Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar dismissed discussions about excluding Karnal from the National Capital Region (NCR), saying that the issues which had prompted such demands in the past had already been resolved by the government.
“As the CM of Haryana, I had also felt that some districts should be taken out of the NCR. The objections that were raised at that time have since been resolved, and all states have agreed to the changes,” he said.
Khattar said environmental restrictions imposed under NCR regulations had created difficulties for certain districts. To address these concerns, a revised framework had been adopted. Under the new arrangement, restrictions would be imposed in a phased manner depending on the prevailing situation.
“Environmental restrictions will first be implemented in Delhi and the first ring surrounding it. The second and third rings will face restrictions later, depending on the circumstances. The states and districts that had sought exclusion fall within the third ring,” he said while interacting with the media. On the proposed Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) to Karnal, he said Cabinet approval was expected within the next week.
Khattar is on a two-day visit to his constituency. He also participated in a conference of intellectuals at Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College (KCGMC) on Saturday evening. On Sunday, he chaired a district-level programme organised to mark the International Yoga Day event at the New Grain Market. Later, he attended a series of programmes.
He also filled his self-enumeration form in the city and appealed to people to actively participate in the campaign and verify their voter details. “The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign is aimed at ensuring transparency in electoral rolls by removing duplicate and multiple voter entries. No valid voter is being removed under the campaign,” he said. He said Karnal district had achieved around 92% coverage in the distribution of enumeration forms, placing it among the top-performing districts in Haryana.
Responding to protests demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leak and CBSE exam evaluation, Khattar termed such protests “baseless and unnecessary issues”. “The people of the country want development and positive politics, not needless controversies,” he added. On the issue of political expansion of the BJP in Punjab, Khattar expressed confidence about the party’s prospects. Asked about Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s interaction with students after the NEET controversy, Khattar said political leaders were free to engage with people and present their views. “He is doing his work, and we are doing ours. Such interactions should take place. Ultimately, it is for the people to decide how they view these efforts,” he said.
