Come April, DCs to clear projects up to Rs 10 crore

Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12

Come April 1, the Deputy Commissioners in Punjab will be empowered to sanction industrial projects up to Rs 10 crore. The proposed move will not only ensure faster clearances to the projects being set up by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) but also attract investment. 

In December last year, the state Industries Department had empowered the Deputy Commissioners to sanction industrial projects up to Rs 1 crore. 

“We realised that the need of the hour is to facilitate investment at the district level by empowering Deputy Commissioners. So, a step has been taken in this direction. Besides new investment, industrial units going for expansion, modernisation or diversification will be benefitted by this move,” said Director, Industries and Commerce (Punjab), DPS Kharbanda. 

Besides this, the state is also strengthening its business facilitators' network deployed at the district level to assist the industry for faster regulatory clearances.

The facilitators provide hand-holding to the investors and help them in documentation. They guide the investors in filling up common application form through the 'Business First Portal' that will give regulatory clearances from multiple departments, secure fiscal incentives for the investors and issue them completion certificates.

“We have already appointed 14 such facilitators across the state and based on the feedback, we plan to take it to 22 soon,” he added. 

Besides filling common application form, the facilitators will assist the industry in getting clearances from Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). Out of the 138 blocks in the state, around 114 are in red category, therefore, regulatory approval is necessary. "Any kind of industry setting up a unit in the state will have to seek permission from the CGWA,” he said. 

In the past two years, the state had received investment proposals worth Rs 35,000 crore. These projects are related to manufacturing, agriculture and food processing, tourism, infrastructure, education, IT/ITeS, health and bio-tech sectors. 

Empowering the Deputy Commissioners to sanction projects and appointing more facilitators will help the state in improving its ranking in the ease of doing business. In the 'Ease of Doing Business Index 2017', released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and World Bank, Punjab slipped to the 20th position from the 12th position it had secured in the previous year.