RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh Assembly on Thursday passed the ‘Chhattisgarh Ease of Doing Business Bill, 2026,’ a legislation the govt said would make the state the first in the country to adopt a statutory risk-based approval system aimed at reducing bureaucratic delays, cutting compliance costs and accelerating investments, particularly for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).The Bill, introduced by commerce and industry minister Lakhan Lal Dewangan, was passed after a discussion and a govt amendment replacing the designation of the chief secretary as the “Convener” of the proposed high-level empowered committee with “chief executive officer”.The legislation marks a shift from the conventional inspection-heavy regulatory framework to a trust-based, risk-calibrated system, under which businesses will be classified according to their size, investment and risk profile. Low-risk enterprises will be allowed to start operations through self-certification, self-declaration or certification by authorised professionals such as licensed engineers and architects, while high-risk industries will continue to undergo technical scrutiny and physical inspections.The govt also proposes deemed approvals for eligible applications that remain pending beyond prescribed timelines, besides replacing repeated inspections and annual licence renewals with risk-based compliance mechanisms. Initially, 43 services across eight departments will come under the new framework, with provisions to notify additional services in future.Officials estimate the reform will benefit more than 15 lakh MSMEs by reducing the time and cost involved in establishing and operating businesses.Participating in the debate, senior BJP MLA and former minister Ajay Chandrakar described the legislation as a reform that would prepare Chhattisgarh for future economic challenges. He said rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) were likely to reduce employment opportunities in both government and private sectors, making investment-led industrialisation increasingly important for job creation.Calling the legislation a landmark reform, Chandrakar said it could become a case study in public administration for eliminating red tape through legislative intervention. He also suggested that the govt organise a statewide orientation programme after framing the rules so that officials, legislators and entrepreneurs understood the new regulatory framework.Chandrakar further proposed replacing the term “convener” for the chief secretary with CEO arguing that the designation was administratively more appropriate. The government accepted the suggestion and amended the Bill accordingly.Opposing the legislation, Congress MLA Daleshwar Sahu alleged that it had been introduced without adequate consultation and questioned whether it would actually simplify approvals. He argued that the executive bodies proposed under the law had been given limited powers and described the Bill as impractical and unlikely to benefit entrepreneurs.Replying to the debate, Dewangan said the objective was to establish a comprehensive legal framework for ease-of-doing-business reforms instead of making fragmented departmental changes. He said the law would enable simultaneous reforms across departments, reduce delays and improve service delivery.The minister also announced that the govt would conduct awareness programmes after the rules are notified to familiarise entrepreneurs and industry representatives with the new system. He clarified that additional services could be brought under the Act without fresh legislation, as the empowered committee chaired by the chief minister would be authorised to recommend changes.Besides introducing self-certification and deemed approvals, the legislation provides for simplified procedures for services such as registration of societies and firms, building approvals and certain water supply permissions for low-risk enterprises. A three-tier monitoring mechanism has also been proposed, with oversight by a council headed by the chief minister, supported by committees at the state and district levels.The govt said the reforms are intended to create a transparent, predictable and investment-friendly regulatory environment while retaining stringent scrutiny for projects posing higher environmental or safety risks
