Thiruvananthapuram: The meeting of the State Cabinet on Wednesday decided to reduce the number of file movements in the Secretariat based on the recommendation of the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC).
As per the new decision, the number of levels at which the files need to be cleared will be limited to two, between the level of under secretary and additional secretary.
A decision on the type of files that should be disposed of at various levels has also been categorized based on the recommendations.
From now onwards, a file to be passed over to the minister has to be seen only by one official among deputy secretary, joint secretary and additional secretary. This system had earlier been implemented in the General Administration Department.
The files pertaining to complaints on policy decisions, individual complaints relating to policy decisions, and those involving complicated legal matters and financial implications will be scrutinized in detail from the level of deputy secretary to above.
Separate orders on the levels of file disposal at each individual department will be issued by respective department secretaries in consultation with the minister concerned.
There are complaints that the file movement at the Secretariat is going at a slow pace because of the higher number of levels in which each file needs to be cleared. A decision to reduce these levels was arrived at after holding wide discussions based on the ARC report.
2 levels of disposal for files reaching cabinet
Hereafter, the files that will come up for the consideration of the State Cabinet will have only two higher levels of official clearance.
The file to be processed by the Under Secretary will be examined by the Additional Secretary before being handed over to the Principal Secretary of the Department.
Various ordinances, major appointments at the government-level and the details of those who are set to be released from the jails are now being sent to the Governor. There won't be any major changes in this routine procedure.
