Chandigarh's startup policy to finally take off tomorrow
Hanging in the balance for seven years, Chandigarh's much-awaited startup policy will finally be unveiled on Tuesday.
The policy will be a game changer for entrepreneurs and boost economic growth in the UT, said deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, who is also the secretary, industries.
Chandigarh administrator Gulab Chand Kataria will roll out the policy on April 29, which will be valid for five years. Stakeholders will also be present during the launch.
The policy had first begun taking shape in 2018, two years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the Startup India Policy and urged UTs and states to draft their own policies, tailored to the needs of regional entrepreneurs.
But UT's policy could not take off and missed multiple deadlines due to the administration's flip-flops.
In August 2023, the issue was raised in the Lok Sabha, with Minister of State for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Som Parkash revealing that Chandigarh has 335 startups, recognised under the Startup India Initiative. UT had earlier planned to launch it by the end of October 2024 but failed to finalise it.
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The voters, particularly in rural areas like where I come from, know who to vote for in national elections based on national issues, and in local elections, based on local issues,' he said. Chaudhary said the cost of frequent elections was borne by the education system, particularly government schools where teachers are sent on election duty for months, and the economy. On how much it would cost to hold simultaneous elections, he said it would be 'maximum Rs15,000 crore'. But this, he said, would be a small amount when compared to the benefit to the economy in terms of fewer disruptions to governance, policy-making and investments. On the other hand, he said the practice of announcing freebies and caste-based politics around elections would also be reduced if all elections were held once in five years. As a part of the committee's hearings, he said all states and UTs had been asked to prepare reports on the impact of frequent elections to their economy and society. Stakeholders like the Indian Bank Association were also asked to study the impact of simultaneous elections. The Committee has so far met former Chief Justice of India U U Lalit and several former Supreme Court and High Court judges as a part of its consultations. He said the committee plans on meeting more legal luminaries, apart from political leaders and other stakeholders in states. Asked how the BJP would be able to have the Constitutional amendment passed as it required two-thirds majority, which the NDA does not have, he said he believed the parties who think of the national interest would support the Bills. 'It is not in the party's interest, it is in the national interest. It will not take time to be passed if they think in national interest. I have full faith that the parties that think of national interest will support. If Congress or any other party thinks of national interest first, then not just 2/3, but we will get 3/4 majority,' he said. The committee, comprising 39 members and two co-opted members, had been given an extension until the Monsoon session during the last session.
