The National Capital Region (NCR) Planning Board has accepted the request of Rajasthan for providing 100 per cent financial assistance to facilitate formulation of sub-regional plan for Bharatpur district. Situated in eastern Rajasthan, Bharatpur was included in NCR in 2013.
However, the NCR Planning Board has so far not included Bharatpur district in the revised regional plan-2021. State Urban Development Minister Rajpal Singh Shekhawat has raised the issue of difficulties faced in routing financial allocations for the proposed development projects in the district through the NCR Planning Board.
Mr. Shekhawat, who attended 36th meeting of the NCR Planning Board in New Delhi on Wednesday, said here that Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu had assured of doing away with restrictions for releasing funds for development of Bharatpur district after getting legal opinion.
Mr. Naidu also accepted Mr. Shekhawat’s suggestion for reducing interest rate on loans obtained for infrastructure development projects by 0.5 per cent. Besides, the will consider withdrawing the condition of population density of 100 to 125 persons per hectare for the areas of the State included in the National Capital Region in view of its scattered population.
The Union Minister gave in-principle approval for inclusion of the ongoing infrastructure projects in Bharatpur district, such as upgradation of roads and water supply lines, in the financial assistance category of the Board.
Mr. Shekhawat highlighted the growth of Shahjahanpur-Neemrana-Behror area, alongside the National Highway No. 8, as an industrial hub attracting both domestic and foreign investments, while addressing the Planning Board meeting. Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development) Ashok Jain also attended the meeting.
