Jammu & Kashmir Becomes First Union Territory To Join National Single Window System

Jammu & Kashmir is now the first Union Territory to join the National Single Window System (NSWS), a digital platform that provides support to the investors in getting government approvals for projects. On Monday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced the launch of an integrated J&K Single Window Clearance System in the presence of top UT officials.

Approximately 130 industrial services have been made available on a single-window system, and more than 160 services will be integrated on the portal - www.singlewindow.jk.gov.in - this year. In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated that this marks a major development in the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in the Union Territory.

J&K Governor's Statement

Lt Governor was quoted by Kashmir Observer as saying: "The J&K Single Window Clearance System represents a historical step by the UT Government to facilitate investments in J&K. Ease of doing business and ease of living are ensured by reducing regulatory compliance burdens. J&K is the first UT to be integrated into the National Single Window System. Now, foreign investors can apply for all their business approvals in J&K through the National Single Window system", he said.

National Single Window System is a digital platform that provides a guide for investors on how to find and apply for approvals depending on their business needs. In September 2021, Shri Piyush Goyal, who is the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Textiles and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, soft-launched the platform.

MHA's Explanation On NSWS

NSWS is a partner of the India Industrial Land Bank (IILB), which hosts 45 industrial parks of J&K. It will enable investors to find land parcels available in J&K, according to the MHA. It also stated that NSWS would eliminate the need for investors to visit multiple platforms or offices to gather information and obtain clearances from different stakeholders.

According to the Indian Express report, over 20 ministries and departments have been integrated into NSWS, including the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare among others. According to the MHA, the NSWS portal can currently be used to apply for 142 central approvals. Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are among the 14 states/UTs with NSWS.

Using a dynamic, intuitive questionnaire, the Know Your Approval (KYA) module on NSWS directs investors to the approvals they need for their business. At present, the module hosts more than 3,000 approvals across the Center and States," an MHA statement said. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the portal has 16,800 visitors, of which 7,500 KYA trips have been completed. Over 1,250 investors have registered with the portal.

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