THE PLAIN-LANGUAGE GUIDE
What does this mean?
A District Planning Committee consolidates panchayat and municipal plans into a draft district development plan. Its composition must include the stated proportion of elected local representatives.
The framework for municipalities, urban representation, finances and district or metropolitan planning.
Why is this provision here?
Rural and urban local plans within a district need a common consolidation process rather than completely isolated development decisions.
Historical evidenceArticle 243ZD was introduced in its present subject framework by Amendment 74 (1992), after the original Constitution. The verified sources are the official edition and the linked Amendment Act and Bill statement. Original 1946–1950 Assembly debates predate this insertion and are not presented as its direct drafting reason. The explanation of function above is editorial; the Bill statement supplies the attributed legislative reasons for the later proposal.
The explanation of purpose is an editorial reading of the provision. A drafting motive is attributed only where a linked historical source supports it.
Limits, exceptions & reading carefully
Educational summary of the linked source text. Exceptions, provisos, implementing laws and applicable judgments must be read before applying it to a real case.
Read the official constitutional text
243ZD. Committee for district planning.—(1) There shall be
constituted in every State at the district level a District Planning Committee to
consolidate the plans prepared by the Panchayats and the Municipalities in the
district and to prepare a draft development plan for the district as a whole.
(2) The Legislature of a State may, by law, make provision with respect
to—
(a) the composition of the District Planning Committees;
(b) the manner in which the seats in such Committees shall be
filled:
Provided that not less than four-fifths of the total number of
members of such Committee shall be elected by, and from amongst, the
elected members of the Panchayat at the district level and of the
Municipalities in the district in proportion to the ratio between the
population of the rural areas and of the urban areas in the district;
(c) the functions relating to district planning which may be
assigned to such Committees;
(d) the manner in which the Chairpersons of such Committees
shall be chosen.
(3) Every District Planning Committee shall, in preparing the draft
development plan,—
(a) have regard to—
(i) matters of common interest between the Panchayats and
the Municipalities including spatial planning, sharing of water and
other physical and natural resources, the integrated development of
infrastructure and environmental conservation;
(ii) the extent and type of available resources whether
financial or otherwise;
(b) consult such institutions and organisations as the Governor
may, by order, specify.
(4) The Chairperson of every District Planning Committee shall forward
the development plan, as recommended by such Committee, to the Government
of the State.
Extracted from the Legislative Department’s May 2026 edition. Page footnotes may refer to neighbouring provisions; check their markers in the PDF. Inclusion in this edition does not by itself establish commencement or judicial effect.
