PLANNING & PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTAION DEPARTMENT

(RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT BRANCH)

Brief Background

With the implementation of the North-Eastern Area (Reorganisation) Act in 1971, the Mizo District of Assam became the Union Territory of Mizoram on 21st January, 1972. The then Lt. Governor (Administrator) of the Union Territory of Mizoram, Hon’ble Shri S.P. Mukherjee, issued notification on 3rd May, 1972 in pursuance to the Government of India’s notification vide No. MC/5/5/72 dated 30th April, 1972. This change marked the beginning of Mizoram's independent administrative journey, paving the way for the establishment of various departments to cater to the diverse needs of the region. The Mizoram Gazette dt. 5th May, 1972 notified the first ever Government of Mizoram (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1972 which laid down the entire business of the Government and the departments through which they would be transacted. Altogether, twenty-two departments were identified therein to act as the vanguard for the self-administration and realizing the aspirations of the Mizo people. Among them was Planning Department which was assigned the business of “Planning and Coordination of work relating to plans”. 

Although notified in 1972, Planning Department may be said to be functionally established on 1st March, 1973 with the setting up of an office manned by dedicated personnel under the Development Commissioner. In time, with the evolving needs of the people entailing new responsibilities on Planning Department and the changing socio-political dynamic of the region, Planning Department came to comprise the Planning Secretariat, Mizoram State Planning Board, Directorate of Economics & Statistics and the Directorate of Science & Technology.

In 2013, in order to encapsulate the evolved nature and functions of the Department, Planning Department was renamed as Planning & Programme Implementation Department (P&PID) with the creation of the Research & Development Branch to handle the core developmental and coordinative function of the Department, with the State Planning Board as a separate advisory body that is provided secretarial service by P&PID(RDB).

Vision

To institutionalize, and bring about, holistic and sustainable development in Mizoram, and build a robust and cohesive economy.

Mission

To provide data-driven analytical insights for informed decision making and evidence-based policy formulation, and strategize the sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development of Mizoram through rigorous research, efficient resource management and effective coordination of development initiatives.

