Draft Five Year Plan 1978-83 District Gazetteers

Abstract

The Five-Year Plan (1978-83) for Madhya Pradesh focused on the systematic preparation, completion, and publication of District Gazetteers, an initiative started in 1958 to document the socio-economic, cultural, and administrative facets of the state and its districts. By the end of the Fourth Plan, 23 District Gazetteer drafts were completed, with 11 published, and during the Fifth Plan, an additional 14 drafts were finalized, bringing the total to 37, while 3 more were published, including 7 Hindi editions unique to the state. The Sixth Plan (1978-83) set ambitious targets, aiming to complete the remaining 6 drafts, publish 29 District Gazetteers and 1 State volume in both English and Hindi, and prepare 15 supplements. The plan envisioned finalizing primary volumes by 1979-80, followed by supplement publication in 1980-81. Budgetary projections allocated Rs. 5.32 lakh for the initial year and a total of Rs. 40 lakh for the plan, covering printing and publication costs. The initiative also emphasized continuity of staff from the Fifth Plan and employment generation through both unskilled and educated positions linked to the gazetteering process, thereby supporting cultural research and academic opportunities. Overall, the plan represented a major investment in administrative infrastructure, aiming to provide comprehensive, accessible, and bilingual documentation of Madhya Pradesh’s history, culture, and governance.