India, July 30 -- Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and Ministers Ashish Sood and Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday reviewed the progress of Delhi's deregulation and compliance reduction exercise, aimed at improving the ease of doing business and ease of living in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision. The meeting noted that reforms under Phase I are nearing completion, while implementation under Phase II has gathered pace. The Lieutenant Governor directed all pending identified reforms to be completed by mid-August. The Delhi Ease of Doing Business Bill, 2026, along with proposed legislation on education sector reforms and the Right to Services, has been finalised. Addressing 13 of the 28 priority areas identified under Phase II, the Bill is expected to be placed before the Cabinet within a week. It was circulated to 29 departments for comments and stakeholder consultations. Spearheaded by the Cabinet Secretariat under the guidance of the Prime Minister, the exercise is being implemented through a dedicated Task Force and Deregulation Cell headed by the Cabinet Secretary. The meeting reviewed progress under both phases and across all priority areas.
Phase I, launched in January 2025, covered 23 priority areas. Of these, 13 have been implemented, while four became redundant following the enactment of the new Labour Codes. The remaining six are at an advanced stage, including reforms related to flexible zoning norms, rationalised building regulations and a greater role for empanelled third parties in granting building approvals. Phase II, launched in January 2026, covers 23 priority areas and five optional areas. The number of implemented reforms has risen from three to nine, including the removal of dual trade licences by the MCD, liberalised regulations for shops and commercial establishments, and faster electricity connections. Seventeen areas are under active implementation, while the number of pending reforms awaiting departmental action has reduced from three to two. The meeting also noted that several reforms are linked to the upcoming Master Plan for Delhi 2041 (MPD-2041). The Lieutenant Governor and Chief Minister directed all agencies and departments to complete the remaining reforms by mid-August, reaffirming their commitment to building a Viksit Delhi that promotes entrepreneurship, employment and a more liveable city.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.