is quite difficult in rocky terrain.
For example, Himalayan regions:
Jammu and Kashmir,
Ladakh,
Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand,
North-eastern states and
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Sikkim.
These regions are remained backward comparatively due to inaccessibility and other
inherent difficulties.
3. Location Specific Advantages
Some areas have locational advantage including availability of
• Markets
• Roads
• Railway networks
• Port facilities
• Raw materials
• Cheap and skilled labour force
Some regions have special advantage for site selections of numerous developmental
projects such as oil refineries are mostly located close to sea such as Bombay High Field for
easy transportation.
4. Early Mover Advantage
Private sectors make their investment in those areas which are already developed or have
essential infrastructure and logistic facilities like
Gujarat
Maharashtra and
Karnataka
Scheduled commercial banks and long-term lending institutions have tendency to make
investments in comparatively developed regions.
5. Poor Planning Mechanism
One size fits all approach has backfire the planning mechanism. Indigenous needs have
taken the last priority including
Absence of essential resources
Red tapism
Poor implementation of plans
Lack of planning efficiency
at the state level reduced the capacity of the institutions to achieve balanced development.
Example of red tapism, the scheduled time for the completion of project was 2010,
but it didn't complete till 2020 which increases the cost of the project exponentially.
6. Limited Success of Green Revolution
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Green Revolution improved agricultural sector to certain extent through the adoption of
new agricultural strategy of
High yielding variety seeds
Assured irrigation
Technological knowhow
Chemical and Fertilisers
Although, the real benefits of green revolution were restricted to a few regions or states
including
Punjab
Haryana and
Western Uttar Pradesh
as these belts had the advantage of irrigation facilities, were traditionally wheat growing
states, with adequate policy support from their respective state governments.
There were several regions that lacked such support from their governments and
couldn't reap benefits of Green Revolution.
7. Law and Order Problem
Law and order problem such as
Extremists' violence
Maoist insurgency and
Naxal movement
have been obstructing the flow of investments into backward regions besides making flight
of capital from backward states to prosperous states.
8. Crime
Balanced Regional Development (Ram Rajya)
Balance regional development doesn't mean an equal development of regions across India.
It means the fullest development of regions according to its capacity so that the benefits of
overall growth can be shared by inhabitants of all the regions.
Balanced regional development doesn't mean self-sufficiency in a region, neither
does it mean equal level of industrialization nor a uniform economic pattern for a region.
Rather, it means
Widespread diffusion of industry
Infrastructure projects
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Provision social amenities
Political viability and so forth
in backward regions to make it feasible. The ultimate aim to raise the living standards of
people residing in backward regions to those of advanced.
Balanced, which means that various units, say adjacent local areas or regions,
coordinate their activities, and co-develop their resources, to the mutual benefit of all units, and
with a view to equalizing the chances of long-term development in order to promote social
cohesion
Significance of Balanced Regional Development (Ram Rajya)
1. Political Stability
Balanced regional development (BRD) play a vital role in maintaining the political
stability of the country. The best example is India
If there are regional disparities in terms of political opportunities, then these are the
greatest threats to the national security and solidarity. That’s why Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
inserted the provision for reservation in the Constitution.
The regional disparities led to the formation of Bangladesh as an independent country
from Pakistan as Pakistan tried to rule relentlessly without giving political autonomy
to Bangladesh despite, they win the general election with majority (Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman).
2. Overwhelming Social Evils
It helps in overwhelming social evils associated with localization of industries in
metropolitan cities.
When there is overcrowding, congestion and unbearable noise that undermine the
health and efficiency of people.
If the cost of living is high, such regions breed poverty and increase discontent among
masses. Therefore, balanced regional development solve and restrict these social evils to
spread in any region.
3. Smooth Development of the Economy
There is an equal distribution of wealth among all and restrict the accumulation of
wealth in a few hands.
If the regions are equally developed, then can be mutually helpful to each other.
BRD avoids demand and supply, transport bottlenecks and minimize inflationary
pressure within the economy.
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For example, if regional disparities prevail, then the low levels of income in the
backward regions will retard the development of developed regions owed to lack of
adequate demand for the products of the latter.
4. Accelerate (Rapid development) the Economy
Balanced regional development is pre-requisite for rapid development of the economy
as the progress (development) of the whole economy depends on overall development
of the regions.
The progress of the national economy will be reflected in the positive rate of growth
realised by all regions, in turn greater development of resources must contribute
towards accelerating the inclusive progress of the country as a whole.
5. Conserving and Developing Common Resources of the Nation
Balanced regional development helps in the development of resources to the maximum
level.
The objective of the development to secure maximum efficiency in the utilization of
available resources (Dr. R. Balakrishna)
It minimizes the difference between have and haven't.
When a region develops its resources, it avoids its destructive use.
The establishment of different industries leads to the fuller utilization and conservation
of
• Minerals
• Forests
• Agriculture
• Human resources of the region
6. Expansion of Employment Opportunities
Regional inequalities led to unemployment, low income and output levels in
underdeveloped regions.
The dispersal of needed industries in required regions, the progress of infrastructure
in backward regions will not only promote but also secure larger employment
opportunities in all areas.
Simultaneous development of all regions leads to substantial expansion of employment
opportunities in various sectors of the economy.
Hence, increasing per capita output, employment opportunities and income.
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7. Minimising Backwash Effects
Regional inequalities observed that least developed countries are subjected to regional
difference in
• Income and
• Employment
The main reason is strong backwash effect and weak spread effects prevailing in such
economies (Gunnar Myrdal).
Such kind of regional inequalities are aggravated by several factors like
• Trade
• Capital movements and
• Migration
Under such a situation, developed regions gain at the cost of backward regions.
Regional inequalities are accentuated as the backwash effects become stronger than
spread effects.
Thus, underdeveloped regions should try to contain regional inequalities by
minimising the backwash effects undertaken by deliberate state actions. (Gunnar
Myrdal).
8. Easily Defend the Nation
BRD is pre-requisite for a proper defense of the country from foreign attacks.
The equally developed regions encompass widespread dispersal of industries and can
easily face all sorts of attacks without disrupting its war efforts.
The development of a few areas and deployment of industries in them will hamper the
entire governance of the nation.
It leads to a stand-still circumstances and can be a major cause of its self-destruction.
Hence, BRD is indispensable for national security and defense.
9. Secularism
State and religion are two separate entity and must be treated accordingly.
State should not be entered in religion and religion has no place in state, then only
balanced regional development can be achieved.
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Conclusion
The geographical diversity and different levels of development across regions require
location specific targeted action in less prosperous regions to ensure a minimum acceptable
level of prosperity. If representative government is so weak when operating among
European people, where secularization of politics has gone far further. How much weak
must it be in the country where politics is nothing but theology (religion) in action.
The constitutional morality is not a natural sentient, it has to be cultivated in every
circumstance except in case of national emergency. We must realise that our people have
yet to learn it Democracy in India is only is only a top dressing on Indian soil, which is
essentially undemocratic. There is urgent need to invigorate (energise) civil societies in these
domains as it is now well accepted in developmental studies that the region with higher social
capital tends to develop more rapidly and sustainably.