CHENNAI: Now, businesses in Tamil Nadu won’t have to wait more than a week or 10 days to renew their factory or manufacturer licences. All this can be done with a click of the mouse through the Single Window Portal.
After Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the Single Window Portal 2.0, with more than 100 services spread across 24 departments, last month, Industries Secretary N Muruganandam has amended the TN Business Facilitation Rules 2017.
A Government Order has been issued, adding timelines and services to the portal. “This will usher in transparency and help improve Tamil Nadu’s rankings in the ease of doing business. We are likely to add 100 services this financial year,” the Industries Secretary told Express.
Under the new amendment, renewal of factory licences by the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health, and renewal of licences for manufacturer/repairer/dealer of weights or measures by the Labour department will be provided automatically and instantly online on through the single window portal upon payment of a renewal fee. As per the earlier rules, it would take seven days to renew a factory licence and 10 days to renew a manufacturer license.
Similarly, renewal of a license for contractors to employ contractual workmen, from the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health under rule 29 of The Tamil Nadu Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Rules will now be issued immediately instead of within seven working days.
The Industries department has also included rules pertaining to manufacture permits and renewal of licenses for distilleries and manufacture of wines. It further included permits for export and import of manufactured drugs (narcotic drugs). Similarly, rules have been added for granting quarry licenses within 90 days of receipt of a mining plan.
The amendment also includes granting of water connections by urban local bodies within 30 days. Similarly, renewal of trade licenses by the Greater Chennai Corporation, urban local bodies, and village panchayats will have to be issued immediately under the single window portal.
After registration of all hostels was made mandatory, the new amendment has brought in rules to grant permission to establish hostels within 60 days. This includes renewal of licences to establish, maintain or conduct a hostel, lodging house or home for women and children, as well as registration of homes for women and children within 30 days.
Dr S Chandrakumar, chairman, CII Tamil Nadu, said the waiting time for various industrial approvals and licences has been reduced to facilitate ease of doing business. As announced in the revised Budget that more services would come under the single window system, this amendment to the Business Facilitation Act would strengthen the government’s ease of doing business initiatives and position the State as an ideal investment destination.