In wake of the fire that broke out in the protocol office of the Secretariat's General Administration Department (GAD), the Additional Secretary has directed that all the paper files here be e-filed.
Though the government argued saying that e-filing was maintained, it was later found that the first phase files for VIP consideration in the Protocol Office, diplomatic clearance, and room allocation in guest houses are still paper files.
Despite e-office facility, Secretariat prefers to deal in physical files
Physical files are dime a dozen at the state Secretariat even after the introduction of the e-office facility because ministers still prefer writing on paper.
It is not just in the General Administration Department (GAD) (Political), where some files were lost after a fire broke out on Tuesday, countless paper files move around freely in all the 44 departments in the Secretariat.
About 20 per cent of the total files still move from one officer to another and from one department to another in the paper form. As a result, files tied with a red tape are still a common sight on the desks of officials and most ministers.
Last October, the Secretariat had 1.25 lakh e-files to settle.
A piece of paper becomes a heavy file
The beginning of a file is usually an individual request, or recommendations from the directorates, on a piece of paper. A file gets created when that paper is scanned and uploaded in the e-office software and a file number is generated.
The Secretariat assistant writes a note on it and sends it to the higher officers. It reaches a department secretary through the section officer, under secretary/deputy secretary and joint secretary/additional secretary. In the case of the finance department, the number of layers for a file is even greater.
Important files will eventually be taken to the minister concerned.
The journey of the file ends when an order is passed based on the decision of those who have seen it.
Some ministers only deal in paper files
Some files, however, take a different route. There are ministers who prefer physical files. In their departments, files will mostly move only in the form of paper. Even if it is an e-file, the minister will demand a printed copy.
Files related to controversial issues will always be in the paper form from the very beginning, the advantage being that the notes written by the ministers or officials concerned in them can be removed any time at short notice. If need be, the complete file can also be made to disappear and even retrieved when needed.
When an e-file is converted into a paper file, it is recommended that any progress on it be scanned and recorded in the e-file, too. But not many bother doing this. Therefore, if a physical file is lost in a fire, it is not necessary that the e-office will have a copy of all the updates recorded.
Physical files are more valuable than e-files simply because of the kind of matters they are used to record.
The e-way
The e-file system can only be useful if a file travels through it — starting from the assistant till an order is passed on it. The system gives details of who all has seen the file, its status, and the length of time the file remained with each person. The government will also get an idea of files' movements in the Secretariat.
The e-file has two parts, namely ‘current’ and ‘note’. All papers related to the file will be included under ‘current’, while officials write their comments and recommendations under ‘note’. ‘Notes’ of ministers are often written by their personal staff using their username and password.
(With inputs from V R Prathap)
