It is in the process of acquiring land for Dwaraka phase-II. Land has already been acquired for the PVC market at Tikri Kalan. Sarita J Das, Member Secretary of the National Capital Region Planning Board, has warned the DDA of ``grave repercussions'' for the blatant use of what she insists is ``non-urbanisable areas'' for urban projects.

While the DDA claims it is going slow on house construction because the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) are unable to match its pace, NCRPB officials lament that the DDA is defeating the very purpose of the National Capital Region (NCR). ``Delhi is already overpopulated. There are hour-long traffic jams, several-hour-long power cuts, water shortage, over-flowing sewers and road accidents. Just to ease the pressure on Delhi, NCR was envisaged. The plan was to set up industries, markets, houses and job opportunities around Delhi for those flocking to the Capital for a better living. But the DDA is defeating the very purpose of our establishment,'' says an official.

Member secretary Das says: ``Already there is a mismatch between the regional plan for the NCR and the Master Plan for Delhi regarding the population assignment for Delhi for 2001.'' According to NCR planners, the basic philosophy of development has to be restricting the growth of Delhi within ``manageable limits''.

What has also piqued the NCRPB officials is the issue that the Regional Plan had suggested only 18,000 hectares of land in Delhi for urban extensions but the Master Plan proposes 24,000 hectares for the purpose. Das says that ``not only such excess urban development programmes would act as an invitation for more migrants to flock to the Capital, but they would also add to the woes of the city''.

Keeping these very limits of manageability in mind, the regional plan for the NCR had assigned a population of 112 lakh by deflecting about 20 lakh people to the towns in the NCR through regional development programmes. On the other hand DDA's Master Plan has assigned a population of 128.1 lakh.

The NCR regional plan recommends a ``restrictive policy'' in terms of investment and employment in industry in Delhi, suggesting that all new industries be located in the NCR.