After achieving the top spot in ease of doing business (EODB) in Indian states, Telangana Government now wants to focus on bringing down cost of doing business and maintaining quality of business.
The IT Minister, K.T. Rama, who spoke to the media on Telangana rising to the top spot from the 13th position last year in the same survey, said several qualitative changes are being infused into governance to achieve the goal. “Our task is bringing down cost of doing business. At the same time quality of business is also important for us,” he said.
“Our effort is to instituionalise the changes introduced over the last 10 months,” Mr. KTR said adding that it was a combined effort of all the departments and the effort resulted in the first place. There were 66 meetings between 22 departments that led to amendment of 26 laws and issuing 50 new GOs and 121 circulars to gain investors confidence. “During this period 19 portals were launched or updated and 113 new online services were added, including 22 in the labour department that cut down inspections and release of permissions in a stipulated period.”
One of the most appreciative efforts of the Government was the introduction of TS-iPass that included self certification and time bound release of permissions. Inspections by the Labour and Factories departments were brought down to just one inspection in five years from the earlier 30 inspections in five years, Mr. KTR said.
Inspections in nearly 90 per cent of industries were brought down to just one in three years though the annual inspections continue in the 10 per cent high risk industries. Even the renewals have been made online cutting down human intervention and such investment-friendly measures are being appreciated across the country.
The IT Minister revealed that Rs. 44,791 crores worth of investments were permitted of which 60 percent are operational generating 1.41 lakh direct employment and another 3 to 4 lakhs indirect employment.
Mr. Rao ridiculed the criticism of some opposition parties on the State’s achievement and it reflected their hollow thinking. On the decision to pull down the Secretariat, he said a new State had new ideas and there was nothing wrong in constructing new buildings that symbolised Telangana culture.
