Haryana is advancing a new generation of governance and regulatory reforms, including a proposed Right to Business framework, demand-driven land-use planning, rationalized fire safety norms, integrated healthcare approvals and a centralized digital repository of laws and government notifications. Reviewing the implementation status of Phase-I and Phase-II of the Compliance Reduction and Deregulation Exercise during a high-level meeting, Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Sh. KK Pathak and Haryana Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi on Thursday directed departments to accelerate reforms aimed at reducing compliance burdens, improving ease of doing business and strengthening citizen-centric governance.
Sh. Rastogi said the reforms are intended to create a more transparent, technology-driven and facilitative governance framework while reducing unnecessary regulatory hurdles for citizens, entrepreneurs and investors. During the meeting, it was informed that major reforms have already been undertaken in land-use permissions, industrial approvals, environmental clearances and self-certification systems.
Documentation requirements for obtaining Change of Land Use (CLU) permission have been reduced from 19 documents to just three, while Auto-CLU has been introduced for industrial zones. Commissioner & Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Dr. Amit Kumar Agrawal informed that nearly 70 per cent of Haryana's geographical area does not require CLU permissions, providing greater flexibility to landowners and investors.
It was further informed that the state is working towards extending automated approval systems to additional categories. He said significant reforms have been introduced in industrial development, including greater flexibility in industrial land use, project modifications, subleasing and plot management. Measures facilitating subdivision of industrial plots are expected to make industrial land more accessible and affordable for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The Haryana Enterprise Promotion Centre (HEPC) is being strengthened as a single-window facilitation mechanism for investors seeking approvals from multiple departments and is emerging as a comprehensive investor-support platform. Reforms relating to Floor Area Ratio (FAR), ground coverage and setback norms have been liberalized to facilitate optimum utilization of industrial land and improve ease of doing business.
A major focus of the meeting was Haryana's increasing adoption of self-certification and third-party certification mechanisms. Officials informed that Occupation Certificates for low-risk buildings are being issued through self-certification, while third-party certification systems are being expanded for higher-risk categories. Similar reforms are being implemented in pollution control and fire safety approvals.
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board has reduced approval timelines for Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate from 30 working days to 21 working days. Auto-renewal facilities have also been introduced for eligible industries, significantly reducing compliance costs and procedural delays.
Efforts are also underway to simplify regulatory requirements for private educational institutions by reducing rigid land and infrastructure norms. Similar initiatives are being pursued in higher education to promote a more facilitative and outcome-oriented regulatory environment.
In the healthcare sector, officials informed that steps are being taken to streamline approvals through a single nodal mechanism and simplify registration requirements for medical practitioners. Reforms in the tourism sector are also under implementation to encourage hospitality projects, affordable accommodation and private investment through simplified compliance procedures.
The Chief Secretary reviewed progress on the proposed centralized digital repository that will provide citizens, businesses and government departments with easy access to State Acts, Rules, Regulations, Government Orders and policies, thereby improving transparency and regulatory certainty. Directing departments to maintain implementation momentum, Sh. Rastogi said the compliance reduction and deregulation programme would strengthen Haryana's position as a preferred destination for investment, manufacturing, innovation and employment generation while ensuring faster, simpler and more efficient delivery of government services.
Additional Chief Secretary, Town & Country Planning, Sh. Anurag Aggarwal, Director General, Fire Services, Sh. Shekhar Vidyarthi, Director General, Industries & Commerce, Sh. Yash Garg, Director, Town & Country Planning, Sh. Amit Khatri, Chairman, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Sh. Vinay Pratap Singh, and other senior officers were present in the meeting.