Govt simplifies mechanism for operating business units

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 23: To stimulate setting up of industry in J&K, the Government today issued a fresh regulatory order to provide a simpler mechanism to start and operate a business unit in the State.
“We were looking at reducing the complexity of complying with the business regulations and today’s order is a major step towards ensuring that an enabling frame work for stimulating business in the State is created and we hope that the business community will welcome it”, Financial Commissioner Industries and Commerce, Khurshid Ahmed Ganai said today.
He said under the revised guidelines, documentation requirements for different types of registration, permission, certification and clearances have been significantly reduced and in most cases all together dispensed with.
Mr. Ganai said that for micro and small industrial units investing up to Rs. 5 crore in Plant and Machinery, a Single Window Clearance Committee at the district level headed by the District Development Commissioner as its Chairman and other members will be constituted. This excludes Srinagar and Jammu districts for which the District Level Single Window Clearance Committee will be headed by the Director Industries and Commerce.
He said approvals by the District level committee will be deemed as concurrence and treated as NOCs from the concerned departments.
Mr. Ganai further said that for investment above Rs 5 crore and upto Rs 25 crore in Plant and Machinery, the Divisional Level Committee headed by Director Industries and Commerce as its Chairman will give the clearance. Industrial units involving investment above Rs 25 crore will be approved by the standing Apex Committee headed by the Chief Secretary, he added.
Similarly, under the revised guidelines clearance from State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) has been made time bound and accordingly it will ensure to give or refuse clearances within one month from the date of application in respect of all types of industry-Green, Orange and Red. Moreover, all the incentives under the State Package will now onwards be sanctioned by the Divisional Committee of respective Directorates of Industries and Commerce, Jammu/Kashmir. The incentives will be disbursed by the General Manager, DIC.
A self certification mechanism has been introduced to facilitate exports and imports in the State besides in supersession of all previous orders General Manager, DICs in respect of micro and small scale industries  have been delegated  powers including issuance of EM-I and EM-II, Renewable of provisional certificate, grant of diversification of line of activity in case of formally registered units, grant of additional line of activity, grant of permission for substantial expansion/modernization etc.
The Financial Commissioner said the High Level Committee constituted to finalize the ‘Draft State Industrial Policy-2015’ will be soon submitting the draft to the Cabinet for approval.