(1) There shall be a District Planning Committee for every district consisting of not less than thirty and not more than fifty members as provided sub-section (2) to consolidate the plans prepared by the Panchayats and the Municipalities in the district and to prepare a draft development plan for the district as a whole.
(2) The District Planning Committee, for a district with population of,-
(i) more than twenty lakhs, shall have thirty members ;
(ii) more than twenty lakhs but not more than thirty lakhs, shall have forty members; and
(iii) more than thirty lakhs, shall have fifty members.
(3) Every District Planning Committee shall consist of the following members, namely:-
I. Ex-officio Members-
(a) Minister-in-Charge of the district ;
(b) President of the Zilla Parishad ;
[(c) Collector of the district.]
[II. Nominated Members.- (a) The Governor shall nominate one member from amongst the members of the Statutory Development Board for the concerned region, as its representative ;
(b) The State Government shall nominate two members form amongst the members of the Maharashtra State Legislature and the members of Parliament, ordinarily resident of, or elected from the area of the District Planning Committee ;
(c) The State Government shall, in case of a District Planning Committee having forty members, nominate two members and in case of a District Planning Committee having fifty members, nominate four members, having knowledge relating to the District Planning, in addition to the Ex-officio members and the members nominated under clauses (a) and (b) ;]
(d) Where a members of the District Planning Committee, nominated under clause (b) or (c), is a Minister, such member shall be designated as the Co-chairperson of the Committee.]
III. Elected Members.- (a) Of the total number of members of the District Planning Committee not less than four-fifths shall be elected by, and from amongst, the elected members of the Panchayat at the district level and of the Municipalities in the district, in proportion to the ratio between the population of the rural areas and of the urban areas in the district.
(b) The members to be elected under clause (a) to the District Planning Committee shall be elected [in the prescribed manner,] from amongst the voters, in the electoral college earmarked for the purpose.
(c) The election of members shall be conducted in accordance with the system specified in clause (b), by such authority or officer and in such manner as may be prescribed.
[IV. Special Invites.- (a) The members of the Parliament and the members of the Maharashtra State Legislature, ordinarily resident of, or elected from the area of the District Planning Committee, other than those nominated by the State Government under paragraph II;
(b) the Divisional Commissioner for the district ;
(c) the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad ;
(d) the officer on Special Duty (Planning) in the office of the Divisional Commissioner ;
(e) the District Planning Officer; and
(f) the State Government in consultation with the Chairperson of the District Planning Committees shall nominate 10, 12 and 15 persons ordinarily resident of the area of the District Planning Committee and having knowledge of District Planning, to be special invitees on the District Planning Committees whose total number of members are 30, 40 and 50, respectively;]
(4) The Minister-in-charge of the district shall be the Chairperson of the District Planning Committee and the Collector of the district shall be the Member-Secretary of the District Planning Committee.
(5) In the absence of the Chairperson at any meeting of the District Planning Committee, the members may elect the [Chairperson] from amongst themselves to preside over the meeting.