Chapter II CONSTITUTION, POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF DISTRICT LEVEL

An entrepreneur desiring to set up an industry in the State and obtain clearances under the relevant Acts as may be specified by the State Government by notification in the Official Gazette, may apply to the Committee having pecuniary jurisdiction as specified under section 4.

The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette specify the investment limit up to which the applications for clearances shall be made to either the District Level Facilitation Committee, the Single Window Facilitation Committee or the State Level Facilitation Committee.

(1) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute a District Level Facilitation Committee for each district, which shall consist of the District Collector as the Chairman and such other number of members as may be specified by the State Government by notification in the Official Gazette. The General Manager, District Industries Centre shall be the Member-Secretary of such Committee. (2) The District Level Facilitation Committee shall exercise the following powers and perform the following functions, namely:- (i) to meet at such time and places at least once in a month as the Chairman of the Committee may decide and shall transact business as per the procedure as may be prescribed; (ii) the competent authorities shall proceed to issue the required clearance within the time limit stipulated under section 13 subject to compliances by the entrepreneur of provisions of the applicable State Laws and the rules made thereunder; (iii) DLFC shall review all applications pending beyond time limit in various departments. The list of pending application may be procured from Investor Facilitation Portal. (iv) DLFC may direct appropriate authorities for taking decision of applications pending beyond the prescribed time limit. (v) DLFC may scrutinize the records regarding the delay and if it finds that the delay has been caused by willful default, it may recommend to the Single Window Facilitation Committee to take appropriate disciplinary action against the competent authority. (vi) DLFC shall take all necessary steps to assist industrial investments in the district which includes review of Investment Intentions and shall send report to the State Level Facilitation Committee through Investor Facilitation Portal. (vii) DLFC shall suggest policy level suggestions to the Single Window Facilitation Committee to improve the investment atmosphere of the State. (viii) to review and monitor the processing of applications by the competent authorities. (ix) to inform the applicant of the date on which the application was received by the competent authority and the date on which such application has been approved or rejected; (x) to forward cases with remarks and relevant documents to the Single Window Facilitation Committee for decision under section 14; (xi) to invite competent authorities or experts, who are not members of the Committee, as special invitees at any meeting of the District Level Facilitation Committee as desired by the Chairman or the Member- Secretary of the Committee; (xii) a Member of the District Level Facilitation Committee shall attend the meeting convened under clause (i) personally and in case he is unable to attend the meeting, he may depute a senior level officer with a written authorization to take appropriate decision in the meeting; (xiii) such other powers and functions as may be prescribed.

(1) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint an Investor Facilitation Agency at the State level, which shall be a cell headed by the Industries Commissioner with such other supervisory and secretarial staff as may be required. The Investor Facilitation Agency shall act as a nodal agency for the purposes of this Act.

(2) The functions of the Investor Facilitation Agency shall, among others, include the following, namely:-

(a) to guide and assist entrepreneurs to set up industries in the State;

(b) to carry out investment promotion activities;

(c) to render necessary assistance in policy formulation for industrial progress;

(d) to co-ordinate with various State Government departments for investor applications, integration of websites with Investor Facilitation Portal and any such support as may be required for the smooth functioning of the Investor Facilitation Portal;

(e) to resolve investor grievances related to any approvals/ incentives/ land related issues/ technical issues and any other issues in the manner as may be prescribed;

(f) to perform such functions as may be prescribed including budgeting, sourcing of manpower, infrastructure which is to be extended up to the district level;

(g) in consultation with the Government of Gujarat, communicate with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India for Ease of Doing Business matters;

(h) to provide secretarial support to the State Level Facilitation Committee, Single Window Facilitation Committee or, as the case may be, the District Level Facilitation Committee;

(i) under the superintendence, direction and control of the State Level Facilitation Committee, Single Window Facilitation Committee or, as the case may be, the District Level Facilitation Committee, the Investor Facilitation Agency shall arrange to issue combined application form, acknowledge all applications filed before the concerned Committee. The Investor Facilitation Agency shall pursue the clearance of the applications with the competent authorities;

(j) to perform any other function as may be entrusted to it by the State Government.

(3) The Investor Facilitation Agency shall, in addition to the functions referred to in sub-section (1), shall also prepare and regularly update an Entrepreneurs Guide providing complete particulars relating to -

(a) State and Central Industrial policies.

(b) procedure to obtain the required clearances from the departments and authorities.

(c) information on industrial status and advantages existing in the State.

(d) salient features of Acts and the rules made thereunder applicable to an industrial undertaking, and

(e) any other information useful to the entrepreneurs.

All applications for clearances shall be submitted for getting clearance in such form and with such processing fee as may be prescribed to the competent authority.