Integrated single-window system: Delhi govt notifies SOP to ease licensing process for cinema halls

Officials said that with the current notification, the long-standing practice of obtaining separate No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from different departments has been done away with and an integrated single-window system has been introduced.

Officials said that under the new SOP, the first committee to be constituted will be the District Licensing Committee (DLC) under the Revenue department that will take the final decision on licensing. The committee will be headed by the Deputy Commissioner (Revenue)/District Magistrate and will also have representatives from the police, Delhi Fire Services, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Jal Board and other agencies.

Officials added that under the old system, applicants had to obtain separate NOCs from various agencies for a cinematograph licence.

“The new system will not include a multi-departmental and sequential process like earlier. The DLC will take the final licensing decision on the basis of the inspection report …There will also be a second committee — District Inspection Committee (DIC), headed by SDM that will conduct joint inspection along with the other committee…,” said officials.

An integrated, e-signed and geotagged verification report will be prepared and uploaded on the e-District portal. This will replace separate NOCs with a single integrated verification report. This will ensure that licensing decisions are taken through a clear institutional mechanism, while the technical and safety-related responsibilities of the police and other departments concerned will continue, said officials.

“One of the key features of the new SOP is the time limit prescribed for every stage of the process. The initial scrutiny of an application will have to be completed within seven working days, the DIC will conduct the inspection within 45 days, and the DLC will take a decision within 30 days of receiving the inspection report. If the DLC fails to take a decision within the prescribed time limit, but the DIC report finds full compliance with all statutory and safety requirements, the licence will be automatically generated on the portal. However, this provision will not apply in cases where mandatory statutory or safety standards have not been met,” said officials.

The entire licensing process will be conducted online through the e-District Delhi portal. This means the application, fee payment, inspection report, decision and issuance of the licence in Form B — all will be processed online. Applicants, thus, will not be required to visit different offices, officials added.

Further, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) and the cinema hall will conduct joint annual inspections, surprise inspections and two mock drills every year. “A clear enforcement mechanism has also been put in place for suspension and cancellation of licences in cases where public safety is at risk,” added officials.