Has Delhi CM Streamlined Licensing for Businesses?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Elimination of police involvement in the licensing process.
- Single-window approach for business licenses.
- Expected benefits for 25,000 establishments.
- Enhancement of the Ease of Doing Business initiative.
- Improvement in law and order in Delhi.
New Delhi, June 23 (NationPress) In a transformational move aimed at simplifying the licensing process for businesses, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta declared on Monday that only civic agencies will handle these applications, effectively eliminating the involvement of the Delhi Police in most instances.
This modification in the licensing framework is expected to benefit approximately 25,000 establishments and an estimated 1.5 to 2 million workers associated with them.
CM Gupta emphasized that this shift will enhance transparency in the licensing system, ensuring timely processing for entrepreneurs and others.
She noted that the decision to remove the Delhi Police’s involvement in the license/No-Objection Certificate for seven specific business categories marks a significant achievement by the Central Government, meeting the long-standing requests of local business owners.
The affected categories include hotels, motels, guest houses, restaurants, swimming pools, auditoriums, video game parlours, discotheques, and amusement parks.
“Entrepreneurs will no longer need to secure licenses from multiple departments for the same venture. This will streamline the process, reducing both costs and time. The Ease of Doing Business initiative will be further strengthened, positively impacting startups, hotels, and the tourism sector,” stated CM Gupta.
“This decision will not only alleviate the burden on millions of individuals and their families but will also enhance law and order in Delhi, contributing to a safer city,” she added.
The Chief Minister acknowledged that the Central Government has resolved an issue that has persisted for nearly four decades. She expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena for their support.
While addressing the media, CM Gupta remarked, “For over forty years, two separate licenses were necessary to operate a hotel, restaurant, guest house, auditorium, swimming pool, or entertainment venue in Delhi—one from the local authority and another from the police. Now, this redundancy has been eliminated. Licenses will now only need to be obtained from the local agency, not the police.”