New Delhi: In a major administrative overhaul, the Delhi Police has been relieved of its licensing powers for a range of commercial establishments including hotels, guest houses, restaurants, swimming pools, amusement parks, discotheques, video game parlours and auditoriums. These powers have now been formally transferred to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and relevant departments.
The announcement was made by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during a public event in Shalimar Garden on Sunday. She revealed that the decision was taken following her government’s recommendation to Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, who has now approved the shift in responsibilities.
“We had long believed that burdening Delhi Police with licensing duties was taking away from their primary responsibility of maintaining law and order. This decision is not only timely but also visionary and administratively sound,” CM Gupta said.
She hailed the move as a major step towards Ease of Doing Business, saying that it would eliminate bureaucratic delays, streamline the approval process, and encourage growth in the hospitality and leisure sectors.
Impact on Governance and Business
With this shift, files that were earlier delayed due to police-based bottlenecks will now be handled directly by municipal authorities. This change marks a significant empowerment of the MCD, which is currently under the administration of the Rekha Gupta government.
Political observers see this as a key administrative win for the Delhi government, as it directly enhances the capital’s civic governance framework while freeing up police resources to focus solely on public safety.
Meanwhile, MCD officials are preparing to implement new standard operating procedures for licensing and regulation, ensuring that businesses get clear, timely, and accountable responses.
