Punjab Govt decides to set up district level bureaus

Chandigarh: The Captain Amarinder Singh led government in Punjab will set up a District Bureau of Industry & Investment Promotion (DBIIP) in each district to further promote ease of doing business in the state.

          A decision to this effect was taken on Friday, during a state Cabinet meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh through video conferencing

          The decision has been taken in  the light of the announcement made by the Finance Minister in his budget speech, and fulfilling the demand of the State industry to establish a facilitation office for investors at the district level. The move will facilitate new/expansion unit investments, and expedite speedy approval/clearances required for grounding of the projects. The Finance Department has also approved capital expenditure of Rs.2 lakh (one time) and operational expenditure of Rs.2 lakh per month for DBIIP office in each district.

          Initially, in Phase I, the DBIIP offices would be established in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Patiala & Bathinda districts, as proposed by the Investment Promotion department. The department has been authorised to set up DBIIP offices in the remaining districts as and when the need arises. These offices would be set up in the already established District Bureau of Employment and Enterprise of Employment Generation & Training department.

          Listing the objectives of DBIIP, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said that it will operate as a dedicated Single Window Office in each district, to facilitate investments, promote ease of doing business at district level, provide necessary guidance/consultation to investors, expedite timely statutory clearances/approvals required for the grounding of the project, and establish a regular review mechanism at district level for timely disposal of business queries & grievances.

          The DBIIP will be tasked with supervision and monitoring of the performance of Nodal Officers appointed in Bureau from the Line Departments/Authorities. The facilitation office would also expedite timely grant/issuance of clearances/approvals/NOCs applied through the Invest Punjab Business First portal by the investor.

          The DBIIP office shall deal with matters related to investment proposal with Fixed Capital Investment (FCI) upto Rs.25 crore applied through Invest Punjab Business First portal. Above the mark of Rs. 25 crore (FCI) investment proposal, the Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion (PBIP) would continue to expedite clearances/approvals in the state.

          The dedicated DBIIP office would be headed by the concerned Deputy Commissioner, who shall also be the CEO of DBIIP. Nodal officers from the departments of Housing & Urban Development, Local Government, Labour (Factories), Punjab Pollution Control Board, Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, Forest & Wildlife, PWD (B&R), Taxation, Industries & Commerce (Boiler, Society Registration) and Punjab Small Industries & Export Corporation shall be appointed in DBIIP to receive, process and grant statutory clearances/approvals/NOCs required to an industrial unit through an existing Invest Punjab Business First portal.

          The DBIIP shall be assisted by General Manager, District Industry Centre, who shall be its Convenor-cum-Member Secretary. The services of a full time professional (MBA) shall be availed to assist the DBIIP in its day-to-day working. For the appointment of consultant/consultants, criteria of eligibility like qualification, work experience etc. shall be the same as defined by the Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion. The recruitment of these consultants shall be done at central/headquarter level, through either campus interviews or open advertisement as per procedure approved for PBIP.