Team Herald
PANJIM: The State government has directed all the public utility departments not to insist upon for separate No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the local bodies, for providing water or electricity connections to the projects, approved by Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board (IPB), if they have already obtained construction or occupancy licenses.
The IPB in a circular issued on December 29 has said that while government is taking all efforts to simplify the procedures in various services, the current practices of insisting on NOCs goes against the spirit of Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living.
In a circular issued to all department secretaries and heads, Chief Secretary Parimal Rai said it has been brought to the notice of the government that the departments like PWD and electricity, insist on obtaining NOC from panchayat or municipalities or CCP before granting water, power, sewerage connections despite the fact that the applicant has obtained the necessary construction licence or occupancy certificate.
“It may be noted that insisting upon NOCs from local bodies for providing such utility concessions is not mandated under any prevailing law,” Rai said.
The government has decided that the construction licences issued by the local bodies will be sufficient for grant of temporary water or electricity connection and no further NOC will be insisted upon.
Also, for those projects having occupancy certificate from panchayat or municipality will be final for grant of water, electricity, sewerage, Internet, telephone connections, etc without any need for NOC.
The circular has been issued following approval from the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant.