Shimla: In a major reform aimed at improving the ease of doing business and promoting industrial growth, the Himachal Pradesh government has introduced a one-time consent certificate system through the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB), eliminating the need for industries to obtain repeated consent renewals.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the initiative, introduced under the state’s ‘Speed of Doing Business’ framework, will benefit nearly 12,500 registered industries across Himachal Pradesh. The validity of the one-time consent certificate will range from five to 25 years, depending on the category and pollution potential of the industrial unit.
The Chief Minister said the reform is aimed at simplifying regulatory procedures, reducing compliance burdens and creating a more investor-friendly business environment. Entrepreneurs will no longer be required to make repeated visits to the offices of the Pollution Control Board for renewal of consent certificates. To ensure quicker disposal of applications, powers have also been delegated to subordinate and regional offices of the Board.
Sukhu said industries earlier faced operational disruptions due to procedural delays, including instances of electricity disconnection caused by non-renewal of consent. The new mechanism is expected to provide significant relief to industrial units by ensuring uninterrupted operations and reducing regulatory hurdles.
The Chief Minister said the consent-granting process has been streamlined by classifying industries according to their operational capacity and pollution potential. A fixed timeline has been prescribed for issuing consent certificates in each category, while accountability has also been fixed for officers responsible for any undue delay.
He said the state government is continuously implementing administrative and policy reforms to make Himachal Pradesh a preferred destination for investment. Financial and regulatory powers have also been delegated to regional officers to facilitate faster decision-making and more effective implementation.
Claiming the initiative to be a first-of-its-kind in the country, Sukhu said Himachal Pradesh has become the first state to introduce a one-time consent certificate system for industries, a move expected to strengthen investor confidence and accelerate industrial development.
The Chief Minister added that the government is also upgrading the online approval system to remove unnecessary bureaucratic procedures and ensure seamless functioning of industries. According to the government, the new mechanism is expected to reduce nearly 70 per cent of the clerical workload in the Pollution Control Board, enabling officials to focus on other critical regulatory and environmental functions.
