South body clears online licences for household units

NEWDELHI: To promote small-scale non-polluting commercial activities from residential complexes, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (SDMC) standing committee on Thursday cleared a new policy for the online issuance and renewal of licences for household industries.

According to the proposal, the new policy will allow applicants to run small-scale household industries in 50% of the total area on any floor of the building.

“Applicants will have to apply online. Sanction and renewal of the licences will be done in accordance with provisions of the Master Plan Development 2021. Under the policy, any of the 112 types of household industries will be allowed on the 50% of the area on any sanctioned floor. Prior to this, till 2010, only 25% area on the ground floor was allowed for household industries,” SDMC’S standing committee chairperson Shikha Rai said.

The 112 types of permitted household industries include manufacturing of incense sticks, match sticks, candles, assembling and repairing of electronic goods, medicines other than allopathic, atta chakki (flour grinding), book binding, jute products, khadi and handloom, photo setting, pan masala, toys ,etc.

Apart from this, nine types of household industries are allowed in village areas such as plaster of Paris, clay products and woodcarving among others.

Rai said the licence process was stopped in 2010 and the new policy had been pending for the last several years. The policy will now be sent to the SDMC’S house meeting for approval.

Applicants will have to take a separate electricity connection of 5 kw and up to five workers would be allowed to work. For submission of online applications, one has to submit Rs 1,000 as processing fee, proof of ID, ownership of the building and a copy of the electricity bill and other required documents.

She said it would be essential for the owner to reside in the building where the household industry would be set up. The licence will be valid for a single financial year and could be renewed.

“Household industries to be set up under the new policy will create employment opportunities for thousands of people. Pollution-generating household industries will be prohibited and inflammable materials would not be allowed to be stored in the buildings,” she said.