By Shafat Malik
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31 Mar 2026

Govt to review District Planning Boards framework

Srinagar, Mar 30: The Jammu and Kashmir government is set to examine whether changes are needed in the existing legal framework governing district-level planning bodies, amid a shift in how development plans are structured and funded in the Union Territory. Officials said that before 2019, district development plans were prepared through a structured process where proposals were discussed, prioritised and approved at the district level, in line with financial ceilings

communicated by the Planning Department. The process also involved consultations with public representatives before finalisation of sector-wise plans. However, the planning framework underwent a significant change after 2019, when the allocation of funds and related decision-making powers were moved to the Finance Department. This shift altered the role of earlier district-level planning mechanisms. Subsequently, the earlier system of District Development Boards was discontinued, and new institutional arrangements were put in place

at the block and district levels under the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989. Officials further said that with the introduction of elected District Development Councils (DDCs) following amendments to the Panchayati Raj Act in 2020, the structure of grassroots planning and implementation has evolved further. “The government will examine whether any amendments are required in the existing legal framework with regard to district-level planning bodies,” officials said.