Main functions and responsibilities of the Department

  1. Strategic Development Direction: With the dissolution of the Planning Commission, the responsibility of charting the course for the State’s development has fallen on Planning & Programme Implementation Department (Research & Development Branch) or P&PID(RDB). Based on this mandate, the Department has formulated State economic development policy and plans from time to time. 
  2. Prioritization and Resources Allocation: Estimation of financial resources and allocation of plan fund was a major function of P&PID(RDB) under Planning Commission. The role has shifted slightly in the post-Commission era, where the Department is now responsible for prioritizing various development projects based on multiple criteria, identifying funding sources and judiciously allocating resources for their implementation. The department makes sectoral allocation of state budget as and when required by the Government.
  3. State Flagship Policies & Programmes: P&PID(RDB) has been the nodal department, for the formalization of state flagship policies and implementation of government flagship programmes. It carries out the operation of selection of projects for allocation of state development fund. 
  4. Research & Publications: The Department is tasked with research and analysis of the State’s economy, conducting sectoral surveillance and identifying plan priorities and applied research for pilot projects and policy intervention. Although, lack of manpower and time constraint has hindered research work. The Department publishes the ‘Economic Survey’ report each year for laying during the Budget Session. Previously published documents such as ‘Performance Budget’ and ‘Work Programme’ were discontinued vide Finance Department OM. As per the requirements of the Government, important documents such as ‘Output Outcome Budget’ can be prepared for laying in future Budget Sessions.
  5. Decentralization of Planning: Secretariat of P&PID has been the notifying agency for District Planning Committee (DPC). Since 2023, the exercise for converging Gram Panchayat Development Plan with Centrally Sponsored Schemes has been underway with the involvement of P&PID(RDB). DPC framework has been restructured and notified during 2024-25 for the purpose of effective coordination within the administrative level of the district while at the same time providing a holistic perspective and state-wide oversight in the coordination of decentralized planning.
  6. Coordination of Development Initiatives: P&PID(RDB) is the focal point for coordinating development initiatives among the various departments of the State Government, Central Ministries and other agencies. As per the fresh mandate given by the Hon’ble Chief Minister and following on the OM issued by Finance Department (2024), all schemes and projects are to be routed through P&PID(RDB) for vetting. 
  7. Monitoring of Development Initiatives: The Department monitors the implementation of various development projects, and conducts paper monitoring as well as site inspections to ensure adherence to timelines, quality standards, and compliance with procedural requirements.
  8. Project Evaluation: With the launch of the Mizoram Plan Analytics Software (MPLAN) by the Hon’ble Chief Minister on 28th October, 2024, P&PID(RDB) will be able to conduct evaluation exercises on the efficacy of development schemes and projects.
  9. Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS): The Department monitors the execution of CSS mainly though processing the requirement for state matching share. While the task of allocation of SMS has been transferred back and forth between P&PID(RDB) and  Finance Department from time to time based on the decision of the Government, a more thorough monitoring of CSS implementation is conducted by P&PID(RDB) through MPLAN.
  10. Central Sector (CS) Schemes: The Department has not monitored the execution of CS schemes in Mizoram; however, with the operationalization of MPLAN, monitoring of CS will also be done by the State Government.
  11. Loan Projects: Loan projects proposed under funding sources such as Externally Aided Projects (World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency etc.), NABARD, SASCI etc. are evaluated by P&PID(RDB) who then forwards its recommendation/comments to Finance Department for further allocative action.
  12. Gross Budgetary Support (GBS): The GBS initiative requires all non-exempted Central Ministries to utilize at least 10% of their budget in the north eastern states. P&PID(RDB), through MDoNER, monitors the compliance of GBS by Ministries and submits projects to relevant Ministries for funding under GBS where said Ministry has not met the 10% quota. However, due to lack of standard guidelines from the Finance Ministry or the line Ministries, projects have only occasionally been funded by the Ministries under GBS, and it is P&PID(RDB)’s ongoing engagement with the central Ministries.
  13. Special Development Funds: The Department acts as the nodal department for special funds that are made available from time to time by the Central Government for funding development projects, such as 20-Point Programme, Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North Eastern Region (PMDevINE) etc.
  14. Inter-Sectoral Programmes:  P&PID(RDB) is often tasked with implementing and/or coordinating inter-sectoral programmers and schemes as may be exigent from time to time. It also coordinates special programmes instructed by the Central Government such as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, North East Global Investors Summits, Startup Yatra etc. which involved multiple departments. Some of these are mentioned under point (21) below. Due to this mandate of the Department, P&PID(RDB) has been made the implementing department for Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) of the Ministry of Minority Affairs as per the amendment to the Government of Mizoram (Allocation of Business) Rules, 2024 issued vide No. A.46012/1/2022-GAD, the 23rd August, 2024.
