Govt mulls relaxing building norms to boost investment

Jaipur: The state govt is considering relaxations in building height and setback norms to create a more flexible and investor-friendly urban development framework to accelerate industrial growth and expand affordable housing.The govt is examining the adoption of the principle, "Everything is permitted unless prohibited," under which agricultural land would no longer require formal conversion for non-agricultural use if the proposed purpose is already permitted in the master plan.
An official familiar with the developments said, "Chief secretary V Srinivas has apprised the cabinet secretariat of Rajasthan's preparations for the second phase of compliance reduction and deregulation, outlining a comprehensive reform roadmap aimed at easing business processes and boosting industrial activity across the state." In his communication, Srinivas noted that the govt identified 28 priority and alternative priority sectors for focused reforms. These include the Investment Promotion Bureau, higher and school education departments, the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, medical and health services, revenue, local self govt, urban development and housing, RIICO, and the departments of labour, industry, tourism, administrative reforms, energy, and food and civil supplies. He added that the cabinet secretariat earmarked 23 priority areas and five alternative priority areas for Phase 2 of the national initiative. In the state, the upcoming phase will focus on reducing licensing requirements, integrating approvals through a single-window system, cutting down inspections, promoting self-certification, expanding digitisation, improving tax certainty, enhancing investor access, and curbing litigation to strengthen ease of doing business. "A key pillar of the reforms is the simplification of land use procedures to enable faster establishment of industrial units. Under the proposed framework, individuals constructing houses or shops on their own land will no longer need to seek multiple clearances from different departments." Approvals related to fire safety, building construction, electricity, drinking water, and domestic gas supply are expected to be streamlined or removed wherever feasible. Officials said, "The reforms are aimed at reducing regulatory burdens, speeding up project clearances, and positioning Rajasthan as a more competitive and attractive destination for investment and long-term economic growth."