Should not each and every authority in Government offices and departments aim at total paperless working in their respective working places to start with an absolute paper-light culture? In other words, barest possible minimum use of paper not for any austerity measures in Government departments but to achieve in routine working, the objectives of accuracy, speed, transparency, authenticity and also towards pre-empting chances of delays which lead to and encourage corrupt practices. That could translate all plans and projections of the Government for better delivery system and thus give a feel of Good Governance to the people. In the present era of swingeing competition, fragility of events at international levels, thrust on quality and innovative ideas, technological racing and the like, carrying on with yesteryears’ procedures and practices would simply mean preferring underdevelopment and retro- gradation inviting unspecified prolonging and deferments thus having a telling effect on the prospects of taking timely decisions in tune with the requirements. We have been quite used to listen to in Government offices and departments, the general alibi or the reason of delays in passing an order, taking a decision, according a sanction or rejecting one etc, irrespective of which nature, that the file had gone to the concerned authority for ”consideration” or the ”file had not been cleared” and even to this extent that ”the file was not traceable at all”. Such a scenario had to be changed and such change became inevitable with the universal application of information technology and digitization; e-office, e-tendering, office websites, portals etc being a few offshoots thereof.
When the decision to the effect of switching over to e-office mode in some Government offices and departments in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir , to be precise 45 – all outside the Civil Secretariat, was taken by the Government early last year and conveyed too, besides necessary support base, technical and otherwise, duly provided, why should majority of these departments not implement the decision? This is particularly unbecoming of such authorities concerned when seen in the context of such instructions having been repeatedly conveyed to them or to put it that way, that usual reminders too were given. Not only that, even the deadline too was fixed to be done it all by May 30 and June 15, 2021 by 45 and 96 designated offices/departments, respectively.
While reviewing the levels of implementation and to overcome procedural difficulties and to provide on the spot solutions, even Nodal Officers and Assistant Nodal Officers were provided by the Government in early September 2021 in helping and guiding these departments with regard to the process of switchover to e-office mode of working. Repeated reminders twice in September too were sent to the H0Ds who had not initiated the process due to operational difficulties or otherwise that they could contact the Nodal Officers for any assistance denoting that the role of the Government in facilitating the switchover has been quite in tune with what is sufficiently required in starting and acclimatising with a new process. Despite that, if the overall levels of implementation of the much desired and urgently required change in office working is below expectations, if not wholly dismal, that means nothing less than vivid demonstration of a wilful reluctance and rather refusal to adopt the new system or to adopt it symbolically . That cannot be allowed to happen as just like an ordinary matter meriting no serious view to be taken.
We , therefore, appreciate the firm decision of the Government in not entertaining and thus not ”allowing” any physical file or dak in the Civil Secretariat with effect from March 7, 2022. In other words, there should be a cut off point beyond which the status-quo- ante should not be allowed to reign supreme and for a new start, after reasonably sufficient time is given, such a decision can only be termed as appropriate. It, therefore, remains to be seen how the switchover is effected wherever not initiated so far or started halfway and how much ”serious” not adhering to the set date is treated by the General Administration Department.
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