Accepting that the land hurdles are coming in the way of industrial progress in Jharkhand, the Government has decided to tackle it first and foremost. Following the inauguration of much awaited single window clearance system on Tuesday, a Cabinet note would be moved by the Industry Department to regulate land-related issues involved.
The step would be taken since the Government had withdrawn the Bill related to single window clearance system after placing it during the Monsoon Session of Assembly.
“land issue is crucial in making the single window clearance system fully operational. A note would be moved into the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. This would regulate the land acquisitions and purchases made for industrial purposes in the State,” Industry Director K Ravi Kumar told The Pioneer on Monday.
Industry Department treats availability of land for setting up new industries as the most critical issue considering legislations in existence such as Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act and Chottanagpur Tenancy Act and also in the light of the land Acquisition Act, 2013. As the single window clearance system would provide one stop destination to get various clearances to investors the shortage needed to be handled on urgent basis.
“The Government is purchasing land for setting up industries in most of the districts. In the first phase, we are purchasing Government lands available for the land bank. Whereas for the next phase the Chief Secretary has directed the land Revenue Department to go for private lands which would be purchased directly from the raiyats in couple of months,” added the Industry Director.
On its part, the land Revenue Department is also gearing up for making the single window system functional in real sense. “We have already formed the land banks. We are also ready with land details for each district. The land seekers would approach the concerned DC office or the Department which would play a facilitator,” said a top official of Revenue Department.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das is slated to inaugurate the system considered an important step in the directions of making Jharkhand compatible with ‘ease-of-doing-business’ mantra currently in focus right at the Central Government level and demands all the States to chip in.
Altogether the single window platform as of now has lined up three departments, four industrial authorities and one Board in the way of making the system operational. “The single window clearance system would facilitate entrepreneurs in obtaining online clearances from Industry, Commercial Taxes, labour, Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board and four industrial area development authorities AIADA, BIADA, RIADA, SPIADA, to start with,” said K Ravi Kumar.
In the next phase, few more concerned departments such as Forest and Environment, Fire and Urban Development would be roped into the single window clearance net making the system vibrant and hustle-free for investors.
An official of Industry Department informed that the applicants would be provided with one access ID for various departments where they can place their application for setting up industry of any kind in the State. “All the applications would be handled in a time bound manner and would be covered under the Service Guarantee Act for fixing accountability and for follow up punitive actions for unnecessary delay,” said he.