At a high-level review meeting, the LG and CM committed to ending duplication across departments and creating a unified digital portal for all commercial licenses.
BY PC Bureau
August 2, 2025: In a significant push to reform governance and streamline business operations in the capital, Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta jointly chaired a high-level meeting to review ongoing efforts aimed at improving ‘Ease of Living’ and ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in the city. The move aligns with the Centre’s broader agenda of promoting investor-friendly reforms across major cities.
Also present at the meeting were Home Minister Ashish Sood, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Labour Minister Kapil Mishra, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, NDMC Chairman, MCD Commissioner, and senior officials from departments such as Revenue, Environment, Fire Services, DPCC, and Trade & Taxes.
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The meeting focused on dismantling the web of bureaucratic red tape that has long plagued licensing and approvals in Delhi. Officials noted that the current licensing structure—fragmented across multiple agencies with no unified portal—has led to revenue leakages, systemic inefficiencies, and corruption. To counter this, the city aims to integrate all licensing processes into a single platform backed by a unified database of commercial establishments.
Key reforms under discussion included:
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Introduction of third-party auditors and certification systems for fire and building approvals.
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Development of a common application form for No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from departments such as Fire and DPCC.
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Linking databases of agencies like MCD, NDMC, Labour, GST, Industries, and FSSAI.
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Using data from the Shops and Establishment Act as the foundational layer for a unified licensing portal.
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Adopting self-certification models, as seen in Tripura, for industries with investments up to ₹2 crore.
The meeting also explored governance realignment such as synchronizing MCD zones with revenue districts and placing district-level departmental officers under the direct oversight of District Magistrates. A standardized inspection protocol for schools, hospitals, roads, and drains is also in the works.
Lieutenant Governor Saxena commended the Delhi government’s proactive steps, highlighting policy changes such as removing Delhi Police’s involvement in various licensing approvals, empowering the Revenue Department for issuing cinema hall licenses, and introducing 24×7 shop operations. “These are major strides toward building a truly business-friendly Delhi,” he said.
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Chief Minister Rekha Gupta urged all departments to expedite remaining work and emphasized the importance of eliminating bureaucratic hurdles that inconvenience ordinary citizens. “We must ensure that Delhi becomes a magnet for investors and a model for citizen-centric governance,” she said. She also directed the Chief Secretary to assess the feasibility of creating district-level integrated office complexes housing all major government departments—an initiative that could significantly reduce time and effort for citizens.
The reform push follows a recent review chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underlining the urgency and importance of governance overhauls in metropolitan regions.
The reforms, once implemented, promise to make Delhi more efficient, transparent, and attractive for investors and residents alike.
