Ease of Doing Business in Maharashtra

Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) exercise is one of the landmark initiatives by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India. The objective of this exercise is to foster conducive business ecosystem in the States and Union Territories in India, by way of implementation of various reformative measures, both regulatory in nature as well as the ones that require IT-intervention. Reforms are rolled out by DPIIT each year, which are then implemented by the States and Union Territories, followed by evaluation and subsequent ranking by DPIIT.

Ease of Doing Business 2022:

Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) exercise for the year 2022 is being executed in the State basis the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2022 shared by DPIIT. The EoDB exercise for this year comprises of two frameworks, namely, Action Plan A that deals with business-specific reforms and Action Plan B that deals with citizen-centric reforms.

Maharashtra featured in ‘Top Achievers’ category in the EoDB exercise 2022 at the ‘Udhyog Samagam 2024’.

Ease of Living (EoL):

  • Newly introduced concept that includes citizen-centric services (example: Birth Certificate, Death Certificate, Marriage Registration, Driving License, Income Certificate, Caste Certificate, Ration card etc.)
  • Reform requirements:
    1. 1. Publication of a document online comprising of procedure to apply for the service, documents required to be submitted and fee structure
    2. 2. Development of online system for service delivery with features such as, online application, online payment, online status tracking and certificate download
    3. 3. Integration of the service with State-level Single Window System for Citizens (example: Aaple Sarkar in case of Maharashtra)
    4. 4. Notification of service delivery timeline under Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act
    5. 5. Implementation of a Dashboard showcasing performance of the department with respect to service dissemination

Extent of acceptance of reforms under EoDB 2022 exercise is as follows (evaluated by DPIIT):

S. No.

Action Plan

Approved

Rejected

Total

1

A
(EoDB)

261

0

261

100.00%

2

B
(EoL)

90

1

91

98.90%

Grand Total

351

352

99.72%

Ease of Doing Business 2024:

DPIIT released the ‘Draft’ Business reform Action Plan (BRAP) 2024 on 9 November 2023 for consultation with States. The draft comprises of two Action Plans:

  • Action Plan A: Reforms pertaining to Central Ministries and Departments
  • Action Plan B: Reforms pertaining to States

Thereafter, DPIIT has further shared the final edition of BRAP 2024 on 1 February 2024.

The Action Plan A comprises of 57 reform points, while Action Plan B comprises of 287 reform points.

Owing to elections in several States and subsequent requests made by the States regarding extension of EoDB deadlines, DPIIT acceded to the request and has added several reforms as part of the EoDB 2024 exercise.

DPIIT through VC conducted on 23 October 2024 communicated the States/ UTs about 70 additional reform points under BRAP+ 2024 exercise. Further, ‘Reducing Compliance Burden (RCB) Plus 2024’ is featured under EoDB exercise wherein certification from the states/UTs is required for identification, simplification, elimination of redundancy, digitization, and decriminalization of burdensome compliances/ provisions. Timeline for implementation of these reforms and evidence submission is 15 February 2025, while deadline for submission of User Data is 15 January 2025.

Upon categorization of Reform points under Action Plan B, it was found that 171 reforms are repeat ones, 83 are modified from previous edition while 103 reforms have been newly introduced.

Some of the key observations from the BRAP 2024 are as follows:

  • i. 83 modified reforms, 104 new reforms, encompassing 19 departments and 31 sub-departments
  • ii. 4 new departments: Forest, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Development, Water Resources, Water Supply and Sanitation
    7 new services: Permission to draw water from river/public tanks, Certificate of non-availability of Water from Water Supply Agency, NOC for tree felling from tree authority/ appropriate authority, Tree transit permission, Registration & renewal for installation of lift/ escalator, Temporary electricity connection, Electrical safety NOC for increase in load, Obtaining sewerage connection
  • iii. Significant emphasis on NSWS
  • iv. Sectoral journey to be published on NSWS
  • v. Gati Shakti is featured with 1 reform
  • vi. Regulatory Compliance and Decriminalization find space in BRAP 2024)

