The present paradigm of India's development strategy is ‘inclusive growth'. Inclusive growth is a process involving opportunity, capability, access and security of the community. Most economic, social, and environmental processes being inherently spatial, there is a growing realization that the geo-spatial dimension can no longer be ignored if the process of planning has to be grounded and effective. The Geo-ICT becomes a relevant tool in such a context.

The NRDMS division of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India had requested IRMA to demonstrate a GIS-enabled, bottom-up, and participatory micro-planning in a district. The proposed study aims to develop a methodology for the Local Development Plan (LDP) and Integrated District Development Plan (IDDP). As part of the study, a gram sabha will refer to objective information, along with IDDP, for preparation of the LDP. The entire process requires the active involvement of gram sabhas, municipal body and line departments, along with the support of DPC. To begin with, IDDP needs to be prepared stipulating active involvement of the planning department, all the line departments, and DPC. The IRMA team will facilitate access to all the objective information on GIS platform to the gram sabha so that the LDP may be prepared based on objective criteria. This approach could become a model for other districts.

The study also explores the role of technical, organizational, institutional, socio-cultural, and financial factors in the implementation of GIS-enabled participatory micro-planning in India. Insights gained during the study will be used for the development of models in areas concerning organizational and institutional dimensions of geo-ICTs with specific reference to micro-planning in India.

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