Explain The Salient Features Of Rolling Plan?

The plan period of a rolling plan is five year; however there is no fixation of dates in respect of commencement and end of the plan. This is explained with reference to Pakistan planning experience and end of the plan. This is explained with fixed plan started on 1960 and ended at 1965. Then the 3rd five years plan started on 1965 and ended at 1970. It means that what has been programmed in 2nd plan was meant for five years, and was to being executed during that period. Although some revisions were made, yet the 2nd plan was mostly a fixed one year respect. But in case of rolling plan, there is no such fixation, they are not bound by the time with the passage of one year, the initial year is slipped along with the entry of new terminal year. As a result, the time length of a plan remains the same; however, the contents may vary.

The rolling plans allow for revisions and adjustments. More properly, in rolling plans the review of a plan becomes a continuous exercise. The effect of changed circumstances and the changed demand and supply conditions can be incorporated in the plan. No doubt in fixed plans, the annual reviews are made, but they are getting information regarding the progress of the economy. While in case of rolling plans, the yearly reviews are such a nature that they serve the basis for the revised new five year plan every year. Such yearly review is the essence of rolling plans.

When a plan is accompanied by recurring changes, it will create uncertainty on the part of both the private as well as public sector. Both the sectors will remain unsure of each other's responses. How the private sector will behave when the projections and targets of the plan vary every year? Moreover, how the government. sector will respond as a result of behavior of private sector in the changed situation? Thus the uncertainty attached with the plan will serve as an anti-thesis of planning. The uncertainty will evaporate the long term investment decision of the firm making the plan a no plan.

The rolling plans are objected on the round that they make the planners timid and coward. As rolling plans are adhered to revisions and modifications, hence the planners are always reluctant in taking difficult decisions or taking courageous decisions. Whenever the difficult situations rise, the easier course will be to revise the targets of the plan. If the plan is to be revised each year, then what is the need of planning?

The rolling plans are devoid of commitment to the plans or planning. The changing character of a plan is equivalent to mechanical projection exercises. As there is no fixity attached with the plans, the enthusiasm on the part of planning and administrative machinery will hardly be found. The will to perform plan tasks will be pre-empted right from the inception of the plan. The planning authority under such scheme of affairs will be reduced to a mere office of information collection and its dissemination.