CS delineates
sector-wise reforms to ensure EODB across J&K
JAMMU, APRIL 01:
Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today emphasised the significance of
reducing compliance burdens and enhancing Ease of Doing Business (EODB) in
Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chief Secretary, while reviewing the steps to be
taken in this regard, exhorted upon the departments to streamline the processes
and services making them readily available. This must be the primary task of
all the departments to make the region more attractive to the investors and
citizens alike, he added.
ACS, Jal Shakti Department; Principal Secretary, Home;
Principal Secretary, PDD; Commissioner Secretary, H&UDD; Commissioner
Secretary, I&C; Secretary, RDD; Director I&C, Jammu besides other
concerned officers besides other concerned officers attended the meeting.
On the occasion, the Chief Secretary urged the
concerned to ensure digitisation of records, creation of a land bank,
formulation of relevant bye laws for each of the authorities responsible for
different purposes in a mission mode. He also asked for creation of Master
Plans focusing the systematic development of our urban Centres that is in sync with
future needs and sustainable in nature.
Dulloo enquired about the identified areas and the
relevant government departments
responsible for implementation of the same. He enjoined upon them to take up
their task as a time-bound exercise with its implementation regularly monitored
at the highest level.
Commissioner Secretary, I&C Department, Vikramjit
Singh, informed that a bundle of 23 key priority areas had been identified to
drive economic growth, improve regulatory efficiency and promote ease of doing
business as per the guidelines. He revealed that these reforms focus on urban
development, labor laws, environmental clearances and industrial facilitation.
He also provided an in-depth analysis of these priorities and their
implications to be obtained on ground.
Regarding flexible zoning framework, it was given out
that the Housing and Urban Development and the Revenue Departments had to
implement a flexible zoning system, allowing mixed-use of land for developments
to enhance urban planning.
To streamline land use conversions, it was added that
a comprehensive digital system will be developed for document submission and
approval. It was also revealed that the Public Works and the Rural Development
Departments (RDD) will revise minimum road width requirements for rural
industries to improve the infrastructure accessibility.
The meeting was further informed that an integrated
GIS database will be created for industrial land in the UT, linked with the
India Industrial Land Bank (IILB). This will improve the land availability and
bring in transparency in its judicious use and allotment for different
purposes.
The meeting also discussed amendments to building
regulations for reducing land loss in industrial and commercial plots,
facilitating better utilization of space.
Other significant priority areas discussed in the meeting included
gender-inclusive labour reforms that will remove prohibitions on women working
in hazardous industries and permit night-time employment across sectors.
Similarly the
reforms involved third-party certification for environmental compliance
enhancing transparency in environmental regulations. Simplification and
streamlined licensing process, fast-tracking of utility approvals like that of
electricity and water connections, including groundwater usage is part of these
reforms in the UT.
Other reform measures under EoDB constitutes
reclassification of non-polluting industries, third-party fire inspections,
state-level legal reforms similar to Jan Vishwas Act, third-party inspections
for businesses along with Single Window System for all state-level services
linked to the National Single Window System (NSWS), ensuring seamless approvals
and easy services for the citizenry across all districts of the UT.