CM Omar Abdullah Reviews EoDB Progress, Sets Timelines for Reform Implementation
Srinagar, Apr 19: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday chaired a high-level meeting at the Civil Secretariat to assess progress on Compliance Reduction and Deregulation initiatives under the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) framework. The drive, part of a national effort, aims to make J&K’s regulatory landscape more business-friendly by reducing compliance burdens and promoting digitization.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for entrepreneurs and investors, the Chief Minister directed officers to convert action plans into fortnightly milestones to ensure timely implementation. He stressed the need for close monitoring, accountability, and swift resolution of delays.
The EoDB reforms fall under a wider national initiative spearheaded by the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, in collaboration with the PMO, NITI Aayog, DPIIT, and the Ministry of MSME. Key priorities include scrapping outdated regulations, easing compliance for MSMEs, facilitating single-window clearances, and decriminalizing business-related laws.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Advisor to the CM Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, and senior officials from multiple departments participated in the meeting. Officials from Srinagar joined via video conferencing.
During the review, Omar Abdullah called for finalized action plans to be uploaded promptly on the MIS portal and announced a bi-monthly review mechanism to track reform outcomes.
Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Vikramjit Singh, briefed the meeting on the 23 priority reform areas identified by the J&K State Task Force, which is being coordinated with the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India.
Reform topics covered included land use flexibility, digitization of change of land use (CLU) processes, easing fire clearance procedures, revising rural road width norms, and updating building bylaws. The integration of GIS mapping of industrial estates with the India Industrial Land Bank (IILB) and the National Single Window System (NSWS) was also highlighted.
Labour reforms enabling night-time employment of women, simplification of licensing, and decriminalization of minor violations were discussed as critical measures to encourage business growth.
The Chief Minister emphasized proactive governance, urging departments to implement reforms swiftly and ensure all action plans are tracked and regularly reviewed for effective execution.
