Onlykashmir.in News Desk
SRINAGAR: A group of retired civil servants and prominent citizens has urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to amend the Ease of Doing Business Act 2026, warning that parts of the law could damage the Union Territory’s fragile ecology, urban planning and public welfare. The Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) raised its concerns at a press conference in Srinagar on Friday.
The group welcomed the government’s efforts to simplify business procedures and cut bureaucratic delays. The legislation, introduced in the Legislative Assembly on September 28, seeks to replace permission-based control with rule-based governance. But the GCC stressed that economic development must be balanced with environmental protection, planned urban growth and the quality of life of citizens.
Its sharpest criticism was aimed at the provisions on deemed approvals and inspection moratoriums. Under the Act, certain clearances are deemed granted within three days, and inspections are suspended for three years. The GCC cautioned that these mechanisms could weaken regulatory oversight and raise the risk of unplanned construction and environmental degradation.
The group also flagged Sections 16, 18 and 22, saying relaxations in master plans and development regulations could affect ecologically sensitive areas, agricultural and saffron-growing lands, and flood-absorption basins across the region. In a Valley that has lived through devastating floods and watched farmland shrink under concrete, the concern is not abstract.
Residential neighbourhoods were another worry. According to the GCC, the broad categorisation of activities in the Act’s schedules could allow certain industrial establishments to operate in residential zones, affecting the living conditions of local communities.
The group further questioned Sections 25 to 28, which provide for the transfer and freehold conversion of industrial plots. It warned that these provisions could encourage land trading rather than genuine industrialisation and productive investment.
The GCC also expressed reservations about relaxing essential infrastructure requirements for schools and higher education institutions, saying such changes could compromise educational standards and student safety.
On jobs and scrutiny, the group called for binding provisions to ensure adequate employment opportunities for local residents. It also stressed the need for stronger accountability and effective local oversight when third-party agencies scrutinise projects.
The GCC said ease of doing business should go hand in hand with ease of living, environmental safeguards and sustainable development. It urged the government to revisit and amend the legislation so that business facilitation does not undermine Jammu and Kashmir’s ecological security and long-term development interests. Khurshid Ahmad Ganie and other members of the group were present at the press conference.
