To promote ‘Ease of Doing Business’ by creating a business-friendly environment, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday notified the J&K Stone Crushers/ Hot and Wet Mixing Plants Regulation Rules, 2021, dispensing with the requirement of a licence to start operation of stone crushers/ hot and wet mixing plants in the Union Territory.

The decision will facilitate establishment and functioning of stone crushers, hot & wet mixing plants and boost the supply of raw material required in the construction sector. It will also expedite completion of various mega-projects in Jammu & Kashmir, an official statement said.

The new rules recognise a stone crusher/hot and wet mixing plant as a mineral-based (raw material) processing unit different from those indulged in mineral mining activity. As such, the applicability of provisions regulating the working of industrial units has been extended to cover these units, thus, doing away with the need of obtaining respective licences from the Mining Department. However, if a stone crusher/hot and wet mixing plant undertakes mining of minerals as an additional line of activity, it shall then be additionally governed by the rules applicable to mining industrial units.

The rules make it obligatory on the mineral processing units to procure minor minerals from a valid mining concessionaire registered with the Mining Department. The department has been authorised to inspect such units, ascertain the source of the raw material and undertake seizure of illegally sourced minerals.

They also simplify the unit establishment process by reducing the requisite clearances/ NOCs to merely two documents namely — Consent to Operate (CTO) from Pollution Control Board (PCB) and NOC — from the deputy commissioner concerned regarding the title of land and its usage. Issuance of district-level NOC has been brought under the J&K Public Services Guarantee Act, 2011 making it mandatory to issue the document within 30 days.

The industrial units can voluntarily opt for registration with the Industries and Commerce Department through Udyog Aadhar registration to avail the benefits of government-sponsored schemes.

The decision provides major relief to entrepreneurs by removing the burden of double registrations wherein the unit holders had to go through the rigorous procedures of registrations/licensing with the Industries and Commerce Department as well as the Mining Department.