Telangana steps up efforts to improve ease of doing business

The Telangana government has stepped up efforts to improve its ranking in terms of ease of doing business this year, as the state fared poorly in the World Bank's country-level rankings announced last year.

Providing quicker clearances and minimising the human interface by introducing online systems for processing of applications and granting various permissions and incentives to business and industry have been projected as a major hallmark of ease of doing business. 

The state industry minister K T Rama Rao today held a review meeting with a host of departments on the progress achieved so far in implementing the steps as suggested by the Government of India and the World Bank in this regard.

Last year Andhra Pradesh state was ranked second in terms of ease of doing business in the country, next to Gujarat, while its sibling Telangana state was ranked 16th based on the same parameters.

Among several initiatives, the Centre has recommended the establishment of an on-line single window system through which all the incentives provided in the industrial policy are to be made available to the industries. Last year Telangana  government has created a single window clearance system called TS-iPass with a promise to grant all industrial approvals within 15 days. 

"We have conducted several rounds of meetings and by June this year most of the parameters suggested by the Centre would be put in place in the state," industry minister said. The competition for a better ranking  among the states was getting intense as the investor perception about ease of doing business is viewed as a major differentiator for being an attractive investment destination.

Among the new initiatives the municipal bodies will issue building permissions with in 48 hours to industries while the electricity department will establish SCADA systems to minimise the power interruptions in industrial areas, according