Delhi eases business licensing, removes police role in several key sectors
In a major administrative reform, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi has issued a notification removing the Delhi Police from the licensing process for several business categories in the capital. The responsibility will now be vested with local urban bodies and concerned departments, streamlining the process and reducing bureaucratic delays.According to the notification, the police will no longer be responsible for issuing licences or No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for businesses such as hotels, guest houses, restaurants, motels, swimming pools, video game parlours, discotheques, auditoriums, and amusement parks. advertisementInstead, the authority has been transferred to civic agencies like the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Delhi Cantonment Board.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta hailed the move as a landmark step toward administrative transparency and efficiency, stating that the reform reflects the central government's vision and reduces the burden of licensing on police, allowing them to focus on core responsibilities such as law and order, crime prevention, and women's safety.'The change will not only ease the licensing process for businesses but will also reduce the burden on the police, allowing them to dedicate more time to focus on maintaining law and order, preventing crime and focusing on women's safety. The decision comes in response to longstanding complaints from traders and industry stakeholders about corruption and delays in the grant of licences by Delhi Police. Both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court had earlier recommended the removal of licensing powers from police. Tune InMust Watch
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
7 Delhi trades no longer need police licence
In a move that will bring relief to thousands of commercial establishments in the national capital, lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena issued a directive doing away with the requisite of Delhi Police licensing clearance for seven types of trades, according to an order perused by HT. Trade confederations, industries and stakeholders welcomed the move, saying it is likely to simplify regulations and reduce multiple licensing and NoC burden. (HT Archive) The seven trades were listed as 'hotel/motel/guest houses, all eating houses or restaurants, swimming pools, discotheque, video game parlor, amusement park, and auditoriums' in Delhi. The government has said that this will reduce the burden on the police and improve ease of doing business. An order issued by the LG VK Saxena dated June 19, 2025, said: 'I have now taken a considered view to repeal the regulations under Section 28 (1) of the Delhi Police Act, 1978, covering the seven trade activities mentioned at Para 1. In exercise of powers under section 28 (2) read with section 4 of Delhi Police Act, 1978, I hereby withdraw the sanction granted to Commissioner of Police, Delhi, for issuance of regulations under Section 28 (1) of the Delhi Police Act, Commissioner of Police is directed to issue a notification repealing the said regulations with immediate effect.' An officer with the licensing unit of Delhi Police said: 'We will follow the order as it comes to us. There's always shortage of staff in security, traffic , crime branch and other departments. This could help as some staff could be transferred there.' Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta said: 'Now the licensing process related to seven business sectors has been taken away from the police and handed over to the municipal bodies and related departments... Union home minister Amit Shah has also been of the clear opinion that the police force should be freed from non-core tasks and its energy and resources should be focused on law and order, security and crime control. Freeing the police force from non-core tasks in a highly pressurised metropolis like Delhi is in line with his policy.' Gupta said that this was an ideal example of the Centre-state coordination and public welfare governance. 'Delhi Police was burdened with the responsibility of licensing for years... this will not only increase coordination in the administrative structure, but will also help the police to focus on important areas like law and order, crime control and women's safety.' Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said: 'Once again, it is evident how quickly the aspirations of Delhi residents are being fulfilled with the formation of a 'Triple Engine' government.' The LG's order said that the commissioner had notified regulations for issuing licences, no-objection certificates and permissions for these trades, without the LG's sanction and that the same stood withdrawn. Saxena said that the move ensures 'minimum government and maximum governance', as it does away with multiple licensing regimes. The order states that Delhi high court and Supreme Court have previously said that the Delhi Police should be 'focusing on law and order' rather than 'responsibility of licensing' and that 'existing system of police granting licences should be abolished'. A government official said that a committee under the chairmanship of the additional chief secretary (home), with officers of Delhi Police, law and IT departments of the Delhi government was constituted to look into the entire gamut of licences and NoCs. 'After considering the report of the committee, the then chief secretary while observing that Delhi Police is facing a shortage of staff, which affects its core policing duties, recommended that Delhi Police be relieved of the responsibilities of regulating licences in the respect of above seven trades,' the Raj Niwas order states. To be sure, civic bodies, such as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment Board have also framed regulations to regulate these trade activities in terms of provisions of their respective acts. The licensing by Delhi Police was an additional layer. 'The overlapping of regulations issued under Delhi Police Act, 1978, and Municipal Laws, by multiple authorities for the above-mentioned activities, is impinging the overall ease of doing business,' Saxena said in the order, citing examples of Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa, which have also implemented such a move previously. Trade confederations, industries and stakeholders welcomed the move, saying it is likely to simplify regulations and reduce multiple licensing and NoC burden on traders. Sandeep Anand Goyle, of the Delhi chapter of the National Restaurant Association of India, said the move was positive as it would bring more revenue to Delhi and increase investments in the HCR (hotels, clubs and restaurants) segment. 'Ease of doing business is expected from the order. The administration should ensure that on a unified licence portal, fire NoC, health trade licence and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) consent order can be obtained. Industry is now hoping for a positive new excise policy,' he said. Brijesh Goyal, who heads the Chamber of Trade and Industries (CTI) said that traders have had to obtain licences from multiple departments. 'There was no separate need for the licence of Delhi Police and the businessmen were not comfortable with the police licence. We had appealed to abolish the Delhi Police licence and welcome this move,' he said. However, former Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP), Vikram Singh, said that the order curtailing the authority of Delhi police commissioner is a retrograde step. 'There is more than what meets the eye. Making Delhi police a toothless tiger and denying them the authority under some protect or the other does not seem to be appropriate.'