  15. MPLAD/MLALAD: Secretariat of P&PID is the nodal agency for MPLAD/MLALADS. With the initiation of a monitoring portal for MPLADS by the central government, a greater role in monitoring of LADS projects is envisaged for P&PID(RDB).
  16. Ministry of DoNER: P&PID(RDB) is the state nodal Department for MDoNER, and executes the processing, approval and monitoring of all their projects under the Ministry including NEC, NESIDS, SAMBHAV etc.
  17. NITI Aayog: The Department is the state nodal agency for coordinating and/ or executing various recommendations and programmes of NITI Aayog in the State, some of which are as under –
    • NITI Forum for North-East
    • Sustainable Development in the Indian Himalayan Region
    • State Rankings such as Export Preparedness Index, India Innovation Index, Multidimensional Poverty Index, etc.
    • Sustainable Development Goals
    • Aspirational District Programme and Aspirational Block Programme
    • State Support Mission for establishment of State Institute for Transformation
    • Other myriad of recommendations from NITI Aayog.
  18. State Institute for Transformation (SIT), Mizoram: Under the State Support Mission (SSM) initiated by NITI Aayog, P&PI Department has set up the State Institution for Transformation (SIT) to strengthen strategic development planning and monitoring of development works. SIT consists of the Governing Board headed by the Hon’ble Chief Minister, the Executive Committee chaired by the Secretary, Planning and the Programme Implementation, Monitoring & Evaluation (PIME) Unit. SIT will function as the Think Tank of the State Government and bridge the gap of deficiency in study/research and evolve as a multi-disciplinary resource centre to provide strategic and technical advice for informed decision-making process. It will also engage in extensive monitoring of development programmes and conduct evaluation exercise for informed decision making on future policies and programmes.
  19. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): As the nodal Department for SDGs, P&PID(RDB) facilitates the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into  the developmental policies and initiatives in the State, coordinates multi-sectoral efforts, and monitors progress towards achieving SDG targets at the state or regional level. The Department conducted an exercise for localization of SDGs at the grassroots level in 2022-23, making Mizoram the pioneer in bringing SDGs to the villages and localities. The Department conducts rankings of districts, villages and municipalities which entail granting of ‘Performance Incentive Award’ for incentivizing good performers and a ‘Reform Action Plan’ for lifting up the bad performers.
  20. Pilot Development Projects: As mentioned in point (4) above, P&PID(RDB) formulates and implements pilot projects aimed at testing innovative development strategies and interventions to inform future policies and initiatives effectively. Some pilot projects are as under –
    • Mipui Mamawh Intawm Ruahmanna (MiMIR) project (completed)
    • Participatory Community Development Project for BPL Free Villages (completed)
    • Village Level Development Programme (ongoing)
    • Music City (did not get executed)
    • Mizoram Business Infrastructure Development Scheme (did not get executed)
    • Asia Pacific Youth Exchange programme with Urban Youth Academy, Seoul (completed)
    • Entrepreneurship Development Scheme (completed)
  21. Exigent Assignments: Lastly, the Department is often assigned exigent undertakings by the State Government which often extend beyond the Government of Mizoram (Allocation of Business) Rules, 2019, some of which are as under –
    • Corporate Social Responsibility – With Principal Adviser, P&PID as the nodal officer for CSR, the Department is engaged in coordinating, matchmaking and monitoring of CSR projects. An AI based CSR Matchmaking Platform is under development by the Department in collaboration with UNDP.
    • Startup Promotion – In 2016, P&PID(RDB) was assigned as the nodal department for entrepreneurship and startup development in Mizoram. The Department received the Chief Minister’s Award for excellence in Public Administration in 2019 for its initiatives in this sector, and also received recognition from DPIIT. Since 2023, the Department has shifted its focus to Startup development and coordination of entrepreneurship initiatives taken by other departments within Mizoram. Consequently, the Mizoram Startup Mission was registered as a government society of the Department under the . The society is all geared up to implement its mandate to create, nurture and coordinate the development of a vibrant & sustainable startup eco-system and promulgate a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in Mizoram.
    • Investment Promotion – This includes coordinating participation of the State in Investment Summits, formulation of Mizoram Sustainable Investment Policy, setting up of Investment Promotion Agency, facilitating Private Investment from outside etc.
    • National Infrastructure Pipeline – Although this programme is under DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, NIP is being looked after by P&PID(RDB) due to the need for consolidating projects from various departments.
    • PM Gati Shakti State Master Plan Portal – Similarly, P&PID(RDB) is the nodal department for DPIIT’s PM Gati Shakti due to the need for coordinating various departments. PM Gati Shakti State Master Plan (SMP) is a digital platform for facilitating coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects and be used for project planning (DPR) to reduce cost and time associated with on-ground survey exercises. It is also be useful for anything that requires spatial planning, e.g. disaster mitigation plans. Many Ministries have insisted on the use of SMP for project formulation, with MDoNER giving instructions to map all future projects funded by it on the SMP portal. The SMP portal will be the cornerstone for project planning and project convergence.

 

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