Twentyfifth Meeting of the National Development Council Summary Record New Delhi May 17 & 18, 1968

Abstract

The Twenty-Fifth Meeting of the National Development Council (NDC), held in New Delhi on May 17–18, 1968, focused on refining strategies for the Fourth Five-Year Plan, particularly regarding the distribution of Central assistance and regional development priorities. Key participants included Chief Ministers, Finance Ministers, Union Ministers, and Planning Commission officials, who deliberated on streamlining funding mechanisms, enhancing operational flexibility for states, and ensuring equitable resource allocation. Discussions emphasized proportional distribution based on population while addressing the special needs of backward regions, hilly areas, and states like Jammu & Kashmir and Assam. Recommendations highlighted reducing centrally sponsored schemes, providing full assistance for approved projects, and allowing states discretion in staffing, pay scales, and local adaptations. The meeting also underscored priorities for rural development, irrigation, health, education, and flood control, while advocating fiscal efficiency, local resource mobilization, and cooperative governance. Participants recognized the challenges of balancing the developmental needs of populous and less-developed regions, ensuring financial sustainability, and promoting agricultural and industrial growth targets. The Council concluded that collaborative planning, consultative engagement with states, and a simplified, flexible assistance framework are essential for achieving equitable socio-economic development, enhancing self-reliance, and addressing regional imbalances, thereby laying a strategic foundation for the Fourth Five-Year Plan’s successful implementation.