Nepal first adopted regional planning during the Fourth Plan (1970-75) and subsequent periodic plans have emphasised regional balance as an important policy guideline. However, it remains the least understood concept. The confusion is apparent even in the proposition of leading economist-planners who presume regional growth models without assessment of local resources. It is, thus, not surprising that there has been misinterpretation and distortion in translating the policy into programmes.
The initial regional strategy formulated was the integration of mountain, hill and terai economies through four selected growth axes. It visualised concentration of devleopment activities along the designated growth axes to affect interregional economic specialisation and exchange. Periodic plans maintained this policy guidleine but the secotral plans were never location specific. Thus, during the Fourth Plan (1970 -75), the major north-south roads were labelled the spine of the growth axes but no intensive complementry programmes were devised along these growth axes. During the Fifth Plan (1975-80), regional efforts were diverted to Small Area Development Programme which was focused on disjunct pocket areas. By the Sixth Plan (1980-85), development of growth axis has superseded by various integrated rural development projects.The creation of four development regions in 1972 and emphasis on balance among these east-west regions led to haphazard disaggregation of projects and programmes without any organic linkage. Regional planning was interpreted as a wholesale dispersal of projects instead of judicious aggregation.With utter lack of research and analysis at the reginal level, it is obvious that impending Seventh Plan (1985-90) will be no different from its predecssors in its regional development. Regional strategy is partiularly suited to teh Nepalese space with pronounced natural and economic diversity and there is need for a clear exposition of the basic concept. It is where the merit of the present book lies.
The author provides ideas and theories that inspired regional planning, reviews the state of spatial planning in Nepal and presents an appropriate regional strategy for devlopment. This book will be most useful to practicing planners, particularyly economist planners, and polciy makers.
June 28, 1985 Harka Gurung