Amid Covid, Haryana govt bats for e-office

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 15

The Covid scare has come as a blessing in disguise for the Haryana Government as far as its flagship paperless office project, aimed at complete electronic movement of files, is concerned.

“The movement of physical files between departments should be avoided as far as possible. Cases should be sent through e-office for all departments,” read an order of Chief Secretary Keshni Anand Arora today.

Launched by the government in July, the e-office project was at an advanced stage of implementation in Haryana, with key departments, including Chief Minister’s Office, Chief Secretary’s Office and Finance Department, already switching over to e-office.

Meanwhile, the government asked departments to avoid large meetings and use video-conferencing to hold departmental and inter-departmental meetings.

Besides, temporary passes to the Secretariat for the general public had been suspended and departments asked to encourage the use of e-sachivalya for facilitating video meetings with senior government

functionaries. The government decided that if any employee contracted Covid, the quarantine period prescribed by the competent medical authority would be treated as duty period for all intents and purposes.