Mantralaya should be tech-savvy: Chief secretary

Ratnakar Gaikwad, after taking over charge as the chief secretary of the state recently, wants the entire Mantralaya machinery to be internet-friendly. In a recent communique to the administration, Gaikwad has asked every official to keep a soft copy of all their correspondence. 

He was the first officer to officially allot BlackBerry phones to all the department heads in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). 

“Discard paper, use internet, work fast and save environment,” is the mantra Gaikwad wants the state administration to chant. He has insisted on the use of internet to send and receive all government communications, reports, submissions, decisions, opinions and reminders. 

“Even the taluka level offices are now equipped with computers. Internet will not only save stationery, time and expenditure but will also save valuable paper,” Gaikwad said in a recent written order. 

“Internet will fast track grant of permissions, decision making and implementation of the same. The officials must realise that they are accountable to people and their jobs.” 

The order specifies that all the officials who are authorised to sign should make use of streamlined email IDs and digital signature and any communication with such signature must be honoured. The postal reminders, notices of meetings are strictly banned. 

The order says decentralisation of decision-making and empowerment of junior officers, reducing the number of stages for making presentations and digital documentation of records will go a long way to help implement infrastructure projects and also make the entire procedure citizen centric. 

Before taking over as chief secretary, Gaikwad was responsible for making MMRDA tech-savvy.

“Now, with the same e-pattern being implemented at the Mantralaya, we expect the files to move faster,” said a senior state official attached with Gaikwad’s office.