Rajasthan Government Proposes Major Urban Development Reforms
The Rajasthan state government is actively considering significant relaxations in building height and setback norms as part of a comprehensive strategy to create a more flexible and investor-friendly urban development framework. This initiative aims to accelerate industrial growth while simultaneously expanding affordable housing opportunities across the state.
"Everything Permitted Unless Prohibited" Principle
Officials are examining the adoption of a groundbreaking principle: "Everything is permitted unless prohibited." Under this proposed framework, agricultural land would no longer require formal conversion for non-agricultural use if the intended purpose is already permitted within the master plan. This represents a fundamental shift in land use regulation that could dramatically simplify development processes.
Chief Secretary V Srinivas has formally apprised the cabinet secretariat of Rajasthan's preparations for the second phase of compliance reduction and deregulation. In his detailed communication, Srinivas outlined a comprehensive reform roadmap specifically designed to ease business processes and boost industrial activity throughout Rajasthan.
Priority Sectors Identified for Reform
The government has identified 28 priority and alternative priority sectors that will receive focused attention during these reforms. The comprehensive list includes:
- Investment Promotion Bureau
- Higher and School Education Departments
- Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board
- Medical and Health Services
- Revenue Department
- Local Self Government
- Urban Development and Housing
- RIICO (Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation)
- Departments of Labour, Industry, Tourism, Administrative Reforms, Energy, and Food and Civil Supplies
The cabinet secretariat has earmarked 23 priority areas and five alternative priority areas specifically for Phase 2 of this national initiative. Within Rajasthan, the upcoming phase will concentrate on several key objectives:
- Reducing licensing requirements across multiple sectors
- Integrating approvals through an enhanced single-window system
- Cutting down on unnecessary inspections
- Promoting self-certification mechanisms
- Expanding digitization of government services
- Improving tax certainty for businesses
- Enhancing investor access to decision-makers
- Curbing litigation to strengthen ease of doing business
Land Use Procedure Simplification
A central pillar of these reforms involves the simplification of land use procedures to enable faster establishment of industrial units. Under the proposed framework, individuals constructing houses or shops on their own land will no longer need to seek multiple clearances from different government departments.
Approvals related to fire safety, building construction, electricity connections, drinking water supply, and domestic gas supply are expected to be either streamlined or completely removed wherever feasible. This represents a significant reduction in bureaucratic hurdles for both residential and commercial development.
Officials emphasized that these comprehensive reforms are specifically aimed at reducing regulatory burdens, speeding up project clearances, and positioning Rajasthan as a more competitive and attractive destination for investment and long-term economic growth. The state government believes that by creating a more responsive regulatory environment, Rajasthan can unlock its full economic potential while addressing critical housing needs.
