COVID-19 prompts CM B S Yediyurappa to push for paperless offices

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has decided that his office will receive files and letters in a paperless ecosystem under ‘e-office’. He has asked all his Cabinet colleagues to follow suit.

Under the ‘e-office’ initiative, all files are scanned and uploaded onto the system for further transactions. Besides saving reams of paper, the ‘e-office’ cuts manual movement of files and ensures speedy clearances as their status can be tracked online.

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The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) has already implemented the ‘e-office’ since November 1, 2019, and all outgoing files to various departments are paperless.

“With the coronavirus cases increasing day by day, all files and letters should come to my office via ‘e-office’ only and not in their physical form. Also, all ministers are to take action towards implementing the ‘e-office’ technology in their offices to handle all files and letters,” Yediyurappa said in a note to all ministers and the chief secretary.

Yediyurappa also pointed out that the ‘e-office’ technology came into effect in the offices of all heads of departments (secretaries), regional commissioners, deputy commissioners, zilla panchayats, police superintendents and deputy conservators of the forest from January 1, 2020.

According to an internal note by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), the ‘e-office’ is a Government of India project and 80% of the secretariat’s work is taking place under this.

The note also lays down the process to be followed under ‘e-office’ at the offices of ministers. All letters that are submitted must be scanned and uploaded after they are received by the minister or the personal secretary. The system generates a number that must be recorded on the physical letter that is to be kept in the office and only the virtual letter should be sent to the department concerned.

A similar procedure is to be followed with official files. Ministers can write notes (tippani) on paper, which will be uploaded into the system.