UT Adviser Dharam Pal kick-starts governance reforms

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 14

To check red tape and do away with archaic rules, UT Adviser Dharam Pal has initiated a process to rationalise and simplify all cumbersome rules and procedures for improving ease-of-doing business and delivering services to residents.

A review meeting regarding minimising the regulatory compliance in Chandigarh was held today under the chairmanship of UT Adviser Dharam Pal with all Administrative Secretaries and heads of departments.

The meeting was held to examine the relevance and rationale of various compliances under the purview of the UT and simplify these. “The process would require a thorough scrutiny of various Acts, regulations, administrative processes and procedural requirements,” said Dharam Pal.

He said they were looking at reducing the compliance further for citizens as there were too many lengthy procedures and documentations. “We need to simplify our procedures for the public and to facilitate ease-of-doing business,” he said, directing the officials to identify all procedures or documentation that need to be done away with within a month. He, however, said the entire exercise would take at least six months to complete.

“With the advancement of technology, our aim is to deliver faceless services to cut city residents’ visit to government offices. We will try to deliver the maximum possible services online,” the Adviser added.

The Adviser said: “The burdensome regulatory compliance adds unnecessary procedure, time and cost for citizens or businesses that hinder the overall ease of living and doing business. These compliances are no longer relevant due to innovative practices and economic developments.”

The Adviser directed all officials to take necessary steps to make government-to-business and government-to-citizen interfaces simple and transparent by exhaustive analysis of Acts, rules, regulations, schemes, grants and subsidies. The task would include consulting stakeholders to identify the burdensome aspects of different compliances, decriminalising Acts or provisions in case of minor civil offenses and repeal, amend or subsume redundant laws, he added.

Archaic laws have proved a stumbling block in the development of the city. For the second year in a row, the UT was at the bottom in the ease-of-doing business rankings (EODB) announced in 2020. In 2017-18, the city was ranked 29th and in 2020, it was again at the same position.