In a significant reform aimed at accelerating industrial growth and simplifying regulatory procedures, the Himachal Pradesh government has introduced a pioneering initiative through the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB) to facilitate industries operating in the state.
Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Board has taken a transformative step to strengthen the state's vision of 'Speed of Doing Business'.
The Chief Minister said that all registered industries in Himachal Pradesh would now be issued a one-time consent certificate by the HPSPCB. Nearly 12,500 registered industries in the state, which earlier had to obtain repeated consent renewals from the Board, would now receive significant relief under the new system. The validity of the one-time consent certificate will range from five to 25 years, depending on the category of the industry.
Sukhu said that the new 'Speed of Doing Business' framework would further reinforce the state's commitment to ease of doing business while also contributing to ease of living. Entrepreneurs will no longer be required to make repeated visits to the offices of the Pollution Control Board for obtaining consent certificates. To ensure faster service delivery, the Board has also delegated powers to its subordinate offices.
The Chief Minister said that earlier, industries often faced disruptions in operations due to procedural shortcomings, including the disconnection of electricity in certain cases. Such issues adversely affected industrial productivity. The new policy would provide substantial relief to industrial units and ensure smoother operations.
He stated that the state government was continuously introducing progressive reforms to make the business environment more transparent, efficient and investor-friendly. The process for granting consent certificates has been simplified by categorising industries according to their operational capacity and pollution potential. A definite timeline has been prescribed for issuing consent certificates for each category, and accountability of the concerned officers has been fixed in case of any undue delay.
Sukhu said that the government was committed to promoting industrial development and attracting greater investment to Himachal Pradesh through policy simplification and administrative reforms. Financial and regulatory powers have also been delegated to regional officers to ensure quicker decision-making and effective implementation.
The Chief Minister said that with this initiative, Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to introduce a one-time consent certificate system for industries, marking a significant milestone in regulatory reforms. The initiative is expected to give a major boost to industrial development, enhance investor confidence and further strengthen the state's vision of 'Speed of Doing Business'.
He added that the government was bringing fundamental improvements to the online approval system to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles and ensure the seamless functioning of industries. The implementation of the new mechanism is also expected to reduce nearly 70 per cent of the clerical workload in the Pollution Control Board, enabling the available workforce to be deployed more productively in other important functions.
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