Haryana May Slash NCR Area by 60%; Panipat, Karnal, Jind and Mahendragarh Face Possible Exit

Several districts in Haryana could soon lose their National Capital Region (NCR) status as the state prepares for a major redrawing of NCR boundaries under the proposed Regional Plan-2041. If approved, the move could reduce Haryana’s NCR area by nearly 60 per cent, affecting districts such as Panipat, Karnal, Jind, Mahendragarh and parts of Bhiwani.

The issue is expected to come up during the upcoming meeting of the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) on June 16, where member states will discuss the implementation of new boundary principles outlined in the Draft Regional Plan-2041.

Under the proposed framework, the NCR will be restricted to a contiguous 100-kilometre radius from Rajghat. Haryana currently contributes 14 districts to the NCR, including Gurugram, Faridabad, Rohtak, Sonipat, Rewari, Jhajjar, Nuh, Palwal, Panipat, Karnal, Mahendragarh, Jind, Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri. If the proposal is implemented, Haryana's NCR coverage would shrink from 25,327 sq km to just 10,546 sq km. The reduction could significantly alter planning priorities, infrastructure investment and real estate dynamics in several districts that have benefited from NCR status over the past decade.

What makes Haryana's position unique is its decision to adopt a stricter interpretation of the boundary criteria. While Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have reportedly agreed to retain tehsils that fall even partially within the 100-km radius, Haryana has proposed keeping only those tehsils that lie entirely within the prescribed limit.

This formula places several districts at risk. Karnal, located well beyond the proposed radius, faces near-complete exclusion. Mahendragarh is also likely to lose NCR status due to its distance from Delhi. Jind falls on the edge of the proposed boundary but could lose most of its NCR-covered area. Panipat remains in a grey zone, with its urban core likely to survive while large portions of the district may be excluded. Parts of Bhiwani could also fall outside the new limits. Among the affected districts, Charkhi Dadri appears to be in the safest position, as the city lies comfortably within the proposed radius, although some peripheral areas could still be impacted.

To minimise the impact, Haryana has proposed retaining a one-kilometre corridor on both sides of 11 major national highways, including NH-44, NH-48 and NH-9. This provision could help preserve NCR status for parts of Panipat and Karnal situated along NH-44. However, Jind and Mahendragarh are not connected to any of the listed highways, leaving them without a similar safeguard. The final list of municipal bodies proposed for retention has not been made public. The draft plan only mentions that Haryana has recommended retaining 26 Municipal Committees, 13 Municipal Councils and seven Municipal Corporations. While cities such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Manesar and Sonipat are almost certain to remain within the NCR, the status of several other urban centres remains unclear. 

The stakes are high. Areas removed from the NCR would lose access to the NCRPB’s infrastructure funding mechanism, which has supported hundreds of development projects worth over Rs 32,000 crore. They would also fall outside future regional planning initiatives, including proposed rapid rail corridors, orbital rail networks and integrated mobility projects under Regional Plan-2041. The change could also impact real estate and industrial growth. NCR status has played a key role in attracting investment, boosting land values and encouraging large-scale development in districts such as Karnal, Panipat and Mahendragarh since their inclusion in 2015. A rollback could lead to a reassessment of investment plans and future growth projections.