TS Assembly passes industrial Bill

November 27, 2014 10:20 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 04:44 pm IST - HYDERABAD:

Repealing the existing Andhra Pradesh State Industrial Single Window Clearance Act of 2002, the Telangana Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed its own industrial Bill --Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self Certification System (TS-iPASS) --for timely clearances to industrial units proposed to be set up in the new State.

The legislation aimed at speeding up processing for issue of various licences, clearances and certificates required by industries and also provide for an investor-friendly environment in the State.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who piloted the Bill described the law in Andhra Pradesh as one that had a “single window with grills” but it was a “single window without grills” now in Telangana. However, the Congress said the new legislation was “word-to-word” the same as the old one, barring introduction of a clause that asked the applicants to furnish a checklist with the common application form.

Including the Congress, all parties supported the Bill but the BJP insisted on sending it to a select committee for studying it thoroughly instead of rushing through. However, the BJP withdrew the demand and two other amendments that it sought on persuasion by the Chief Minister.

Mr. Rao informed the House that the Bill envisaged Telangana State-wide investment facilitation board headed by the Chief Secretary giving provisional approvals to mega industrial projects within 15 days of receiving self-certified applications. A separate State committee with industries secretary as chairman will give clearances for all other projects in 30 days. To qualify as a mega project, Mr. Rao said, there should be an investment of over Rs. 200 crore and employ more than 1,000 people.

Congress deputy leader and former Industries Minister J. Geeta Reddy played down the legislation saying the previous government in the united state had also made self-certification by applicants compulsory. To emphasise on the requirement, the TRS government had introduced the word in the title of the Bill. Mr. Rao said the self-certification was required to be attested in the past but not so now. He said there was a lot of difference between the earlier legislation and the present one.

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