Maharashtra plans single-window approvals for live events and concerts

The Maharashtra government is set to introduce a single-window clearance system for permissions related to live events, concerts and similar programmes in a move aimed at simplifying and speeding up approvals for organisers, a senior official said.

The state government has appointed the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations as the nodal agency for the initiative, Principal Secretary Brijesh Singh, who heads the agency, said.

Speaking at the first meeting of the state-level committee on Friday, Singh urged all concerned departments to provide suggestions and cooperation for preparing a comprehensive standard operating procedure (SOP) for permissions related to live events.

“At present, organisers of large events have to obtain separate permissions from departments such as the police, fire brigade, electricity authorities, municipal corporations and revenue departments. The process takes considerable time. The new system will reduce the time, procedures and documentation involved and bring greater coordination to the entire process,” he said.

Singh said the state government will also develop a dedicated portal to make the single-window clearance process faster and more efficient.

According to an official release, Maharashtra is preparing its own SOP by making necessary modifications to the model SOP (Model Executive Order) issued by the Centre to promote the live entertainment economy.

The proposed framework, based on the Centre’s model live event clearance procedure, will coordinate permissions and planning for live events and concerts in an industry-friendly manner, the release stated.

Singh said the initiative is expected to simplify and accelerate the process of organising live events and boost the live entertainment sector, tourism, investment and employment generation in the state.