EoDB Act debate: Business leaders, environmentalists seek common ground at KCCI dialogue

KCCI to form joint committee as stakeholders debate planning controls, ecological safeguards and business freedoms

Srinagar, October 19: Business leaders, industrial associations, tourism representatives, environmentalists and civil society members have taken a step towards building a common ground on the Jammu & Kashmir Ease of Doing Business Act, 2026, agreeing that the removal of bureaucratic impediments must go hand in hand with environmental protection, public safety and planned urban development.

A stakeholder deliberation convened by the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) brought together representatives of major industrial estates, the hospitality sector, environmental groups, the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC), the Environmental Policy Group (EPG) and other experts to examine the law and its possible implications.

Although differences emerged over the interpretation of specific provisions, participants discussed ways to reconcile the business community’s demand for predictable, time-bound and transparent procedures with concerns about construction, land use, environmental safeguards and the Valley’s fragile ecology.

The meeting decided to constitute a joint committee comprising representatives of the business community, citizens’ groups, environmentalists and experts to examine contentious provisions of the Act, proposed amendments to the Unified Building By-laws, 2021, and related land-use concerns. The committee is expected to identify areas requiring clarification or additional safeguards and help develop a common position for engagement with the government.

Welcoming the participants, KCCI President Javed Tenga said the business community had consistently sought an end to unnecessary bureaucratic delays and red tape.

He described the Act as a welcome step towards addressing difficulties faced by entrepreneurs in obtaining permissions and conducting business, while emphasising that its implementation should also address concerns raised by experts and citizens.

“The objective is not to oppose the legislation or dilute its purpose of facilitating business and investment,” the discussions underscored. Economic development, environmental protection and planned urban growth, participants maintained, must proceed together.

Mushtaq Chaya, Prominent business leader and Chairman of J&K Hoteliers Club emphasised on the need for all stakeholders to sit together, discuss the pros and cons and come to a conclusion in the best interests of economic wellbeing, growth and environmental protection in J&K.

The Act was introduced in the Legislative Assembly by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on September 28 and passed the following day. Its provisions include time-bound approvals, elimination of redundant No Objection Certificates, self-certification and deemed approvals, subject to applicable statutory conditions.

GCC and EPG members including Aijaz Rasool, Iftikhar Hakim argued that the Act in the present form had left serious gaps in interpretation and enforcement of environmental safeguards, which could lead to the loss of the residual natural endowment remaining in Kashmir.
This point of view was strongly supported by Faiz Bakshi, the convenor of Environmental Policy Group (EPG) and Secty General of KCCI, who argued that the kind of approval framework for new industries set up in green spaces outside of the industrial estates could wreak havoc for Kashmirs.

Industry seeks freedom from arbitrary controls

Former Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) president Syed Shakeel Qalander presented a point-by-point response to concerns raised by the GCC and EPG, arguing that the industrial community had for decades sought to replace discretionary bureaucratic controls with transparent, time-bound and accountable procedures.

He said repeated permissions, overlapping regulatory requirements and prolonged administrative delays had financially weakened otherwise viable projects, sometimes before they could begin commercial production.

Qalander maintained that simplifying procedures should not be confused with exemption from substantive legal obligations. He said industrialists had neither sought nor would support relaxations that compromised environmental protection, public safety or planned development.

He proposed a joint examination of amendments to the Unified Building By-laws, 2021, and construction-related concerns in residential and other sensitive areas, with established deficiencies to be taken up collectively with the government.

FCIK president Shahid Kamili said industrial organisations had never sought the right to violate Master Plans, environmental regulations or other legitimate safeguards. Entrepreneurs, he said, wanted timely decisions and predictable procedures rather than discretionary concessions.

Kamili also highlighted operational difficulties that businesses continued to face after their establishment, arguing that reforms must address impediments across the entire business cycle.

Arjimand Hussain, international development expert, KCCI member and founder of Ziraat Times  cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions without examining the legislation in its legal and administrative context. He suggested that industry and citizens jointly review the legal and administrative implications of a plethora of laws and guiding policies related to urban development, industries, tourism development, forest rights etc and identify genuine deficiencies and distinguish them from differences in interpretation.

Representatives of the education sector, including president of J&K Private Schools Association Nazrul Islam Baba and Parton of the Association G. N. Var  said reforms aimed at reducing multiple regulatory requirements addressed longstanding concerns of educational institutions.

Industrial Estate Lassipora representative Sheikh Nisar Ahmad and Industrial Estate Association, Anchidora, Anantnag, president also highlighted delays in routine approvals that consumed time and resources and disrupted business operations.

