Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today directed for identification of all the unnecessary compliances existing in government departments to be done away with for the ease of citizens and business establishments.

Dulloo made these remarks while chairing a meeting held to review the progress of various departments in implementing the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) 2024, aimed at enhancing Ease of Doing Business (EODB) in the Union Territory.

Present in the meeting were ACS, Jal Shakti Department; Commissioner Secretary, Forest Department; Commissioner Secretary, I&C; Commissioner Secretary, FCS&CA; Secretary, RDD; Commissioner, JMC; Director I&C, Jammu besides other concerned officers.

The Chief Secretary directed the departments to identify and eliminate unnecessary compliance burdens on businesses and citizens at the earliest. He emphasised the need for broad-based consultations with the stakeholders to gather feedback for a comprehensive analysis and action based on merit. He advised for holding separate feedback sessions with all the concerned citizens and other stakeholders in both the divisions to ensure inclusivity in the decision-making process.

Recognizing the significance of a structured approach, Dulloo instructed the Industries & Commerce (I&C) Department to compile department-wise suggestions for deregulation. He noted that the removal of all such outdated regulations should aim at reducing compliance burden on our businesses and citizens alike.

Reviewing the Single Window System, the Chief Secretary stressed the importance of ensuring that all services under the system are provided digitally within a defined timeframe. He directed the I&C Department to analyse whether services are available online or offline at the backend and submit a detailed report with recommendations for making this system useful meeting the original objectives in letter and spirit.

In a significant move towards digital transformation, Dulloo also instructed the department to expedite the digitisation of data related to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). He called for appointing Director Industries, Jammu, as the nodal officer to oversee and accelerate this process.

The Chief Secretary emphasized that this initiative should comprehensively document key business aspects including trade details, working capital, credit portfolio, transactions, manpower, and machinery. He highlighted that this analytical data would enable the government to provide timely support, credit linkages and policy interventions to strengthen the MSME sector across the length and breadth of J&K.

Earlier, Commissioner Secretary, I&C, Vikramjit Singh, briefed the meeting on the UT’s progress in BRAP 2024 implementation. He informed that out of 434 reform points across different departments, 424 have successfully been implemented, with the remaining 10 set for completion before the sunset date of March 15th.

He further stated that all necessary evidences have been uploaded on the national portal and final assessment, based on user feedback, will be conducted by DPIIT with results expected in April 2025.

Pertinent to mention here that the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP), developed and distributed by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), aims to simplify business regulations and create a more business-friendly environment across India by assessing states and UTs based on reforms undertaken.

Till date six editions had been completed from its starting in the year 2015 and BRAP 2024 along with BRAP and RCB is its seventh edition that is going to be culminated by 15th March, 2025 in all the States/UTs across India.