UT offices to go paperless, Kataria sets Dec deadline

Chandigarh: Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has set a December deadline for all UT administration departments to shift to paperless offices.
The process to digitize all the office files will also be soon put into action by the administration.

Kataria issued directions during a recent meeting on the implementation and adoption of the e-office system in the UT departments.
At present, the e-module is being used to track the movement of physical files. Every office marks the receipt and sending of a physical file on the e-module. This marking can be seen by officials of different departments in the e-module.
“An updated software for e-office is being shared with different departments, and training will also be imparted to the officials for seamless shift to a paperless office,” said an official.
Under the complete switch over, office files (e-files) will be dealt and processed through digital platforms rather than being dealt physically. The file noting, decisions, approvals etc all will be done in the e-office module without physical movement of files from one official to another. The e-office module of National Informatics Centre (NIC) has already been implemented successfully in different departments of the central government and in many state governments. The administration wants to adopt the same processes in the UT departments also.
The process to shift completely to a paperless office has been in the works for more than a couple of years now. On November 15, 2022, UT Adviser-cum-Chief Vigilance Officer issued orders directing all the departments/ boards/corporations/undertakings of the Chandigarh administration to switch over to movements of all the physical (interdepartmental and inter departments) through e-office module of NIC and the discontinuation of the manual file movement register.