The decision was taken at a meeting of Minister of State for Urban Development Kaushik Patel, Civil Supplies Minister and in-charge of Vadodara district Jaspal Singh, MLAs from the city, Vadodara Municipal Commissioner G R Aloria, District Collector Anil Mukim, DDO Anju Sharma, Mayor Bharati Vyas and others.

Patel told the meeting that the VMC would, however, have to survey the areas within a month and submit a report to the government for providing basic facilities in a phased manner.

Later, Singh said the civic area had been 108 sq km since the VMC came into being in 1966. The VMC had mooted a proposal in 1992 for extending limits to another 61 sq km in view of the increasing population and the surrounding villages demanding planned development.

The meeting was informed that the VMC was already providing drinking water to Tarsali, Bapod, Sama and Harni on the periphery.

It may be recalled that, cutting across party lines, the former Board ruled by the Congress and the present one had mooted several proposals for the city limit's extension. After the BJP came to power in 1995, it had sent the proposal to the State Government twice but the decision had remained pending.

Highly placed sources said the VMC's request for including mega industrial estates within city limits had not found favour from the State Government. The civic authorities have long been demanding that the industrial giants should contribute towards the city's development.