NCR area unlikely to be reduced

NEW DELHI: The area in the National Capital Region (NCR) is unlikely to be reduced. The NCR Planning Board, which is scheduled to meet on June 16, will take decisions on this and other issues.

As per the agenda circulated to NCR state, “There will be no change in the current NCR area (55,083 sqkm). Hence, Sub Regional Plan-2021 for extended Haryana sub-region shall not be withdrawn.”

Earlier, Haryana govt had requested the NCR Planning Board in May 2022 to exclude the five ‘newly added’ districts — Jind, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Charkhi Dadri and Karnal — from the ambit of NCR. People aware of the development said the matter will be discussed in the board meeting.

At present, 14 out of the total of 22 districts in Haryana fall under NCR and the state has little over 50% share of the entire region. Seeking to reduce NCR coverage in the state had stated that more than benefits, the state was facing losses due to an excessive area under the regulated region.

In the last board meeting of Aug 31, 2021, it was decided that NCR should be primarily a contiguous circular region of 100 km radius from Rajghat. “If any tehsil exists on either side of the 100 km delineation, then the decision to include or exclude the whole of the tehsil will be left to the respective state govts,” the minutes said.

It was also decided that beyond 100 km radius and up to the existing NCR boundary, all notified cities and towns along one km corridor on either side of connecting expressways, NHs, state highways and Regional Rapid Transit System will be included.