Karnataka goes online with business approvals in rural areas

Karnataka has developed an exclusive online, contactless system for business approvals in rural areas with which authorities hope to curb corruption hampering the state’s ‘ease of doing business’ ecosystem.

A slew of services that come under the trade licence regime have been made online through a portal of the Bapuji Seva Kendra, the rural equivalent of the Bangalore One centres.

Those who want to start commercial or industrial activities, hotels, food business, hostels, playschools and licensing for auditorium or public amusement can now apply online on bsk.karnataka.gov.in

A government order has been issued to this effect, stipulating online submission of applications with necessary documents and payment of fees “without the need for any physical touch-point” or offline submission.

This means that gram panchayats need not accept physical applications. “The Bapuji Seva Kendra portal does not require any physical touch-point between the applicant and the gram panchayats,” the government order states. The portal has the facility for the applicant to track the status of the application.

According to Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) principal secretary L K Atheeq, the government has liberalised its process in rural areas for trade licences that will be issued online and renewed automatically. “Now, we have fully integrated these online services with Sakala,” he said. Bringing these services under Sakala guarantees time-bound delivery.

The trade licence regime is said to be fraught with middlemen fleecing citizens and businesses. The government order insists that gram panchayats accept documents that are uploaded online without asking for physical copies.

“The applicant is not required to get in touch with gram panchayats physically except in cases where inspection/site visit is mandated by law,” the order states. “Any process for clarification on application...shall be raised and replied through Bapuji Seva Kendra portal only.”

Another service that has gone entirely online in rural areas is permission for road cutting. This means citizens or businesses who need to dig up a road for any work can apply online without any physical interface with panchayat authorities.

These initiatives are aimed at improving the overall business climate of the state, the order states. The Centre’s Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade is pushing all states and their districts to take up ‘ease of doing business’ reforms.