Kashmir Small Scale Industrial Association president Syed Fazal Illahi cited the requirement introduced by the Industries and Commerce Department in 2017 for departmental permission to induct partners into a business, despite the arrangement being governed by partnership law. He said the requirement had led to delays lasting months and, in some cases, years.

Industrial consultant Sayyed Parvaiz Qaisar, drawing on his experience of providing consultancy services to more than 9,000 projects, said procedural complexity and repeated clearances had forced aspiring entrepreneurs to abandon projects midway. He cautioned against drawing premature conclusions before the government notified the Act’s rules and operational guidelines.

Planning and environmental safeguards at centre of debate

Earlier Aijaz Rasool presented concerns raised by the EPG, emphasising that administrative simplification should not weaken regulatory oversight in environmentally sensitive areas and established residential neighbourhoods.

Former judge Khaliq-uz-Zaman presented the GCC’s perspective, clarifying that the group was not opposed to facilitating industry but wanted safeguards against possible misuse of certain provisions.

A GCC member and former chief town planner raised concerns over Section 22, arguing that its implementation could permit departures from established planning parameters, including Floor Area Ratio (FAR), building heights, ground coverage and other development controls.

Hakim Iftikhar said Section 30(2) needed to be read alongside Section 22 to determine the scope of the law’s overriding effect. While welcoming the protection afforded to specified environmental laws under Section 30(4), he called for comparable clarity on Master Plans, urban and regional planning laws, development-control regulations and building-safety provisions.

He also flagged the Schedule III provision concerning residential buildings up to 24 metres in height without prior permission, saying the scope of the exemption needed clarification.

Environmental activists Manzoor Ahmad Tak and Dr Touseef stressed the need to protect the Valley’s fragile ecology. Dr Touseef argued that industrial facilitation should translate into tangible public benefits, including employment and responsible business practices.

GCC member Iftikhar Drabu advocated an amicable resolution of ecological concerns.

The deliberations reflected a broader question facing Jammu & Kashmir: how to remove avoidable barriers that constrain legitimate enterprise while ensuring that regulatory reform does not erode the planning safeguards needed to protect the region’s natural environment and quality of life.

Tourism and education sectors seek practical reforms

Former KCCI president G.M. Dug highlighted regulatory difficulties confronting the tourism sector and called for examining how the Act could help tourism enterprises become more competitive and self-sustaining.

Jammu & Kashmir Hoteliers Club president Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya described the legislation as a positive step and cautioned against opposing it merely for the sake of opposition. He said specific concerns should instead be taken up with the government.

Gowhar Maqbool Mir, president of the Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association (KHAROA), said explanations offered during the meeting had addressed several of his earlier apprehensions, underlining the value of direct engagement among stakeholders.

KCCI Secretary General Faiz Ahmad Bakshi supported the objective of easing business procedures but stressed that environmental safeguards must remain paramount. He raised concerns over the conversion of agricultural land for industrial activities, including those falling under Green and White categories notified by the Central Pollution Control Board, and said there should be no compromise on environmental protection.

Syed Afaq Qadiri, president of the Integrated Handicraft and Textile Park, Zakoora, linked administrative facilitation to the need to generate employment and reduce the migration of skilled youth.

The meeting brought together KCCI office-bearers, including Senior Vice President Umar Nazir Tibetbaqal, Junior Vice President Farooq Amin and Joint Secretary General Akib Chaya, along with executive committee members Ashiq Hussain Shangloo, Fayaz Ahmad Punjabi, Ashfaq Zehgeer and other representatives of trade and industry.

The deliberations marked a step towards a shared stakeholder position, although the extent to which the proposed committee can reconcile the differing interpretations of the law will depend on its examination of the provisions and subsequent engagement with the government.

GCC issues statement seeking eight safeguards

At the conclusion of the deliberations, in a sign o flight greater appreciation of each others’ viewpoints, the Group of Concerned Citizens issued a statement welcoming the public debate on the Act and supporting genuine efforts to ease business procedures, while calling for amendments and clarifications to protect statutory planning, public safety and the environment.

The GCC said bureaucratic delays, overlapping permissions and arbitrary discretion had burdened entrepreneurs, and supported time-bound approvals, digital single-window systems, transparent procedures and the removal of redundant clearances.

However, it called for closer scrutiny of Section 22 and its interaction with Section 30, particularly concerning the relaxation of Master Plan conditions, deemed changes of land use and the relationship between facilitation provisions and existing planning laws.