Towards an integrated development plan for pare district.

Abstract

The government has put emphasis on rural development as away of raising the standard of life of the majority of the people* It has been pointed by the president in several accations that for usdevelopment is of the people and not of things. Thus any endeuvers have to focuss attention on the more than 90# of our population which lives in the rural areas* If this is to be affected, then proper planning is necessary at all levels in the country* This study set out to examine the existing development situation in the district, resources available, problems which are being faced in the process of development and lastly proposals are offered for overcoming the existing problems and the enhancement of development in the district* The study examined and analysed each sector in the district separately, its problems, its contribution and gave proposals on how each can be developed in order to increase its contribution towards the district's and national development* The study also tried to look into the district as a whole and how the different sectors form a whole district socio-economic fabric* It has been pointed out that the main problems we are facing is the underutilisation of existing resources, low production levels in the major production sectors and inadequate services and utilities. It is also pointed out that the present planning process at the district level is mostly sectoral in nature and that of project formulation. This study, however being not a comprehensive integrated development plan tries to move away from the present planning process towards an integrated long plan for the district* The plan is to be of 20 years and by 1998 the proposal put forward are supposed to have been accomplished* The study also calls for the extension of the present programme of preparing integrated regional plans to the district level* It is also proposed that the department of Town Planning in the Ministry of Lands which is also charved with duty of regional planning be represented on the district planning committees so that these committees have a qualified members*