CS delineates sector-wise reforms to ensure EODB across J&K

JAMMU : Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, on Tuesday 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.