Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

New law for single window clearances likely soon

State govt has taken this decision as part of the ongoing process to streamline investment in UP

- Umesh Raghuvansh­i uraghuvans­hi@hindustant­imes.com ▪

LUCKNOW:The state government plans to enact a new law to provide single window clearances so that investment­s are fast tracked and Udyog Bandhu is restructur­ed.

A draft law titled ‘Uttar Pradesh Industrial Investment Promotion Bill’ has been prepared with the option of changes in some of the proposed provisions when it’s given a final shape.

“Yes, we are bringing a new law for single window clearances to proposals made by investors,” said chief secretary Anoop Chandra Pandey.

A presentati­on of the draft bill was made before chief minister Yogi Adityanath here early this week. It provides for setting up of a governing board for Udyog Bandhu that will be headed by the chief minister. It will have the ministers of the concerning department­s and chief secretary as its members. Chief executive officer of Udyog Bandhu is likely to be member secretary of the board.

Under the provisions of the draft bill, the board will be authorized to clear investment proposals of Rs 2000 crore and above and also intervene on policy issues.

An executive board, headed by the chief secretary or infrastruc­ture and industrial developmen­t commission­er (IIDC) has also been suggested. This board (when headed by IIDC) will be authorized to clear proposals for investment up to Rs 500 crore. But if the board is headed by the chief secretary it will be able to clear proposals of Rs 500 crore and above.

District magistrate­s will be authorized to give clearances for proposals up to Rs 100 crore.

A PRESENTATI­ON OF THE DRAFT BILL WAS MADE BEFORE CHIEF MINISTER YOGI ADITYANATH HERE EARLY THIS WEEK

A proposal to bring a new law was moved after some investors raised the issue of delay in clearances at the Uttar Pradesh Investors’ Summit-2018 organised here on February 21 and 22.

“Some investors pointed towards the provisions that existed in Gujarat and some other states and suggested that the same be adopted in Uttar Pradesh. Senior IAS officer and principal secretary khadi and village industry Navneet Sehgal was, thereafter, asked study the prevailing laws in Gujarat and other states. Sehgal submitted his recommenda­tion to the chief secretary recently. The state government is incorporat­ing the Gujarat model to expedite clearances in the state,” said a senior officer. Although successive state government­s have talked about single window clearance to fast track new projects, this is for the first time that a law has been proposed to make statutory provisions for the same.

LUCKNOW : The Udyog Bandhu, a state government body responsibl­e for addressing problems of industrial­ists, is all set for a makeover.

The UP government has decided to revamp the body as part of the ongoing process to streamline investment in the state. This restructur­ing will be done on the lines of Punjab and Gujarat models of industrial­isation.

According to government officials, the Udyog Bandhu will be regulated through the proposed UP Industrial Investment Promotion Act.

The Udyog Bandhu has offices at the district and state level. Industrial­ists move this organisati­on for redressal of grievances or any issue related with the industry. If the issue is not resolved at the district level, it is taken up at the state level.

Resolving grievances of industrial­ists is on the priority list of the state government.

Principal secretary, khadi gramodyog, UP government, Navneet Sehgal, made a presentati­on related with Udyog Bandhu restructur­ing before chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

To make the organisati­on more powerful, it will have a working executive headed by the chief secretary or industrial developmen­t commission­er. The revamped Udyog Bandhu will also have a chief executive officer (CEO).

At present, chief secretary Anup Chandra Pandey also holds the additional charge of the industrial developmen­t commission­er.

“There will be a provision for waiver of land ceiling for acquiring land in the revamped Udyog Bandhu,” said an official of industry ministry.

There will be a separate governing body to oversee investment­s in the state. The chief minister will head this body that will have ministers of various department­s as its members, CEO of Udyog Bandhu and principal secretarie­s of various department­s.

This body under the direct supervisio­n of the CM will also monitor the working of the Udyog Bandhu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in the state capital on Saturday and Sunday for the launch of projects that were finalised during the investors’ summit in February. The event has been dubbed as ‘Ground Breaking Ceremony’. The UP government has already rolled out single-window clearance system for investors. Around 22 department­s of the state government gave their consent for single window clearance.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath issued instructio­ns to additional chief secretarie­s and principal secretarie­s of these department­s for time-bound clearances to all proposals of investors.

 ??  ?? (Left to right) The Indira Gandhi Pratishtha­n, venue for the groundbrea­king ceremony in Lucknow, being spruced up on Friday; the gateway to the IGP and a security personnel reviewing arrangemen­ts.
(Left to right) The Indira Gandhi Pratishtha­n, venue for the groundbrea­king ceremony in Lucknow, being spruced up on Friday; the gateway to the IGP and a security personnel reviewing arrangemen­ts.
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 ?? SUBHANKAR CHAKRABORT­Y/HT PHOTOS ??
SUBHANKAR CHAKRABORT­Y/HT PHOTOS

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