Chandigarh: The Government of India (GoI) has asked the Chandigarh administration to furnish information, notifications, orders and related details on 373 reform parameters linked to the single-window system.The ease-of-living component has also been added to this exercise this time. Besides the single-window system, the Union government has also sought the status of 130 points under the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP). The aim is to assess the business environment in Chandigarh and the UT administration’s efforts to improve the ease of doing business in the city.The larger exercise under the single-window system is aimed at assessing the UT’s efforts to provide hassle-free services to citizens and businesses, and to help authorities identify areas for improvement.Many components under the single-window system do not apply uniformly to every state and UT, as they vary according to the nature of local businesses and administrative functions.The UT industries department has written to all departments, asking them to furnish the requisite evidence and documents against the reform points by September 15. The department had sought the information earlier as well but did not receive the complete data.A letter from the industries department, sent to all UT departments last week, stated that the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has been spearheading the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) since 2015 to promote ease-of-doing-business reforms.Departments have been asked to submit the information in physical form along with a soft copy on a pen drive.The letter further reads: “As the matter is extremely urgent and time-bound, the concerned departments are requested to ensure that the requisite evidences are complete, duly authenticated and submitted within the stipulated time, so that the same can be scrutinised, compiled and uploaded/submitted within the prescribed timeline.”Box: Reform counts of key departmentsSingle-window system point | Count of reformsLabour department | 48Excise and taxation department | 47Health department | 35Municipal Corporation | 31Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee | 28Engineering department | 26Estate Office | 21DC office | 17Tourism department | 15Registrar of Firms and Societies | 14RERA | 10Industries department | 9Agriculture department | 9Legal metrology | 9Tehsildar (Revenue) | 8WHAT IT MEANS FOR RESIDENTSThe reform exercise could translate into simpler and faster govt services, with more processes moving online and fewer requirements for citizens to visit multiple departments. Residents could also benefit from clearer timelines, fewer procedural hurdles and better tracking of applications.WHAT IT MEANS FOR BUSINESSESFor business owners, the focus on single-window clearances and BRAP reforms is aimed at reducing delays in approvals, registrations and permissions. Better coordination between departments could mean fewer applications, less paperwork and more predictable timelines for setting up or expanding a business.
