Iranian top officials reject the idea of moving the capital Tehran.
High-ranking Iranian officials in a meeting chaired by Eshaq Jahangiri, first vice president voiced their opposition with the movement of the country's capital, Fars News Agency reported August 18.
A 239-page report prepared by the Ministry of Roads and Transportation including pros and cons of moving the capital was investigated and finally rejected unanimously in the meeting, Fars added.
According to the report, the meeting was also attended by Iran's Road and Transportation Minister, Abbas Akhoundi, a group of MPs, the head of the Tehran Municipality and experts as well.
Earlier in December 2013, the Iranian parliament approved generalities of the MP-proposed draft law that authorizes investigating moving the country's capital city to a location outside Tehran.
Proponents of the draft law say that Tehran is vulnerable to earthquakes and facing resource and pollution challenges. They say that 11 percent of Iran's population is located in Tehran, however the city accounts for 25 percent of the country's GDP.
Those opposed to the draft law said that instead of running away from the issues that have inflicted Tehran by moving the capital, it is better to fundamentally address the problems facing the city. They say that moving the administrative and political capital does not mean people will automatically move too, and that major steps need to be taken to assure the proper living conditions for a new suggested capital.
Edited by CN