By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, FEB 06, 2021: THE Ministry of Finance said on Saturday Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab have completed the stipulated reforms in ease of doing business, becoming eligible to mobilise additional financial resources to the tune of Rs. 5,034 crore through open market borrowings.

"Thus, total number of State who has undertaken the stipulated reforms to facilitate ease of doing business has gone up to 12. Earlier, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have also reported completion of this reform," the ministry said.

On completion of reforms facilitating ease of doing business, these 12 States have been granted additional borrowing permission of Rs. 28,183 crore. Among these states, Haryana has received maximum Rs. 2,146 crore, followed by Punjab with Rs. 1,516 crore, Assam with Rs. 934 crore and Himachal Pradesh with Rs. 438 crore.

In May last year, the government enhanced the borrowing limit of the states by 2 per cent of the Gross States Domestic Product (GSDP) and linked half it to the completion of citizen-centric reforms: implementing the One Nation One Ration Card system, ease of doing business reform, urban local body reforms and power sector reforms.

The reforms under ease of doing business include the completion of the first assessment of 'district-level business reform action plan,' easing the compliance burden for documentation and implementing a computerised central random inspection system.

Till now, 17 States have carried out at least one of the four stipulated reforms - 12 implemented the One Nation One Ration Card system, 12 completed ease of doing business, five did local body reforms and two have undertaken power sector reforms.

Total reform linked additional borrowing permission issued so far to the States stands at Rs. 74,773 crore.