SDMC mulls online registration for health-related businesses

With a view to encourage entrepreneurship, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has decided to introduce completely online facilities of registration of health-related establishments like hospitals, labs, beauty clinics, spas and gymnasiums.

The entrepreneurs willing to set up their units and renew the existing licences now need only three documents to register which earlier called for 15 documents. According to MCD officers, over 42,000 existing health businessmen from South MCD area will be benefited with this initiative besides encouraging many to come forward.

As per the report, the Corporation has come up with the idea after reports of facing difficulties in procuring health licences and in renewing them too. As per the Corporation norms, those involved in the activity had to submit as many as 15 documents for all kinds of health licences including hospitals, labs, clinics, spas etc. Once applied, the licence seekers had to wait for at least a week’s period and in some cases it used to get delayed by a month or above. The existing system also encourages the Inspector Raj as there was deluge of bribery complaints by the applicants.

If the SDMC approves the decision, people will have to submit only three documents and will get approval in a day’s time if the documents are found authentic. 

Secondly, the applicant will have to apply online and will get approval through the same. The Corporation will implement the move in several phases and the first phase is likely to be implemented on Monday next.

“The civic body has taken steps to end the ‘Inspector Raj’ by ending the practice of posting officials to specific areas for long durations. To check growth of any nexus between inspecting offers and the trading community, the officers are now assigned areas on a daily basis, without prior information. With this, we have also decided to introduce online payment systems for licensing and registration to eliminate delay in collection of fees and simplify processes for applicants as well. If things go well, we will make a formal announcement on Monday and will start the facility on same day too,” said Shailendra Singh, Chairman Standing Committee.