‘A common economic zone required for NCR’

Delhi Government wants National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) to be given more authority and power.

Delhi Government wants National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) to be given more authority and power.

HT Image

With the burden on Delhi increasing — thanks to the large number of people migrating to the Capital from all over the country — chief minister Sheila Dikshit said it was essential to develop the NCR area to lessen the burden on Delhi.

“To develop NCR the NCRPB should be given more teeth. There is also an urgent need to develop a common economic zone and a common economic development policy for the NCR,” Dikshit said at ‘Regional Consultation on Approach to 12th Five Year Plan’ attended by the head of states of seven northern states at Delhi Secretariat on Monday.

Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia also attended the conference.

Dikshit found a support in Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. With more than 30% of Haryana falling in the NCR area, Hooda said urban services in NCR should be developed in a uniform manner. “If we want to see development in NCR, we need to make the NCR Planning Board a more purposeful and a development-oriented organisation,” Hooda said.

The representatives of the seven participating states discussed various issues including water, power and infrastructure. Ahluwalia said water and energy issues were among the major items raised by state governments. “Today's meeting showed that water and energy, two issues considered important by us, are also on priority list of states,” he said.

“While Delhi chief minister favoured establishment of water regulatory authority another chief minister pointed to water management, groundwater depletion and watershed management. I am happy that the chief ministers have called for action to find a solution to the water issue,” Ahluwalia said.