The state hopes to curb red tapism drastically, provide a direct interface with officials and boost an investment-friendliness.
Post the ignominy of slipping to the 13th spot in the Ease of Doing Business ranking, Maharashtra government has come up with a plan to climb up with honour.
The gameplan is to go digital from January 1 to provide all investment-related approvals, No Objection Certificates and documents related to possession of land, online. The state hopes to curb red tapism drastically, provide a direct interface with officials and boost an investment-friendliness.
The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), a state-run special planning authority for development of industrial areas, has take this a step ahead: It has brought various services, including land offer, under the Right to Services Act. This makes it mandatory for the staff to meet stipulated deadlines or face the consequences. This, the State hopes, will catapult it among the top five states.
MIDC's land allotment committee now will meet every week to discuss mega projects (those with investment above Rs 500 crore) and prioritise land allotment. Through this, investors can expect to receive a land allotment letter in 30 days, the final fire NOC in 15 days, a water connection in 15 days and NOC for power connection in seven days, approval for tree felling, trimming and re-plantation for units within their premises in 60 days, and an occupancy certificate in 15 days. In addition, an industrial unit can potentially get permission for drainage connection in 30 days, change in land use in 21 days, surrender of plot in 30 days and plot amalgamation in seven days.
And for this, investors won't have to make the rounds of MIDC's regional offices. All of it can be applied to online.
MIDC's initiative can prove to be timely: Since 2017, more than 15,000 proposals for No Objection Certificates and over 3,000 building plan approvals have been pending. CEO P Anbalagan says 8,000 applications have been cleared in past two months, and the balance will be cleared soon.
"With a positive ecosystem, in the form of right policies, is in the force," says Anbalagan, "MIDC's primary mandate is to facilitate project proponents to set up units with ease. This can be done by introducing an element of surety in delivery of services within a specified time frame. Going digital will bring a great element of transparency." He informs that MIDC will soon implement a dashboard to provide at-a-glance investment related details. After going digital, only current applications will be pending for clearance.
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