Seeking to cut red tape and improve service delivery, the Delhi Government on Monday brought 23 additional public services under the ambit of the Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services) Act, 2011, making it mandatory for departments to provide approvals, licences, registrations and no-objection certificates (NOCs) within fixed timelines.
The move is expected to benefit thousands of businesses, entrepreneurs and citizens by reducing procedural delays and limiting the need for repeated visits to government offices.
Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the expansion of the time-bound delivery mechanism would strengthen transparency, accountability and good governance while supporting the government’s efforts to make Delhi more business-friendly.
Among the newly notified services, factory plan approvals by the Labour Department will now have to be issued within 15 days, while registration under the Shops and Establishments Act will be completed within a day. Sewerage connections by the Delhi Jal Board and film-shooting permissions issued by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation will also be processed within 15 days.
Several services critical to industry and commerce have been brought under defined timelines. Applications related to electricity meters and connection agreements will be processed within 60 days, registration of weighing and measuring instruments within 45 days, and battery waste management authorisations by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee within 15 days.
The notification also covers a range of municipal approvals. Registration of water and adventure sports operators, permissions for amusement parks, hotel registrations, slaughterhouse licences and local-body NOCs required for food business licences will now be issued within 60 days. Permission for installation of mobile towers will be granted within 30 days, while approval for storage of construction material will be given within a day.
The Agriculture Department has been directed to process licences related to pesticides and seeds within 21 days. Under the Excise Department, bar licences will be issued within 30 days, while brand and label registrations will be completed within 42 days.
In another significant provision, applications seeking permission for tree felling under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act will be decided within 60 days, while road-cutting permissions by the Public Works Department will be granted within 45 days. Registration of builders and real estate agents under RERA will be completed within 30 days.
Officials said the latest addition takes the total number of services covered under the time-bound delivery framework in Delhi to more than 500. These include services offered not only by the Delhi Government departments but also by civic and planning agencies such as the New Delhi Municipal Council, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Development Authority.
Officials said the expansion was aimed at improving the ease of doing business in the Capital, while ensuring that citizens receive government services within a predictable, transparent and accountable framework.
