Delhi govt nods Ease of Doing Business Bill providing for single window clearances, licenses
The Bill, prepared as part of the second phase of the Government of India initiative to reduce regulatory and compliance burdens, was passed at the Delhi Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday, a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said.
The legislation will now be sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs for its approval.
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The burden of duplicate registrations on businesses would also be reduced by the proposed law.
Enterprises already registered through Goods and Services Tax, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, MSME Enterprises Development Act or the labour codes, will not need separate registrations for trade, health-trade, eating house, or shops and establishments, the chief minister said.
The key feature of the proposed law would be a single-window system. Under this, a simple and user-friendly online system will be created where businesses can apply for approvals, registrations, no-objection certificates, consents, licences and other requirements related to their operations.Read more: Finance Ministry to fully switch to ebills from August 1, reduce payment processing to 3 days
It will also cover services such as building plans, fire-related approvals, and water, sewer and electricity connections.
Citizens and businesses will no longer need to visit different government offices and submit separate applications. The Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) will be the single nodal agency for all business approvals provided through this single-window system, it said.
For several activities included in Schedule-3 of the Bill, approvals, permissions, licences or no-objection certificates will be granted as soon as the applications are submitted.
Self-declaration will be accepted for specified low-risk categories and cases falling within the prescribed limits. This will provide relief from lengthy approval processes for low-risk activities.
For activities not covered under Schedule-3, approvals, permissions, licences and no-objection certificates will be provided within the timelines prescribed under the Right to Timely and Easy Delivery of Services to Citizens Act, 2026.
The Bill also proposes a provision for deemed approval upon expiry of the prescribed time limit. This means that if the competent authority does not make a decision within the stipulated period, the approval will be deemed granted in accordance with the provisions of the Bill.
A negative-list based system would be adopted to provide greater freedom to conduct business. Under this system, an enterprise will be able to carry out any activity at any location, provided the activity is not included in the negative list specified in Schedule-2 of the Bill.
The chief minister said the Delhi government is working to create a system in which business owners and entrepreneurs do not have to visit multiple government offices, submit the same information repeatedly, or wait long periods for necessary approvals.
The proposed law also provides for an inspection system based on trust. No routine inspection will be carried out for three years after an enterprise is registered. However, an inspection may be conducted if a serious complaint is received, the CMO said.
These measures are expected to significantly reduce the time, cost and uncertainty involved in doing business in Delhi and help attract new investment and create employment on a larger scale, Gupta said.
Source: m.economictimes.com