Context:

• Jammu and Kashmir government has issued strict instructions that no physical file will be entertained in the Civil Secretariat with effect from March 7, 2022.
• The government issued the instructions after taking serious note of non-implementation of repeated instructions regarding switching over to e-office.

Key Points:

• Moreover, all the Administrative Secretaries have been asked to pass explicit orders in this regard to those Heads of Departments, who have been acting as impediment in ensuring effective and transparent inter and intra-Government processes.
• The Government in April, 2021 ordered that the 45 offices outside the Civil Secretariat will adopt e-office software of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) as the only mode of transaction of official business/file work by May 30, 2021 while as 96 offices were to switch over to e-office by June 15, 2021.
• Thereafter, the Government in September, 2021 appointed Nodal Officers and Assistant Nodal Officers to assist the departments in switching over to e-office and fixed timeline of one week for the same.
• In September, 2021, the General Administration Department observed that pursuant to earlier directions, it was reported that offices of 199 HoDs had been provided necessary assistance by way of facilitating them with VPN connections, creation of jk.gov.in email IDs and training of local admins etc.
• With a view to ensure complete switch over of these offices as also any other left out office to e-office mode of working, the General Administration Department again reiterated that all HoDs shall contact the Nodal Officers for any further assistance/handholding, after which it shall be presumed that all HoDs are functioning on e-office only.
• Failure of any Head of the Department in switching over to e-office mode by order was the HoD’s personal responsibility thereby inviting appropriate action.
• It was further clarified that HoD offices whose scanning activities have not yet been started shall immediately start using e-office with current dak without waiting for scanning of all files/documents.
• Additionally, the Administrative Secretaries were directed to intervene personally and issue necessary directions to all the concerned that communication/files are entertained only through e-office mode from their HoDs.
• However, despite all these instructions the compliance from all the HoDs has not been as expected. All the HoDs were provided the necessary assistance by the Information Technology Department by way of provisioning of the VPN connections, creation of domain IDs and training of local admins/master trainers etc.
• However, notwithstanding the instructions, extension of timelines and the arrangements put in place, it was observed that many HoD offices were still not fully operational on e-office mode and continue to send physical files/daks to their respective Administrative Secretaries.
• Now, all the Administrative Secretaries have been enjoined upon to direct HoDs working under their administrative control to immediately switch over to e-office mode of working.
• Further, no physical file/dak shall be entertained in the Civil Secretariat with effect from March 7, 2022 as per the orders of the Principal Secretary to the Government.
• It is pertinent to mention here that e-office aims to support Governance by ushering in more effective and transparent inter and intra-Government processes.
• Moreover, e-office improves efficiency, consistency and effectiveness of Government responses; reduces turnaround time to meet the demands of the Citizens Charter; provides effective resource management to improve the quality of administration; reduces processing delays and establishes transparency and accountability.

By: A D Singh