Explanation: The planning process has to take special care of those areas which have remained economically backward.

• As you know, the economic development of a region depends upon its resource base. But sometimes resource-rich region also remain backward.
• Economic development requires technology, as well as, investment besides resources.
• With the planning experience of about one-and-a-half decades, it was realised that regional imbalances in economic development were getting accentuated.
• In order to arrest the accentuation of regional and social disparties, the Planning Commission introduced the ‘target area’ and target group approaches to planning.
• Some of the examples of programmes directed towards the development of target areas are Command Area Development Programme, Drought Prone Area Development Programme, Desert Development Programme, Hill Area Development Programme.
• The Small Farmers Development Agency (SFDA) and Marginal Farmers Development Agency (MFDA) which are the examples of target group programme.

Source: NCERT – India People & Economy