High-Level Meeting on Compliance Reduction and Deregulation Chaired by Chief Secretary

Task Force Discusses Streamlining Regulatory Framework and Enhancing Ease of Doing Business (EODB) in Uttar Pradesh
Task Force Represented by Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs, Government of India

Lucknow : A high-level meeting on Compliance Reduction and Deregulation was chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh in Lucknow. The meeting, attended by a task force formed by the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, focused on streamlining the regulatory framework and enhancing Ease of Doing Business (EODB) in the state.

The task force identified five key areas for in-depth discussions on improving EODB:

1. Land
2. Buildings and Construction
3. Labor
4. Utilities and Approvals
5. Other Broad Priorities

Key Highlights from the Discussion

The meeting emphasized reducing compliance burdens and relaxing regulations to boost state GDP and investment inflow. Representing the Government of India, Secretary of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Meeta Rajivlochan, stressed the need to simplify approval timelines, prioritize mixed land use, and enhance verification of land records.

She further highlighted the importance of reducing turnaround times for various approvals and increasing women’s workforce participation, stating that even a 5% rise in women’s workforce involvement could contribute an additional ₹26,000 crore to Uttar Pradesh’s GDP.

Key recommendations included:

• Streamlining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Fire Department
• Simplifying industrial land allotment and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) regulations
• Decriminalizing industrial regulations to foster a more investment-friendly environment

Senior Officials in Attendance

The task force was represented by Meeta Rajivlochan, alongside Rahul Sharma (Additional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat), Rajesh Kumar (Additional Secretary, DPIIT), and senior officials from NITI Aayog and the Government of India.

Key officials from Uttar Pradesh Government included:

• Monika Garg (Agriculture Production Commissioner)
• Alok Kumar (Principal Secretary, Infrastructure & Industrial Development Department)
• Abhishek Prakash (CEO, Invest UP)
• Prathamesh Kumar (Vice Chairman, LDA & Additional CEO, Invest UP)

Representatives from various key departments such as MSME & Export Promotion, Environment & Climate Change, Home (Fire Services), Energy, IT & Electronics, Labor, Food Safety & Drug Administration, Urban Development, Revenue, Excise, and Logistics were also present.

This high-level consultation aims to position Uttar Pradesh as a business-friendly state by reducing compliance burdens and fostering economic growth through regulatory ease and investment promotion.