The Directorate of Factories, Government of West Bengal, has streamlined the compliance process under the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) initiative. Whether a factory falls under low, medium, or high-risk category, or whether it is micro, small, medium, or large, the document requirements remain uniform.

From 1 January 2016 onwards, all applications are routed through the Common Application Form (CAF), ensuring transparency, simplification, and faster processing.

This blog provides a complete and easy-to-understand checklist for:

• Factory Plan Approval

• Factory Registration & Licensing

• Auto-Renewal of Factory Licence

1. Checklist for Approval of Factory Plan

Applicants must submit the following documents while seeking approval of their factory layout and plan:

1. Authenticated copy of Purchase Deed / Lease Deed / Rent Receipt
   Proof of legal occupancy of the premises intended to be used as a factory.

2. Authenticated copy of Consent to Establish (CTE) from WBPCB

   • For Exempted or White Category industries: Authenticated copy of Trade Licence.

3. Detailed Factory Layout Documents:

   • Site Plan

   • Floor Plan

   • Sectional Elevation

   • Flow Chart of the Manufacturing Process

   • Brief written description of the manufacturing operations

2. Checklist for Registration and Licensing of Factories

This stage is mandatory before commencing manufacturing activities. The following documents must be submitted:

1. Authenticated copy of Trade Licence

2. Authenticated copy of Consent to Operate (CTO)

   • Required for Red, Orange, Green, and White category industries

   • Issued by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board

3. Firm-specific Documents:

   • For Limited and Private Limited Companies:
     Authenticated copy of Memorandum & Articles of Association

   • For Partnership Firms:
     Authenticated copy of Partnership Deed and list of partners/directors

4. List of Machinery

   • Detailed list of installed machinery

   • Horsepower (HP) or Kilowatt (KW) rating

   • Duly signed by the occupier

5. Declaration by the Occupier

   • Exact date of commencement of manufacturing

   • Number of workers engaged on that date

   • Installed power details (where applicable)

6. Health & Safety Policy

   • Mandatory for factories handling hazardous processes

3. Checklist for Auto-Renewal of Factory Licence

Auto-renewal has been introduced to simplify annual compliance and reduce procedural delays. The following documents are required:

1. Authenticated Copy of Consent to Operate (CTO)
   From the West Bengal Pollution Control Board

2. Authenticated Copy of Trade Licence

With correct and timely submission, licence renewal becomes automatic, eliminating manual intervention.

Conclusion

This unified checklist under the Directorate of Factories ensures that businesses—regardless of size, risk level, or investment type—can comply with the Factories Act, 1948 easily and efficiently.

By adopting the Common Application Form (CAF) and integrating approvals under Ease of Doing Business, West Bengal has made factory compliance significantly more streamlined, predictable, and investor-friendly.