Goa govt to introduce File Movement Index

In a bid to weed out red tapism and bring about an efficiency in the Goa state's  administrations' disposal of files, the government is planning to introduce a file movement index wherein the date of receipt of the file and its subsequent disposal would be entered. The move is aimed at curtailing delays in disposing of files and the process would be followed in the state administration including directorates and field offices where the files are expected to be cleared within a week's time.

It may be recalled that the present Chief Secretary Mr Hauzel Haukhum had indicated his resolve to dispose of files from his office within a specified period and has now said that the government would ensure that files were disposed of in seven days(which included Saturdays and Sundays) from the date of their receipt by the officials in every office while also seeking arrear statements from all the concerned departments and the reasons thereof for the delay.

The Chief Secretary decided the above proposal after a meeting of the secretaries to the government held on Wednesday June 4 2009, where it was decided to appoint a senior government official as a nodal officer in every department to oversee movement of files and their speedy clearances. A manual of official procedure along with assistance diary is also proposed to be made available to the government staff dealing with files.

Mr Haukhum has impressed upon the secretaries about the need for speedy clearance of the files terming it as a collective effort and urged the cooperation of officials in this direction. Stating that the directives for speedy disposal of the files would be issued soon, the Chief Secretary said that every employee would be accountable for his/her action and suitable action would be taken against the persons responsible for the delay.

Listing the accounting procedure, the Chief secretary said that the nodal officer in each department would be entrusted to report to the head of the department about the delay caused in the clearing of the files.The first instance of a delay would be a verbal reprimand of the employee by the head of the department. A second instance of delay , a written explanation would be sought while a third such instance of delay would be met with departmental action against the errant employee.

On the flip side there is also a proposal to reward the government officials who perform well by giving them letters of appreciation and certificates of commendation. These officials would be honoured on national and state days besides the possibility of them being rewarded with cash incentives.