The following is the set of activities that shall be carried out further by DPIIT:

  1. Mapping reform points as ‘General’ and ‘User specific’, along with assigning weightages to reform points
  2. Assessment of BRAP 2024
  3. User Survey
  4. Assessment result

The timelines for subsequent phases under this exercise are as mentioned hereunder:

  1. Implementation Period: 1 February 2024 to 15 February 2025
  2. Evidence submission: 1 February 2024 to 15 February 2025
  3. User data submission: 16 October 2024 to 15 January 2025

RCB+ 2024 Acts are as mentioned hereunder:

S. No.

Sub-depts

Act Name

Count of Reforms

1

Commissionerate of Labour

The Maharashtra Shops and Establishment Act,1948

5

2

The Payment of Wages Act, 1936

5

3

The Minimum Wages Act, 1948

5

4

The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of
Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996

5

5

The Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970

5

6

The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of. Employment
and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979

5

7

The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961

5

8

Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972

5

9

Directorate of Steam Boilers

The Boilers Act, 1923

5

10

MPCB

The Water (Prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1974

5

11

The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981

5

12

Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016

5

13

Cooperation

The Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960

5

14

Charity Commissioner

Societies Registration Act, 1860

5

15

DGM

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act,
1957

5

16

LM

Legal Metrology Act, 2009

5

17

DMA

Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1949

5

18

Excise

Maharashtra Prohibition Act, 1949

5

19

IGR

Registration Act, 1908

5

20

Agriculture

The Insecticides Act, 1968

5

21

FDA

The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940

5

22

Energy

The Electricity Act, 2003

5

23

MSSIDC

The Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006

5

Total

115

Key Achievements

1. MAITRI:

  • Enactment of Maharashtra Industry, Trade and Investment Facilitation Act, 2023
  • Integration of a total of 119 services with MAITRI Single Window System; newly integrated services being provided by Revenue, Excise, MPCB, Boilers etc.
  • Integration of MAITRI with National Single Window System
  • Implementation of an online ‘Wizard’ module to assist an investor to identify the G2B services required for setting up of an industry (currently being taken up under revamping)
  • Implementation of a comprehensive dashboard for services applied through MAITRI, with depictions on ‘Applications submitted’, ‘Applications processed’, ‘Average time taken’ etc.
  • Implementation of an online ‘Public Consultation Module’ to enable departments to upload drafts of policies, laws, regulations and solicit comments from citizens for consideration

2. MIDC:

  • Provision of data of vacant land banks in an online portal
  • Implementation of GIS system with details about available connectivity infrastructure (including road, rail, airports), details of utility infrastructure (including electrical substations) and details of other infrastructure (including police station, fire station), hospitals and education institutions
  • Integration of MIDC GIS with India Industrial Land Bank (IILB) system
  • Integration of ‘Land Allotment’ system with MAITRI-SWS

3. MPCB:

  • Integration of ‘Consent to Establish under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 &Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Consent to Operate under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 & Water Act (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 19742’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Authorization under the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of Registration/ Renewal under The E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Registration/ Renewal under Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Authorization under Bio-Medical Waste Management (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Authorization under Solid Waste Management (processing, recycling, treatment, and disposal of solid waste) Rules, 2016’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Authorization under Construction and Demolition Waste Management (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Registration for dealers under The Batteries (Management & Handling) Rules, 2001’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of Compliance Inspections with Central Inspection Systems along with Inspection-specific Dashboards
  • Renewal of Consent to Operate (under Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981) based on self-certification

4. Food & Civil Supplies – Legal Metrology:

  • Integration of ‘Registration, renewals, and verification under Legal metrology/ Weights & Measures’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Provision for Auto-renewal of licenses under Legal Metrology Act
  • Integration of Compliance Inspections with Central Inspection Systems along with Inspection-specific Dashboards

5. Directorate of Steam Boilers:

  • Integration of ‘Registration of Boilers Manufacturers’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of Compliance Inspections with Central Inspection Systems along with Inspection-specific Dashboards

