Single window clearance for building plans soon: Naidu

Housing and Urban Development Ministry is likely to put in place a single window, time-bound clearance system for layout approvals and building permissions by the beginning of next year.
"It is a long pending demand of the industry. On national level I am working with six ministers and I have a group of ministers meeting. I have held four rounds of meetings with secretaries and ministers of environment, defence, civil supplies, civil aviation and others," said HUPA Minister M Venkaiah Naidu while inaugurating housing summit organised by Assocham here.
"The last meeting is on October 14 after that we will submit the report to Cabinet and then we will go ahead because we are getting permissions from these departments and by the beginning of the next year, I am sure you will have this in place," Naidu said.

On Gujarat topping the World Bank's ranking of states on the ease of doing business in India, Naidu said, "It shows that Gujarat model is working."
"Some people in the recent past started saying Gujarat model is a failure. People of Gujarat are not innocent to have three times continuously elected the same chief minister. Gujarat is on top now. Even the World Bank has also recognised it," he added.
He said that other states should also improve their performance and prepare for the next round of assessment.

"We want every state to be progressive. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar should also participate in this race and there is no point in criticising Prime Minister Modi and Gujarat," Naidu said.

World Bank, in association with the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), has come out with ranking of all states in which Gujarat topped the list for bringing in reforms to improve ease of doing business.
Andhra Pradesh is second on the list followed by Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, all ruled by the BJP. Bihar, which goes to election next month, was at the 21st spot.
Naidu said "BJP ruled states or BJP-friendly state have become first seven-eight states (in the list). Whether Gujarat, Andhra, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh or Rajasthan, these states are in top ranking in ease of doing business.

"The Chief Minsters and governments of these states have taken initiatives for ease of doing business... Getting investment and also for giving quick clearances. This should be really an encouragement for other states to join the same in the next year and to compete."
Naidu, however, declined to comment on Bihar's 21st position saying, "Now there is an election and I do not want to make any comment."
Highlighting the need for "easing out" the long list of clearances for doing business, he said the country needs all round development and for this "we need early clearances and ease of doing business."

Appealing to all states to streamline the procedures, Naidu said, "This is the need of the hour and I am requesting all the states please understand the present position and streamline things and see to it that ease of doing business is raised so that we get more and more investments in our states.