The National Capital Region (NCR) will get four new greenfield urban centres, to be called “Namo Cities”, under the proposed Regional Plan-2041, with participating states set to compete for a sum of Rs 5,000 crore funding earmarked for their development over the next five years.
Each state will have to submit three plans for three identified cities, out of which one will be eligible for selection.
The decision was announced by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal after the 42nd meeting of the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB), attended by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and representatives of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
“Four greenfield cities will be developed. These cities will be called Namo Cities,” the Union Minister said, adding that states would submit proposals and the cities would be selected through a challenge process.
Speaking to The Tribune exclusively, he said, “See.. We are planning it in a way that wherever the metro will reach, we want to develop those cities similarly to how we are planning for Delhi with the TOD policy."
The proposed cities form a key part of the Regional Plan-2041, which seeks to promote decentralised urbanisation and reduce pressure on Delhi by creating new economic and residential hubs across the NCR.
According to projections discussed during the meeting, the NCR is expected to become increasingly urbanised in the coming decades, with the urban population projected to reach about 57 per cent by 2031 and nearly 67 per cent by 2041.
Officials also indicated that the region’s population could rise sharply over the next two decades, making the creation of new growth centres essential.
Manohar himself acknowledged this and said that by the next decade, the NCR region’s population would grow to 15 crores.
The proposed cities are expected to be planned as integrated urban centres with housing, employment, public transport and social infrastructure, while also supporting the broader objective of decongesting Delhi.
Even before the framework is finalised, states have begun staking claims.
Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister AK Sharma proposed the Noida–Dadri–Jewar–Bulandshahr belt as a potential candidate for one of the cities, saying the state was prepared to play a larger role in accommodating NCR’s future growth.
Rajasthan’s Urban Development Minister suggested that Alwar and Bharatpur could emerge as strong contenders given their strategic location and growth potential within the NCR.
The announcement came as the NCRPB moved closer to finalising Regional Plan-2041. While the plan was not formally approved on Tuesday, officials said broad consensus had been reached on most issues, and the final version is expected to be cleared within the next two months after remaining technical issues are resolved.
The meeting also reaffirmed the focus on balanced regional development, improved mobility through RRTS and creation of new urban nodes while identifying the “magnet cities" for the future, aimed at reducing dependence on Delhi as the region’s primary growth centre.
