The Haryana government is set to introduce an 'Omnibus Bill' aimed at boosting investment and enhancing the ease of doing business by providing time-bound approvals to entrepreneurs. The proposed legislation, likely to be tabled in the Monsoon session of the state assembly, seeks to ensure that key permissions and services are delivered within 30 days.
De-Regulation Drive
Officials stated that the move is part of a broader de-regulation drive to reduce compliance burden and improve the state's investment climate. The bill will consolidate multiple regulatory reforms into a unified legal framework, ensuring uniformity across departments and providing a long-term foundation for administrative reforms.
Review Meeting
A high-level meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretariat Special Secretary KK Pathak and Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi reviewed progress under Phase II of compliance reduction and de-regulation on April 30. The state has also created a corpus of Rs 500 crore to support these reforms.
Key Focus Areas
Officials said key focus areas include simplification of land and construction regulations. Nearly 70% of the state's area does not require Change of Land Use, providing relief to investors. Clearances related to environment, water and power connections are also being streamlined. The Haryana Enterprises Promotion Board continues to serve as a single-window platform for business approvals.
Emerging Investment Hubs
While NCR districts have traditionally attracted investment, newer regions such as Ambala, Kurukshetra, Jind and Hisar are emerging as potential hubs.
Industry Response
Industry response has been mixed. Rajnish Garg, president of the Indian Printed Circuit Association, said, "Government is doing a lot in many fields to incentivise, but deregulation at these levels is largely cosmetic. The regulatory structure for MSMEs should be pragmatic and entrepreneurs should be able to comply with it in practice. Land use, environment, workforce and infrastructure support must be ensured by the government so that businesses can focus on their core operations."
JC Narang, an office-bearer of the Faridabad Industries Association, said, "Each reform is made keeping in mind ease for entrepreneurs. But is the supporting staff willing to cooperate? On one hand, things are announced to be simplified, but on the ground they often become more complicated. Let us hope this turns out to be MSME-friendly."
