The National Capital Region’s boundaries will remain unchanged for Haryana, with all 14 districts, including Karnal, Panipat, Jind, Mahendragarh and Bhiwani, continuing in the NCR fold.
The decision was taken at the NCR Planning Board meeting held in Delhi on Tuesday, chaired by Union Minister Manohar Lal.
Haryana Chief Minister (CM) Nayab Saini, who attended the meeting, confirmed that the state’s existing NCR area would stay intact. Earlier, there had been considerable speculation that up to five Haryana districts could be dropped from the NCR, reducing the state’s representation in the region significantly.
Of Haryana’s 23 districts, 14 currently fall within the NCR. Had the proposed reduction gone through, Karnal, Panipat, Jind, Mahendragarh and Bhiwani would have been excluded a move that would have had significant implications for infrastructure investment, land-use permissions, and development funding tied to NCR status.
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Rajasthan had the most to lose from a boundary contraction. Under the proposed changes, only Bhiwadi would have remained within the NCR from the state. Rajasthan was openly opposed to the reduction, and its pushback is believed to have been a factor in Tuesday’s outcome.
The 42nd NCRPB meeting also discussed several forward-looking proposals under the Regional Plan-2041 framework. A committee has been constituted to finalise these recommendations and is expected to submit its report by August 15. The board’s 43rd meeting is now proposed for December.
On urban mobility, a conversion plan for BS-6 and older vehicles within the NCR has been drawn up. Work on the Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) corridor toward Karnal and Manesar is underway. Discussions on the NCR’s core area were also held during the meeting.
