Click to play videoNew Delhi: The residents of Noida, Gurgaon and Ghaziabad say they being treated as the poor cousin. Is it time for the government to look into developing this region?
It's Monday morning and Noida resident Abhikshit Singh is gearing up for the week ahead. Singh, who is a lawyer, spends more time in his office in Greater Kailash than at home.
In fact with most of his time spent in Delhi, Singh sometimes doesn't even remember that on paper he is a resident of Uttar Pradesh.
Singh says, “For me there are no borders. It really does not register that I am not a resident of Delhi.''
Many like Singh feel that they are part of Delhi and its surrounding areas, what is commonly called the National Capital Region or the NCR. So what is the NCR?
The NCR is 20 times bigger than Delhi. It includes parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. By 2021 while Delhi will have two crore residents, 641 lakh people from the NCR will also be sharing its facilities.
Urban designer Sudeshna Chatterjee says, “If you do not have a vision for the entire region, Delhi has to bear the infrastructural needs of the entire region. This is unsustainable by definition.''
The government of Delhi is also losing out on precious revenues, which are generated by Delhi residents who work in the NCR region and use Delhi only as a dormitory.
The government of India had come up with a regional plan in 2001 to develop the NCR. A Supreme Court order in 1994 supported the need for the integration of the region.
NCR Board former member secretary Umesh Sehgal says, “It is in the regional plan, It's in black and white, its the law.''
With land being a state subject no state is willing to share the revenues generated.
NCR Board Urban Development MoS Ajay Maken says, “None of the states want to share the revenues and hence to not want to integrate the region.''
As the NCR grows it remains to be seen how planned and inclusive the development will be.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
