Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal dismissed discussions about excluding Karnal from the National Capital Region (NCR) and said that the government had already resolved the issues which had prompted such demands in the past.
“As the Chief Minister of Haryana, I had also felt that some districts should be taken out of the NCR. The objections and issues that were raised at that time have now been resolved, and all states have agreed to the changes,” he said.
Manohar Lal explained that environmental restrictions imposed under NCR regulations had created difficulties for certain districts. To address these concerns, a revised framework has been adopted. Under the new arrangement, restrictions will be imposed in phases, 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 from the NCR fall within the third ring,” he said while interacting with media persons at PWD Rest House. On the proposed Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) to Karnal, Manohar Lal said that Cabinet approval is expected within the next week.
Manohar Lal was on a two-day visit to his constituency. He first participated in a conference of intellectuals at the auditorium of the 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 New Grain Market. Later, he attended a series of programmes.
Manohar Lal also filled his self-enumeration form at the PWD Rest House in the city and appealed to citizens to actively participate in the campaign and verify their voter details.
“The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign launched by the Election Commission is aimed at ensuring transparency in electoral rolls by removing duplicate and multiple voter entries, while safeguarding the voting rights of all eligible citizens. No valid voter is being removed under the SIR campaign. This is purely a process to eliminate duplicate and double voting entries and ensure free and fair elections,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction over the progress of the drive in Karnal and said the district has achieved around 92 per cent 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 the NEET paper leak and the evaluation of CBSE examinations, Manohar Lal termed such protests “baseless and unnecessary issues". Manohar Lal said he did not consider it worthwhile to respond to such allegations.
“The people of the country want development and positive politics, not needless controversies," he added.
On the issue of the political expansion of the BJP in Punjab, Manohar Lal expressed confidence about the party’s prospects and claimed that the BJP would emerge victorious in Punjab.
When asked about the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s interaction with students after the NEET controversy, Manohar Lal 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.
