Ease of doing business: Andhra Pradesh pips Telangana

Hyderabad: The state of Andhra Pradesh retained its top position, with a score of 98.42 per cent, in ease of doing business, according to Wold Bank and Department of Industries rankings.  Telangana state, which stood at number one in the previous scoreboard, slipped one position and is second with a score of 98.33%. However, the difference in the rate of growth between the two Telugu speaking states is 0.9%. Haryana stood third. 

Nine states, namely Andhra Pradesh, Telangana state, Haryana, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh  Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, were judged on “reform evidence score” and “feedback score”. In the reform evidence, the parameters judged were: construction permit, labour regulation, environmental registration, access to information, land availability and single window system.

While feedback is based on response garnered from the actual users of the services provided to the business.  AP secured 99.73% in reform evidence and 86.50% in feedback, a total of 98.42%, while TS score a straight 100% in reform but lost points in feedback with 83.95%, a total of 98.33%. 

DIPP in collaboration with the World Bank conducts an annual reform exercise for all  the state /UT under the Business Reform action plan (BRAP). A large number of states have made significant progress in reforms suggested in BRAP 2017 However, businessmen said TS has made progress. “The state missed the top slot by just 0.9% which is avoidable also in the feedback column, however it scored 100% in the new initiatives that the state government has introduced to ease the way business is done. Numbers prove TS has seen an enormous growth,” said Anil Kumar, a businessman.