Mumbai city news: The civic body recently launched a single window system to issue permissions and licences under its ‘ease of doing business’ initiative
Anyone who wants to open a new hotel or a restaurant can now apply for licence/ permissions with the civic body online. Under its ease of doing business initiative, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a single window system for issuing permissions pertaining hotel industry.
There have been requests in the past from the service industry to ease the procedure for obtaining licence and permissions, as one has to apply at various BMC departments such as health and fire, among others. To secure a no objection certificate (NOC) from each department, an applicant until now submitted separate forms.
With the implementation of the online system, it will be mandatory for the departments to inform the applicant within 15 days whether he/she needs to submit additional documents.
“Once the paperwork is complete, officials need to send the permit copy to an applicant through an e-mail,” said a civic official.
In 2015, municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta had asked restaurants associations to highlight redundant procedures while issuing licences and permissions so that they could be eliminated.
Under its ease of doing business initiative, the BMC also intends to move licence renewal for shops and establishment online. It also wants citizens to use its online payment facility to pay taxes and bills.
Last year, the civic body launched a single window clearance portal to pass building proposals — Online Building Plan Approval System. As per the new system, it is mandatory for architects and developers to submit digitally signed blueprints of their projects.
How to apply?
An applicant will have to fill a single form available on the BMC website www.mcgm.gov.in under the tab ‘Online Services- New Business Application’
The BMC has attached the list of documents that will be required with the application
Civic officials said this will completely eliminate the physical interaction between the applicants and officials
Why this shift?
The move was made to boost tourism and hotel industry in the state
The decision was taken in the wake of Centre’s ‘ease of doing business’
The Centre has asked all the departments to minimise the number of permissions and licences needed to run businesses
