Good governance is not just about changing laws. It is about changing how a citizen feels when dealing with the state. A shopkeeper, a young entrepreneur or a small manufacturer should be able to earn an honest living without being worn down by paperwork or worried about a knock on the door over a minor mistake.

That is why the Omar Abdullah-led government deserves credit for bringing two important measures before the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly: the Ease of Doing Business Bill, 2026, and the Bill to amend certain enactments for decriminalising and rationalising offences for ease of living and ease of doing business, 2026.

The two Bills do different jobs, but they aim at the same thing: a government that is responsive, predictable and easier to deal with.The first tackles the administrative side. Entrepreneurs should not have to chase several offices for decisions that ought to be simple. The second tackles the legal side by decriminalising and rationalising certain offences. Both start from the same understanding: a system that is too complicated, or too quick to punish, discourages enterprise.

Anyone who has started a business knows that time and certainty matter most. Every extra trip to a government office costs money. Every unexplained delay disrupts planning, investment and jobs.

In Jammu and Kashmir, where we badly need more economic opportunity and private investment, compliance must be simple, transparent and predictable. That means clear requirements, easily available information, decisions within fixed timelines, services that actually work online, and accountability when deadlines are missed.

A single-window system is worth........

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