India, Aug. 18 -- The government has notified a new standard operating procedure (SOP) to streamline issuance, renewal, and inspection of the permit required to run cinema halls and multiplexes in the national capital, officials said on Monday.

Chief minister Rekha Gupta said the new SOP would eliminate delays and improve coordination among departments by providing applicants with a technology-driven and clearly defined licensing process. The SOP, finalised in 2015, was not implemented by the previous government, she alleged.

According to officials, the new arrangement replaces the earlier system governed by Delhi Police Standing Orders, under which applicants were required to secure separate NOCs from agencies including the police, fir...