Haryana set to roll out Jan Vishwas Bill to boost business confidence

In a major push towards creating a business-friendly environment, the Haryana Government is set to introduce the Haryana Jan Vishwas Bill, a landmark legislation aimed at decriminalising minor offences, removing regulatory bottlenecks and reducing compliance burdens across departments.

The initiative is part of a larger strategy to foster ease of doing business, particularly for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and to promote trust-based governance, the state government said in an official statement.

The upcoming reforms were discussed during a high-level meeting on compliance reduction and deregulation chaired by Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, KK Pathak.

Highlighting the state’s reform-oriented outlook, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi said: “Our approach is holistic — whether it is streamlining industrial clearances, digitising land records or simplifying building codes, every measure is aimed at improving investor confidence and supporting enterprise.”

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is regularly reviewing progress on deregulation and compliance reduction, underscoring the national importance of such reforms.

“We are committed to completing all remaining reforms within the timelines set by the Government of India,” Rastogi said.

Referring to Haryana’s economic growth, Pathak said: “Gurugram and Faridabad have emerged as major hubs of economic activity, even surpassing Delhi in several parameters. We consider Haryana on par with larger states such as Gujarat, Telangana, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in terms of industrial growth and economic dynamism.”

Dr Amit Kumar Agrawal, Commissioner and Secretary, Industries and Commerce, said Haryana has already repealed 36 obsolete Acts and removed 37 minor criminal provisions across three key departments over the past decade.

“The Jan Vishwas Bill marks the next phase of legal modernisation,” he said.

He said the department has undertaken a comprehensive review of over 230 Acts across 37 departments, with the aim to further ease the regulatory burden on businesses.

Among the proposed progressive reforms is a revamped Haryana Shops and Establishments Bill, which includes allowing night shifts for women through simple intimation, relaxed quorum and pantry norms, extended daily work hours to 10 hours and quarterly overtime to 156 hours, exemption for shops with fewer than 10 employees and 24-hour issuance of registration certificates, with no requirement for renewal.

These provisions are expected to significantly benefit startups and small enterprises, the officials said.

Haryana Tribune