Chandigarh Administration to go paperless by December

Chandigarh administrative department isaiming to go paperless by the year-end to create a simplified, responsive, effective and transparent working environment. The projest is expected to be launched in December.

Prince Dhawan, UT director, information technology, says that the files in each department would be moved into electronic mode, right from dealing hand to the highest decision-making authority. Under the proposed system, the dealing hand will put up noting in e-forms. The system will also enable the officials of the departments to keep track of the movement of files. This will further help the departments in automating other functions such as leave management, employee management and tour approval.

“The system will enable time-bound delivery of services,” says Dhawan. Implementation of this initiative however requiresdigitisation of office records of all departments, back-end computerisation of offices through software and use of digital signature certificates. The contracts of digitisation of records and management of digitised records have been given to two companies. National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been asked to develop the software. “It’s a major project for us and we are hopeful of making all our departments paperless by December,” saysDhawan.

The Chandigarh administration has laid emphasis on e-governance in its revised smart city proposal. In a poll conducted by the administration, a total of 68 per cent people wanted online delivery of citizen services as pan-city solution. Despite failing to make it to the first 20 cities to be developed as smart city, Chandigarh figures on the list of 23 cities out of which 20 will be put on fast track. These 20 cities will get the same funds as smart cities and they will have to re-submit their proposals for this purpose by April 20.

A similar attempt was made in 2014, when the administration tried to make two of its departments – information technology and health- paperless with launch of e-office solution on a pilot basis. Training was imparted to the staff of both the departments and nearly Rs 10 lakh was spent on procuring the software. The departments used the system for a few months and stopped thereafter, citing ‘technical reasons.’ Dhawan says the new software would address the issues that cropped up with the previous version and hopes this time everything will go as per plans.