Four new modern cities are to be developed within the National Capital Region under the Regional Plan-2041 framework, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini announced after the NCR Planning Board’s 42nd meeting in Delhi on Tuesday.
The locations of the proposed Namo cities are yet to be finalised — a committee has been constituted for the purpose and participating states have been asked to submit their suggestions.
The meeting, chaired by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, took stock of multiple proposals under the long-pending Plan-2041. The committee on the four new urban centres is expected to submit its report by August 15. The board’s 43rd meeting has been proposed for December.
Also read: No change in NCR map for Haryana as all 14 districts remain in fold
The announcement comes as the Regional Plan-2041 — in draft for several years — moves closer to implementation.
The plan had originally proposed between five and eight new greenfield townships across the NCR to absorb a projected population surge. The NCR is expected to house around 11 crore people by 2041, up from roughly 5.8 crore at the last census, and planners estimate more than 3 crore additional residents will need to be accommodated over the next 15 years.
The four Namo cities are intended to serve as planned urban nodes to channel that growth rather than allow further unplanned sprawl in existing cities.
The plan envisions all new settlements as self-sustaining, with modern civic infrastructure modelled on smart city projects developed under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
Tuesday’s meeting also reviewed progress on the Rapid Rail Transit System — branded as Namo Bharat — toward Karnal and Manesar. A conversion scheme for vehicles below BS-6 standards operating within the NCR was approved, targeting the region’s persistent air quality crisis.
The NCR’s core area was another item on the agenda.
On urban mobility, the Plan-2041 envisions a “30-minute NCR" — a commitment that every major city in the region should be reachable from Delhi within half an hour through superfast rail links and eight RRTS corridors. Heli-taxi services for inter-city travel are also part of the blueprint.
The 42nd board meeting also confirmed that Haryana’s NCR boundaries will remain unchanged, with all 14 of its districts including Karnal, Panipat, Jind, Mahendragarh and Bhiwani staying within the NCR fold.
