While setting a deadline, he said that the same has to be implemented by December 1 to ensure transparency. Chandigarh’s new secretary of vigilance department, Yashpal Garg, on Tuesday ordered that all files within the UT Administration can only be approved/passed digitally from December 1 onwards through e-office module, and no hard copies of files will be allowed.
The move, Garg believes, will help in checking corruption as well as help hold officers sitting on public files for months accountable.
Garg, who took charge of the vigilance department on Tuesday after a major reshuffle by the UT Administration, said, “In case of allegations of delays on the part of any officer/official, where hard copy of a file is involved, an adverse inference may be taken by the vigilance department unless the same is found justified for genuine reasons.”
An IAS officer, Garg — who also is the secretary of Chandigarh’s health department —in his Tuesday order said, “The Adviser to Administrator-cum-Chief Vigilance Officer of UT Chandigarh has observed that movement of files through e-office module of NIC has been successfully implemented in many of the departments of the administration. This indicates that the existing e-office module of the NIC can be easily replicated in other departments/boards/corporations/undertakings.”
The order then goes on to add, “As a measure of preventive vigilance, the Adviser has advised that movement of all files (intra department or inter department) should be done only through e- office module of NIC and manual file movement registers should be discontinued at the earliest possible.”
While setting a deadline, he said that the same has to be implemented by December 1 to ensure transparency.
Phone number to lodge complaints
In a second order issued in the day, Garg specified that if any officer/official demands bribe or any other favour then the vigilance department can be contacted via call or WhatsApp text on 8360817378, or on the department’s email id sspvigc.chd@nic.in and vigilance-chd@nic.in. This is part of the Chandigarh Administration’s policy of following a zero tolerance policy against corruption in its departments, boards and corporations.
It was said that “the identity of the complainant will not be disclosed. Assistance of the general public is hereby sought in bringing more fairness and transparency in the functioning of the administration.”
Pendency of files not new in UT admin
Many departments of the Chandigarh administration, especially the estate office, has been often accused of sitting on files for days, months, and in some cases even years. With the vigilance department now deciding to keep a check on the movement of files, there is hope that intentional delays on approving files can finally be stopped.