Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday announced several new initiatives by the state government to support the industries, including the first-ever ‘Jan Sunwai’ program for direct grievance redressal for the sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Delhi’s Industries Minister Sirsa emphasized the government’s commitment to business facilitation, stating, “Our government has understood very clearly that the people of Delhi have brought us into power to work. We have no doubt about the fact that working for the welfare of Delhi will keep us in power for many years,” he added.
Sirsa also shared that on-site camps will commence from October to facilitate freehold processes for factories, which will be a first in the national capital’s history.
Addressing the industry representatives, Sirsa highlighted, “We are accelerating freehold conversions. From October, our teams will set up camps at your locations to process freeholds on-site. I will personally visit these camps to ensure swift progress, covering all relocated factories and granting 100% freehold rights without further worries.”
A program was held at the Delhi secretariat auditorium that brought together representatives from the Chamber of Trade and Industries, Delhi Manufacturers Federation, and over 24 other industry organizations.
The representatives thanked CM Rekha Gupta and Sirsa for resolving long-standing legacy issues affecting Delhi’s industrial growth since the 1990s, such as delays in layout plan approvals, funding for redevelopment, DPCC consents, high electricity rates, and harassment due to red tape in certain areas.
They also highlighted the need for GST relaxation for small manufacturers in sectors like food processing (e.g., biscuits and namkeen), to enable better competition with larger producers.
According to the minister, a special Diwali Mela will be held to promote products from small-scale industries, enhancing market access and competition.
Addressing legacy issues, Sirsa detailed reforms like abolishing the 75-year-old MCD licensing requirement, saying, “For decades, industrialists struggled with outdated MCD licenses dating back to the 1950s. We ended this 75-year legacy in just hours through a historic decision—now, no industrialist in Delhi needs a prior MCD license to operate.”
He also discussed circle rate adjustments, noting, “We have reduced industrial circle rates from double the residential rates to just 1.5 times, minimizing the gap and making it fairer for industries.”
The Minister assured faster rollout of the single window system to simplify approvals. He assured that the reforms, especially the single window system, will eliminate the need for repeated representations.