With an eye on the crucial Assembly polls in Rajasthan and Delhi later this year and also the 2014 general elections, the Government on Monday approved the inclusion of Bhiwani and Mahendragarh districts of Haryana and Bharatpur in Rajasthan in the National Capital Region (NCR).
“This is being done to ensure that the NCR region grows simultaneously to reduce pressure on the health, educational and economic infrastructure of Delhi,” Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath told reporters.
Though the proposal was pending with the Union Urban Development Ministry for long, it’s only now that these districts in the Congress-ruled States have been included into the list area falling under the NCR.
The NCR till now included nine Haryana districts, five districts of Uttar Pradesh, Alwar in Rajasthan and the National Capital Territory (NCT). Jind and Karnal districts in Haryana are likely to follow the suit.
The NCR Planning Board (NCRPB), which met on Monday under the chairmanship of the Urban Development Minister, also approved the Rajasthan Government’s request for identification of Jaipur as Counter-Magnet Area.
Counter-Magnet Area is to act as “interceptors” of migratory flows into NCR due to the accelerated development and also as regional growth centres to enable a balanced pattern of urbanisation. The board also approved the sub-regional plan for UP sub-region. After becoming a part of the NCR, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh and Bharatpur would witness a surge in development funds from NCRPB.
The Minister stressed the need for an economic and efficient mass transportation system as an essential driver of regional economic development and highlighted the need for Regional Rapid Transit System in NCR. Implementation of these projects would help in reduction of travel time within NCR, reduction of number of vehicles on roads, decongestion of both national highways and arterial roads and tremendous reduction in pollution levels and ultimately improvement in the quality of life in NCR, Ministry officials said.
“The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) has recommended setting up of the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) for implementation of RRTS which in Phase-I will connect Delhi-Panipat (111 km), Delhi-Alwar (180 km) and Delhi-Meerut (90 km),” said Nath.
The matter will be taken up by the Cabinet shortly. The work on the three corridors would start soon and would be completed by 2016. NCRPB would contribute `200 crore to begin the work on one of the lines, he added.