6. State Excise:

  • Integration of ‘Excise Verification Certificate’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Registration under State Excise for Label Registration’ with MAITRI-SWS

7. Labour – Commissionerate of Labour:

  • Integration of ‘License for contractors’ and ‘Renewal of license for contractors’ under The Contracts Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Registration under The Shops and Establishments Act’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Registration under The Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Registration of establishment under the Inter State Migrant Workmen (RE&CS) Act, 1979’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Provision for ‘online filing of single integrated return under labour laws’
  • No requirement of renewal under Shops & Establishments Act
  • Implementation of provision of ‘deemed registration and renewal’ upon expiry of notified timeline for services offered under Interstate Migrant Workmen Act, Contracts Labour Act and Building and Other Construction Workers Act
  • Integration of Compliance Inspections with Central Inspection Systems along with Inspection-specific Dashboards

8. Labour – DISH:

  • Integration of ‘Factories License’ and ‘Renewal of License’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Approval of Factory Plan’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Provision to obtain factory License with a validity of 10 years
  • Implementation of provision of ‘deemed renewal’ of Factories License under Factories Act, 1948 upon expiry of notified timeline
  • Integration of Compliance Inspections with Central Inspection Systems along with Inspection-specific Dashboards

9. Revenue:

  • Development and integration of NA permission module with State’s single window portal for business services
  • National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS) enabled Property Registration System in Maharashtra
  • Online publication of Record of Rights for the past 20 years in Maharashtra
  • Digitization of Cadastral Maps across Maharashtra
  • Development of system to auto-trigger mutation in property tax, water tax and electricity connection records post property registration
  • Mandating Unique Property Id across Maharashtra for both rural and urban land
  • Development of Integrated Property Registration Portal to search various encumbrances on a property free of cost at real-time without requiring any physical visit to the concerned authority to facilitate citizens and businesses
  • Development of a system to implement an independent grievance mechanism for complaints related to property registration at sub-registrar or land records office

10. GST:

  • Integration of ‘Registration under Profession Tax’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Service centers to assist taxpayers for e-filing of returns
  • Helpline to provide basic services such as assisting users in preparing and filing returns

11. Food and Drugs Administration:

  • Integration of ‘Retail Drug License’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Wholesale Drug License (Registration and Renewal)’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Drug Manufacturing License (Registration and Renewal)’ with MAITRI-SWS

12. Urban Development 1:

  • Implementation of online system for ‘Building Plan Approval’
  • Publication of inspection procedure and checklist online
  • Limiting the inspections to the checklist
  • Provision for computerized allocation of inspectors

13. Urban Development 2:

  • Integration of ‘Trade License’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Fire NOC’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Water Connection’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Mobile Tower Approval’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Provision to check property tax dues online
  • Facility to auto-calculate property tax and make payment online
  • Implementation of ‘Integrated Web-based Portal’ (IWBP) comprising of ULB-level services encompassing about 300 ULBs in Maharashtra
  • Mandating Unique Property Id across Maharashtra for all vertical properties

14. Energy:

  • Integration of electricity connection service from MSEDCL with MAITRI-SWS
  • Integration of ‘Approval of DG Set installation’ with MAITRI-SWS
  • Requirement of the following set of documents only for obtaining electricity connection:
    • proof of identity of the user
    • proof of ownership/occupancy (in case of owned/leased premise)
    • authorization document (in case of firm or company)
  • Electricity Connection is to be provided within 7 days (where no ‘Right of Way’ (RoW) is required) and in 15 days where RoW is required
  • Provision for e-Payment of electricity bills
  • Integration of Consumer Details of MSEDCL with Integrated Property Registration Portal to search various encumbrances

It may be further noted that the above services are equipped with the following features:

  • a. Online application submission
  • b. Online payment
  • c. Status tracking of applications through MAITRI-SWS
  • d. Provision to download certificate online
  • e. Provision to verify the authenticity of applications
  • f. Comprehensive Dashboard for the applications submitted available in public view
  • g. Documents published online covering the procedure to apply, fee for the service, documents required to be submitted and the timeline for service delivery