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Traders support LG decision to remove police control over commercial activities
New Delhi: Traders across the capital have welcomed LG VK Saxena's decision to withdraw Delhi Police's regulatory control over seven commercial activities—including motels, guesthouses, discotheques, amusement parks and eating establishments. Various trade and sectoral associations, citing their earlier meetings with Delhi govt, noted that while agencies like the fire department, DPCC and civic bodies oversaw fire safety, hygiene and environmental standards, Delhi Police played no significant role in the actual business verification process. Representatives from restaurant associations highlighted that only select cities like Delhi and Kolkata mandated police licensing for eateries—a requirement they described as outdated and unnecessary. Manpreet Singh, treasurer of National Restaurant Association of India, called LG's decision a progressive step that would improve ease of doing business in Delhi. "For opening an eating establishment, entrepreneurs already need clearances from DPCC, fire department, MCD/NDMC, FSSAI and state excise," he said. "Despite this, police still require documents like rent agreements and fresh verification every year—even if the same owner runs multiple outlets. This duplicative process is time-consuming and burdensome. Ideally, simply informing the police should suffice—no separate license should be needed." The decision will particularly benefit small business owners and startups who often lack the resources to navigate multiple layers of regulation and annual scrutiny. The move will level the playing field and boost entrepreneurship in the city. Atul Bhargawa, president of New Delhi Traders Association, said the order—once implemented—would help streamline operations in popular commercial hubs like Connaught Place and Khan Market, where the restaurant industry often faced procedural delays. In the case of guesthouses, traders explained that four agencies currently issued mandatory no-objection certificates (NoCs): Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), MCD, fire department and Delhi Police. The new order eliminates the requirement for a police NoC, reducing bureaucratic red tape and easing compliance for businesses. Pawan Mittal, general secretary of Hotel Mahasangh, said that until now, Delhi Police acted as the nodal agency via an online portal. "We have to apply with police first, and they forward the request to agencies like DPCC, fire department and MCD. After they grant NoCs, police give their final nod," he said. "But while others verify technical aspects—such as whether generators meet pollution control norms or if fire safety systems are in place—police have no significant role." Brijesh Goyal, convenor of Chamber of Trade & Industry, said their delegation had raised this issue during a recent meeting with Delhi's minister of industries, food & supplies, and environment Manjinder Singh Sirsa. "We supported the removal of police licensing for motels and guesthouses. Now that LG has issued the order, we hope a gazette notification or confirmation from Delhi Police will follow soon," Goyal said.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi govt holding weekly camps to resolve public grievances
The Delhi government is holding weekly Jan Sunwai camps led by the district magistrates to hear and resolve public grievances, the chief minister's office said on Sunday. These camps are being held in all revenue districts and are attended by officials from various departments, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi Police, and the power department. Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta. (ANI) Chief minister Rekha Gupta said that she also meets people at her residence to personally address their concerns. 'Public trust is our greatest strength. Our government is alert, compassionate and fully committed to resolving every public issue,' she said. These programmes are held at government offices and community spaces such as schools, local chaupals and banquet halls, the chief minister's office said. Delhi also has a 24x7 Public Grievance Monitoring System (PGMS) to ensure continuous redressal of complaints, the statement added. Complaint boxes are being placed outside government offices to allow people to submit their complaints easily, the statement said. The Jan Sunwai camps receive complaints about departments such as revenue, Delhi Jal Board, PWD, food and civil supplies, social welfare, health, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), education, irrigation and flood control, among others. Complaints are also received about the Delhi Police and MCD, covering issues such as encroachments, dark spots, sanitation, potable water, sewage problems, stray animals, road maintenance, illegal constructions, non-functional street lights and tree pruning, it added. Officers at the camps attempt to resolve issues on the spot and unresolved issues are referred to the concerned departments for timely action, the statement said. Recently, Jan Sunwai camps were organised in subdivisions like Model Town, Kanjhawala, Seelampur, Kotwali, Civil Lines, Karol Bagh, Vasant Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Kapashera, Sarita Vihar and Dwarka. More than 600 people attended the most recent weekend camps. At least 1,260 people participated in the Jan Sunwai camps held on May 17, and more than 1,350 people participated in the camps on May 24.
