A file waiting on a government desk can hold up a business for months. 

An entrepreneur may have the money, the machinery and the willingness to hire, only to find that an approval has stalled somewhere between departments. 

Jammu and Kashmir has good reason to address such delays. 

A business that cannot predict when it will receive permission to operate will struggle to plan its future.

The Jammu and Kashmir Ease of Doing Business Bill, 2026, seeks to address this problem through simpler procedures, time-bound approvals and other administrative changes. 

The Legislative Assembly passed the Bill on September 29, according to contemporaneous reports. Its final legal status and the precise provisions that survived passage should be verified against the authenticated text and official notification.

The larger question, however, goes beyond how quickly a file moves. 

Jammu and Kashmir needs an investment policy that measures success by what businesses produce for the region, rather than how easily they obtain permission to operate. 

Faster decisions can help create that economy, provided the pursuit of speed does not weaken the public interest.

The difference becomes especially important when public land enters the picture. 

The region’s Industrial Land Allotment Policy for 2021-30 has provided for long leases, extending up to 99 years in specified circumstances. 

Such a lease does not automatically transfer ownership, but it can give a company substantial control over land for decades. 

The terms of the policy and individual agreements must be examined before drawing conclusions about any particular allotment.

A government that allocates land is making a choice about the region’s economic future. 

An industrial plot used for productive manufacturing, decent employment and local procurement can generate benefits long after the initial investment. Land left idle after an........

© Kashmir Observer