Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 1, 2015 :

Alarmed over sharp decline in industrial investment and shelving of several Greenfield industrial projects, chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday asked officials to simplify the regulatory structure to make the state more business friendly.

“Do away with old and redundant procedures so far followed and synchronize multiple inspections,” Patnaik told ministers and officers while presiding over a meeting on ease of doing business.

Officials said, of the 204 non-MoU projects entailing an investment of Rs 6.23 lakh crore, 119 are being implemented while investment proposals amounting to Rs 40,980 crore have been dropped mid-way.

Similarly, in the case of 49 projects for which MoUs have been signed with an investment of Rs 1.54 lakh crore, there is little progress, they added.

Emphasising on the need to work in an atmosphere of trust, the chief minister said: “We must learn the best practices across the world and move with the times.”

Patnaik directed officers to bring forward proposals in the next Cabinet meeting in case nod for any regulatory reform is awaited.

Meanwhile, the Pollution Control Board has decided to introduce provision of online approval through a common application.

In the meeting, it was decided that Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha (IPICOL) will soon come out with a notification to provide clear timelines for addressing investor grievances.

Ministers of industry, energy, steel and mines, labour and employment, housing and urban development, the chief secretary, the development commissioner and secretaries from various ministries were in attendance.