Chandigarh: Chandigarh Business Council (CBC), a non-political representative body of traders, entrepreneurs, and industrial stakeholders, submitted a detailed memorandum to the Chief Secretary of Chandigarh Administration, Mr. H. Rajesh Prasad (IAS), highlighting the key challenges faced by the business community and seeking urgent policy interventions.

The delegation included CBC President Ajay Gupta, Chairman Jagdish Arora, Chief Patron Neeraj Bajaj, General Secretary Sanjay Pahwa, and Immediate Past President Chander Verma.

CBC urged the Chief Secretary to adopt a progressive and collaborative approach to strengthen Chandigarh’s business ecosystem. Ajay Gupta stated that traders and industrial stakeholders are struggling with outdated building bylaws, restrictions on need-based structural changes in SCFs, SCOs, and industrial units, heavy misuse penalties, and rigid land policies. Due to these challenges, businesses are increasingly shifting towards neighboring regions like Mohali and Panchkula.

CBC proposed several key reforms, including allowing need-based structural relaxations (such as minor modifications, mezzanine floors, and box-type adjustments in inner markets of Sectors 7 to 30), enabling share-wise property transfers, and introducing a time-bound conversion of leasehold properties into freehold. The Council also emphasized the need for industrial policy reforms, such as expansion of MSME activities, increase in FAR, and development of Industrial Area Phase-3.

Additionally, CBC called for rationalization of excessive penalties, implementation of a transparent compliance framework, introduction of a single-window clearance system, and rollout of a One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme for pending tax and legacy cases, along with simplification of GST procedures. The formation of a dedicated Trade Facilitation Board for effective grievance redressal was also recommended.

Responding to the concerns, Chief Secretary H. Rajesh Prasad (IAS) stated that the Administration is committed to creating a business-friendly environment in Chandigarh. He said the concerns raised by the business community are important and will be examined seriously to ensure practical and timely solutions. He further assured that these key issues will be taken up on priority.

CBC reiterated that Chandigarh’s business sector is a vital contributor to economic growth and emphasized that timely reforms are essential to maintain competitiveness and prevent the migration of industries.

The Council expressed confidence that under the Chief Secretary’s leadership, these long-pending issues will be addressed promptly with a forward-looking approach.