The Telangana government on Tuesday tabled the Telangana State Industrial Project Approval and Self-Certification System (TS-IPASS) Act, 2014, which aims at speedy processing for issue of various licences, clearances and certificates for new industrial undertakings for an investor-friendly environment, in the Assembly.
Tabling the bill in the Assembly, Legislative Affairs Minister T. Harish Rao said that the government wanted TS-IPASS by repealing the existing Andhra Pradesh Single Window Clearance Act, 2002, for timely clearances to industrial units proposed to be set up in the State. The standard ‘single window’ nomenclature would be replaced by a distinctive Telangana identity, he said.
State panelA State TS-iPass Committee with Secretary-Industries as Chairman and Commissioner-Industries as member-convenor with relevant heads of departments as members and a ‘District TS-IPass Committee’ with Collector as chairman, Joint Collector as vice-chairman and district/regional-level officials of relevant departments as members will also be constituted.
The district committee will receive applications for all clearances to set up industrial units with proposed investment up to the notified amount and keep the applicant in the communication loop with regard to the status and processing. Based on self-certification provided by the applicant a single point TS-iPass approval on behalf of all relevant departments instead of individual departmental approvals will be issued.
Nodal agency likelyThe district committee will give all clearances referred to it within 30 days and like-wise the State committee shall provide all clearances within 30 days. Further, the State government may also appoint a nodal agency at the State level which will be a cell headed by an officer not below the rank of Additional Director of Industries, while also notifiying the District Industries Centre as Nodal Agency at the district level.
It will also mean appointing a Telangana State-wide Investment Facilitation Board (I-SWIFT) to be chaired by the Chief Secretary and Secretary-Industries as member-convenor. The board will, on getting the self-certification by the applicant, arrange in principle approval to mega projects which shall serve as deemed approval within 15 days.
