In order to ensure 'ease of doing business in Maharashtra', Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said the state government has done away with the need to obtain permission of the municipal commissioner, for those setting up industrial units in the civic corporation limits.

"The state cabinet has decided to modify section 313 of the Municipal Corporation Act, which mandated the industries setting up units in the civic corporation limits to obtain nod of the municipal commissioner," the chief minister informed the state Legislature in a statement.

After having already sought permission of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), it was felt that industries lost time in seeking the municipal corporation nod, he said.

"Now, as per the new norms, units in MIDC area won't have to seek permission from the municipal corporation," the chief minister said.

The MIDC recently decided to reduce the number of necessary permissions from 14 to just five for commissioning of any factory in its area of jurisdiction.

A total of 14 approvals by MIDC were required so far at the pre-commissioning stage. Now, they have been brought down to five, an official in the Chief Minister's office had said.