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Taj Mahal's beauty has become curse for Agra's development: BJP MP Rajkumar Chahar in Parliament
Chahar cited the regulations under the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) and the norms mandated by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
BJP MP Rajkumar Chahar on Wednesday flagged concerns regarding the strict Taj Trapezium Zone and NGT regulations in Agra, saying the beauty of Taj Mahal has become a curse for the city's development.
On the third day of the winter session of Lok Sabha, Chahar said that the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra, which is a global attraction, has become a “curse”.
“In Agra there is the Taj Mahal, which is very beautiful. But its beauty has become a curse for the people of Agra,” Chahar said.
Chahar cited the regulations under the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) and the norms mandated by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), while saying that these hamper the industrial growth and job creation in the city.
“…For the preservation of Taj's beauty, there are TTZ and NGT. Because of these, no industries or factories are permitted there, and the youth of Agra remains unemployed,” Chahar said.
TTZ covers the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras, and Etah in UP and Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district, and is an area spread across 10,400 kilometres around the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra.
In a ruling on December, 1996, the Supreme Court delivered a ruling in regards to industries covered under the TTZ. It banned the use of coal/ coke in such industries which are located in the TTZ.
The MP from Fatehpur Sikri further stressed on Agra's strategic location, while also underscoring its connectivity to other cities like Delhi and Lucknow via expressways.
Chahar, in view of the curbs under TTZ, proposed the setting up of an IT hub in Agra to boost development and employment opportunities. “The only solution is the setting up of an IT hub can be done in Agra. I urge the Centre to establish an IT hub in Agra to create employment and benefit the people of the city,” Chahar said, adding that this would also preserve the beauty of Taj Mahal.
Lok Sabha session: Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025 passed
Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha today passed the Central Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to increase excise duty on tobacco products and their manufacturing.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman moved the Bill in the Lower House of the Parliament, while clarifying that this was not “a new law” or “an additional tax”. Further, she said this was also not a form of “cess”.
“Many members here made the comment that this is a cess. Excise is not a cess. Excise duty existed before GST,” Sitharaman said. The Finance Minister said that compensation cess was being reverted back to the Centre to be collected as Excise duty.
She further said that the revenue collected from this would go back to the “divisible pool” and redistributed to the states “at the 41% allocated.”
