Punjab, Haryana among top seven biz-friendly states

CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana have been ranked among the ‘top seven achievers’ as per the latest Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) report 2020, representing the performance of states and union territories in ease of doing business.

The other states among top seven best performers include Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. The report was released by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday.

The ease of doing business performance is adjudged by the department of promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) under the Union commerce ministry.

Punjab scored more than 90% to figure among the best performers by implementing reforms across 22 departments and government agencies under the State Reforms Action Plan 2020, according to state’s director-cum-secretary, industries and commerce, Sibin C.

The department has been anchoring the implementation of BRAP and other measures.

Invest Punjab Business First (IPBF) portal, online land bank, auto renewals, integrated land records and construction permits are among the key reforms undertaken to improve the business ecosystem in the state.

The ‘top achiever’ position is quite a jump for Punjab which had lagged behind at number 19 in the BRAP 2019 rankings.

For Haryana, the development coincided with the state bagging the third position at the national level for the work done in the field of MSMES on Thursday. Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, who, along with principal secretary (commerce and industry) Vijayendra Kumar, was present on this occasion, said Haryana has been included in the top-three states of the country in the field of MSME. The industrial policies of Haryana were highly praised on this occasion, he said.