• Formation of Agriculture Planning Units:
    Agriculture Planning requires much of technical support from experts in agriculture and allied sectors. Therefore Agriculture Planning Units at different levels of Local Bodies need to be constituted involving a group of experts from various disciplines relevant to the needs of the area. Such units will be named as Agriculture Planning Units. Accordingly, District Agriculture Planning Unit (DAPU), at Zilla Parishad level should be constituted at the District level. Similar Units should also be constituted at the Block/Taluka Panchayat level (BAPU/TAPU) and Village Panchayat level (VAPU). These units should assist the Panchayat Raj Institutions 14 (PRIs). The suggested structure of agriculture planning units at different local bodies may be as under:









    Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) is established in most of the states of the country and as such ATMA should support and supplement all the functions of DAPU/BAPU.

    • Technical Support Institution (TSI):

      TSI will have to be identified by state authorities, to provide necessary technical input and planning process required for the preparation of C-DAP. TSI will provide all necessary inputs to DAPU for the preparation of C-DAP.

    • Roles and Responsibilities of TSI:

      1. To undertake capacity building of Planning Units and Planning Support Groups at all levels for preparing     plans for their respective areas.

      2. To facilitate Planning Units at various levels during plan formulation.

      3.To complement SIRDs or any other agency designated by the State Government.

      4.To interact with Village/Block/District level LB governments. Farmer group specially progressive farmers,    SHGs, NGOs of repute Banks and other financing agencies involved in development activities in the area.

      5.To prepare schedule of trainings / workshops/ meetings at various levels.

      6.To develop material for trainings.

      7.To demonstrate tools of planning like PRA, PlanPlus software of planning and help to use these by stake    holders.

      8.To keep a regular contact with agriculture planning units during plan formulation activity at various levels    and do hand holding where ever needed.

      9.To design exercise on collection of data, their analysis and their formats

      TSI should understand that their role is of a facilitator only in the process of preparation of this plan through participating bottom-up process from the grass root level upwards and culminating into draft district plan.

    • Plan Plus Software:

      Plan PLus Software Package prepared by NIC in consultation with Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Planning Commission should be used with the help of District Informatics Officer to facilitate planning process